Chief Executive Officers: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of chief executive officers about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for chief executive officers to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of chief executive officers expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for chief executive officers.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Chief Executive Officers?
Do chief executive officers need a degree? What kind of experience do chief executive officers typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for chief executive officers to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Chief Executive Officers
Jobs Postings for Chief Executive Officers By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 19,766 (38%)
- No Education Listed: 14,597 (28%)
- Master's degree: 12,522 (24%)
- High School or GED: 2,698 (5%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 2,226 (4%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of chief executive officers. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 38% of positions. In 28% of job listings no education level was listed and in 24% of postings a master's degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Chief Executive Officers
Jobs Postings for Chief Executive Officers By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 1,791 (8%)
- 2-3 Years: 3,822 (17%)
- 4-6 Years: 7,977 (35%)
- 7-9 Years: 3,439 (15%)
- 10+ Years: 5,977 (26%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for chief executive officers. In 35% of job postings for Chief Executive Officers, employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience. In 26% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 10+ years of experience, while 2-3 years of experience was sought in 17% of job postings for chief executive officers.
What Kind of Degree Do Chief Executive Officers Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for chief executive officers, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 32 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective chief executive officers, and in 2021 a total of 1,184,241 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective chief executive officers.
Top Degree Programs for Chief Executive Officers
Top 5 Degree Programs for Chief Executive Officers (2021)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 366,667 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 351,860 |
| General Studies. | 129,753 |
| Business/Commerce, General. | 55,970 |
| Finance, General. | 51,430 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 366,667 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 351,860 |
| General Studies. | 129,753 |
| Business/Commerce, General. | 55,970 |
| Finance, General. | 51,430 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other. | 37,634 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other. | 34,937 |
| Management Science. | 23,510 |
| Public Administration. | 16,791 |
| Organizational Leadership. | 15,128 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other. | 14,224 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other. | 13,371 |
| Environmental Studies. | 9,893 |
| Environmental Science. | 9,231 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General. | 9,051 |
| International Business/Trade/Commerce. | 9,049 |
| Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies. | 8,340 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other. | 4,791 |
| Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician. | 4,769 |
| Sustainability Studies. | 3,005 |
| Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management. | 2,897 |
| Natural Resources/Conservation, General. | 2,821 |
| Small Business Administration/Management. | 2,345 |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General. | 1,622 |
| Accounting and Business/Management. | 1,537 |
| Construction Trades, General. | 1,432 |
| Accounting and Related Services, Other. | 814 |
| Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture. | 535 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations, Other. | 387 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research, Other. | 242 |
| Construction Trades, Other. | 157 |
| Social Entrepreneurship. | 48 |
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What Skills Do Chief Executive Officers Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by chief executive officers to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for chief executive officers, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Chief Executive Officers
Based on 40,180 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Chief Executive Officers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | 7,876 | 20% |
| Project Management | 7,097 | 18% |
| Finance | 6,200 | 15% |
| Accounting | 3,608 | 9% |
| Fundraising | 3,515 | 9% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Chief Executive Officers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Management | 19,999 | 50% |
| Communications | 19,005 | 47% |
| Leadership | 18,909 | 47% |
| Operations | 16,703 | 42% |
| Planning | 11,843 | 29% |
Based on 40,180 job postings related to chief executive officers, marketing was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 20% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for project management, finance, accounting, fundraising and auditing were also highly sought.
As for common skills, management was the most desired skill found in job postings for chief executive officers, followed by communications, leadership, operations, planning and strategic planning.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | 7,876 | 20% |
| Project Management | 7,097 | 18% |
| Finance | 6,200 | 15% |
| Accounting | 3,608 | 9% |
| Fundraising | 3,515 | 9% |
| Auditing | 3,423 | 9% |
| Business Development | 2,647 | 7% |
| Public Administration | 2,629 | 7% |
| Financial Management | 2,452 | 6% |
| Data Analysis | 2,266 | 6% |
| Risk Management | 2,069 | 5% |
| Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) | 2,063 | 5% |
| Process Improvement | 1,998 | 5% |
| Financial Statements | 1,997 | 5% |
| Business Strategies | 1,974 | 5% |
| Public Relations | 1,962 | 5% |
| Economics | 1,707 | 4% |
| Change Management | 1,589 | 4% |
| Sales Management | 1,545 | 4% |
| Thought Leadership | 1,529 | 4% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Management | 19,999 | 50% |
| Communications | 19,005 | 47% |
| Leadership | 18,909 | 47% |
| Operations | 16,703 | 42% |
| Planning | 11,843 | 29% |
| Strategic Planning | 7,544 | 19% |
| Budgeting | 6,567 | 16% |
| Writing | 6,567 | 16% |
| Coordinating | 6,082 | 15% |
| Customer Service | 5,961 | 15% |
| Innovation | 5,904 | 15% |
| Research | 5,849 | 15% |
| Sales | 5,823 | 14% |
| Presentations | 5,801 | 14% |
| Problem Solving | 5,568 | 14% |
| Influencing Skills | 4,822 | 12% |
| Decision Making | 4,730 | 12% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 4,403 | 11% |
| Self-Motivation | 4,387 | 11% |
| Accountability | 4,364 | 11% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about chief executive officers? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for chief executive officers.
What do chief executive officers do?
How much do chief executive officers make?
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The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.