A Chief Operating Officer or COO plays a very important role in a company because he monitors the ongoing business operation of the company. A COO is a corporate executive and usually reports to the CEO. In terms of power, the COO is second after the CEO in a company. The average salary of a COO in the USA is $144,616 per year. However, the average salary of a COO at a startup in the USA is $124,950 a year. The highest salary of a startup COO is $266,000 and the lowest is $24,000.
Key Takeaways
- In order to become a COO, you must have at least a Bachelor’s degree but having a master’s degree in business administration, law, public administration, etc. will be best
- In order to become a COO, you must possess some skills like integrity, leadership, communication skill, initiative, decisiveness, etc.
- The average salary of a COO in the USA is $144,616 per year
- One of the key duties of a COO is to monitor the day-to-day administrative function of a business
What is a COO?
According to Wikipedia –
“A chief operating officer (COO), also called a chief operations officer, is one of the highest-ranking executive positions in an organization, composing part of the “C-suite”. The COO is usually the second-in-command at the firm, especially if the highest-ranking executive is the chairperson and CEO. The COO is responsible for the daily operation of the company and its office building and routinely reports to the highest-ranking executive, usually the chief executive officer (CEO).”
A COO is a senior executive of a company and he/she directly reports to the CEO. One of the key duties of a COO is to monitor the day-to-day administrative function of a business. Moreover, a COO also looks after the daily business operation of a company. Apart from that a COO also has to control different types of business operations and ensure all the projects are running smoothly.
Educational Requirements of a COO
COO is a high-ranked position in an organization therefore, COOs require higher education qualifications. In order to become a COO, you must have at least a Bachelor’s degree. However, if you check the job circular then you will see that most of the job openings require a master’s degree. So, having a master’s degree in business administration, law, public administration, liberal arts, etc. will give you an edge over other candidates.
Skills Required to Become a COO
In order to become a COO, you must possess some skills. They are –
- Integrity
- Leadership
- Communication Ability
- Handle complexity
- Interpersonal Skills
- Drive / Ambition
- Initiative
- Business Acumen
- Decisiveness
- Energy / Passion
- Analytical / reasoning skills
- Achievement orientation
- Self-Awareness
- Strategic Planning
- Emotional Intelligence
- Team player
- Conceptual skills
- Financial management
- Planning ability
- Entrepreneurial ability
- HR Management
- Project Management
- Technical competence
- Sales / Marketing ability
- Mentor
- Administrative Ability
- International Experience
- Multi-company experience
- Disciplinary knowledge
- Time Management
Various Certification Courses for a COO
We are living in a fast-forwarding world where getting a job is very tough. There are lots of competition in the job market and sometimes having a Bachelor’s or even a master’s degree is not sufficient enough to secure the COO position in a company. Therefore, it is better to get various certifications throughout your career. Some important certifications that will boost your career to become a COO are –
| Rank | Certification | Organization |
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 | Certified Manager Certification (CM) Certified Sales Professional (CSP) Certified Management Accountant (CMA) Project Management Professional (PMP) Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS) Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) Program Management Professional (PgMP) Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) IT Information Library Foundations Certification (ITIL) Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) International Accredited Business Accountant (IABA) Accreditation in Public Relations (PR) Certified Management Executive (CME) Certified Energy Manager (CEM) Microsoft Office Specialist Master Certification (MOS) EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA) Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE) Certified Health Service Administrator (CHSA) Food Safety Manager Certification | ICPM MRERF IMA PMI AMA American Red Cross ACHE PMI LOMA Zavata AICPA ACAT PRSA NAHRO AEE MS EPA ASQ ACA NRSFP, FSMC |
State Wise Average Salary of a COO at a Startup in the USA
| Name of the State | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Washington New York California Idaho New Hampshire Vermont Massachusetts Maine New Jersey Hawaii Nevada Arizona Wyoming Tennessee Connecticut Montana Rhode Island Alaska Texas Minnesota Indiana Oregon West Virginia North Dakota Maryland Pennsylvania Virginia Wisconsin Ohio Nebraska South Dakota Iowa Delaware Utah Colorado South Carolina Alabama New Mexico Arkansas Kansas Oklahoma Florida Michigan Mississippi Kentucky Illinois Missouri Georgia Louisiana North Carolina | $145,551 $141,030 $137,927 $130,750 $127,807 $126,610 $125,269 $121,241 $120,153 $117,198 $176,349 $160,118 $156,278 $153,496 $152,440 $141,787 $137,241 $135,391 $134,228 $126,647 $124,247 $123,223 $121,584 $118,789 $115,618 $154,289 $151,425 $151,334 $151,258 $143,329 $144,209 $134,355 $130,988 $130,469 $130,296 $128,561 $128,161 $127,625 $127,387 $127,230 $179,933 $169,616 $166,529 $164,326 $163,502 $176,588 $162,661 $160,343 $159,068 $156,615 | $12,129 $11,752 $11,493 $10,895 $10,650 $10,550 $10,439 $10,103 $10,012 $9,766 $14,695 $13,343 $13,023 $12,791 $12,703 $11,815 $11,436 $11,282 $11,185 $10,553 $10,353 $10,268 $10,132 $9,899 $9,634 $12,857 $12,618 $12,611 $12,604 $11,944 $12,017 $11,196 $10,915 $10,872 $10,858 $10,713 $10,680 $10,635 $10,615 $10,602 $14,994 $14,134 $13,877 $13,693 $13,625 $14,715 $13,555 $13,361 $13,255 $13,051 | $2,799 $2,712 $2,652 $2,514 $2,457 $2,434 $2,409 $2,331 $2,310 $2,253 $3,391 $3,079 $3,005 $2,951 $2,931 $2,726 $2,639 $2,603 $2,581 $2,435 $2,389 $2,369 $2,338 $2,284 $2,223 $2,967 $2,912 $2,910 $2,908 $2,756 $2,773 $2,583 $2,519 $2,509 $2,505 $2,472 $2,464 $2,454 $2,449 $2,446 $3,460 $3,261 $3,202 $3,160 $3,144 $3,395 $3,128 $3,083 $3,059 $3,011 | $69.98 $67.80 $66.31 $62.86 $61.45 $60.87 $60.23 $58.29 $57.77 $56.35 $84.78 $76.98 $75.13 $73.80 $73.29 $68.17 $65.98 $65.09 $64.53 $60.89 $59.73 $59.24 $58.45 $57.11 $55.59 $74.18 $72.80 $72.76 $72.72 $68.91 $69.33 $64.59 $62.98 $62.73 $62.64 $61.81 $61.62 $61.36 $61.24 $61.17 $86.51 $81.55 $80.06 $79.00 $78.61 $84.90 $78.20 $77.09 $76.48 $75.30 |
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