chief operating officer
Chief operating officers are the right hand and second in command of a company's chief executive officer. They ensure that the daily operations of the company run smoothly. Chief operating officers also develop company policies, rules and goals.
chief operating officer chief operating officers are the right hand and second in command of a company's chief executive officer. They ensure that the daily operations of the company run smoothly. Chief operating officers also develop company policies, rules and goals. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include operations management, financial statements, marketing management, business process modelling, company policies.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £99,944 a year for Chief executives and senior officials (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £63,161 to £151,903 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 1111). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Managers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only chief operating officer, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 1. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Administrative
- Economics and Accounting
What you'd actually do
- Review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to measure productivity or goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction or program improvement.
- Direct and coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with the production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
- Direct administrative activities directly related to making products or providing services.
- Prepare staff work schedules and assign specific duties.
- Direct or coordinate financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
- Plan or direct activities, such as sales promotions, that require coordination with other department managers.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does chief operating officer do?
Chief operating officers are the right hand and second in command of a company's chief executive officer. They ensure that the daily operations of the company run smoothly. Chief operating officers also develop company policies, rules and goals.
What skills does chief operating officer need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include operations management, financial statements, marketing management, business process modelling, company policies, integrate strategic foundation in daily performance. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace chief operating officer?
Our AI-durability model gives chief operating officer a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.