Chief Operating Officer
Snapshot
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 chief operating officer (COO) serves as the second-in-command, working closely with the chief executive officer (CEO) to oversee all aspects of a company’s operations. This role is crucial for translating the CEO’s vision into actionable plans and ensuring efficient and effective implementation. You’ll be responsible for streamlining processes, managing resources, and fostering a productive work environment. This is a demanding but rewarding role for individuals who thrive on problem-solving and leading teams.
- • Overseeing daily operations and ensuring alignment with company goals.
- • Developing and implementing company policies, rules, and procedures.
- • Analyzing operational data and identifying areas for improvement.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Figures cover Chief executives, senior officials and legislators — 23 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Denmark, Italy, Malta, Slovakia.
Longest-running shortage: Malta, 3 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person’s chances. It describes a market.
Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading (United States, Australia, Malta)
| Reported demand | Typical pay | Where it is heading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not reported | $105,770 2025-05 | +4.4% 2024–2034 · BLS 2024-2034 |
| Australia | Assessed as balanced Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 * | — | — |
| Malta | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * | — | — |
* Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS)
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Future Outlook for chief operating officer
The outlook for chief operating officer reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could chief operating officer change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.
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How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- abide by business ethical code of conducts
- ensure lawful business operations
- collaborate in company's daily operations
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- interpret financial statements
- analyse business plans
- track key performance indicators
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Management & Entrepreneurship
A typical day as a chief operating officer
09 09:00 · Morning analyse business plans
10 10:30 · Mid-morning abide by business ethical code of conducts
12 12:00 · Midday collaborate in company's daily operations
14 14:00 · Afternoon conclude business agreements
15 15:30 · Late afternoon develop professional network
17 17:00 · Wrap-up ensure lawful business operations
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
What you need to do this work
The skills, knowledge and tools this role calls for — and the traits and rewards that come with it.
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negotiate with stakeholders
Negotiate compromises with stakeholders and strive to reach the most beneficial agreements for the company. May involve building relationships with suppliers and customers, as well as ensuring products are profitable.
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conclude business agreements
Negotiate, revise, and sign mercantile and business documents such as contracts, business agreements, deeds, purchases and wills, and bills of exchange.
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develop professional network
Reach out to and meet up with people in a professional context. Find common ground and use your contacts for mutual benefit. Keep track of the people in your personal professional network and stay up to date on their activities.
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establish collaborative relations
Establish a connection between organisations or individuals which may benefit from communicating with one another in order to facilitate an enduring positive collaborative relationship between both parties.
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interpret financial statements
Read, understand, and interpret the key lines and indicators in financial statements. Extract the most important information from financial statements depending on the needs and integrate this information in the development of the department's plans.
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abide by business ethical code of conducts
Conform and follow the ethical code of conducts promoted by companies and businesses at large. Ensure that operations and activities do comply with the code of conduct and ethical operations the supply chain throughout.
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track key performance indicators
Identify the quantifiable measures that a company or industry uses to gauge or compare performance in terms of meeting their operational and strategic goals, using preset performance indicators.
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plan medium to long term objectives
Schedule long term objectives and immediate to short term objectives through effective medium-term planning and reconciliation processes.
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collaborate in company's daily operations
Collaborate and perform hands-on work with other departments, managers, supervisors, and workers in different aspects of the business from preparing accounting reports, envisioning the marketing campaigns up to having contact with clients.
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shape organisational teams based on competencies
Study the profiles of collaborators and decide the best place for directors and collaborators following an strategic mindset and serving to the goals of the company.
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integrate strategic foundation in daily performance
Reflect on the strategic foundation of companies, meaning their mission, vision, and values in order to integrate this foundation in the performance of the job position.
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ensure lawful business operations
Comply with legislation in the daily operations of a company.
business process modelling
The tools, methods and notations such as Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) and Business Process Execution Language (BPEL), used to describe and analyse the characteristics of a business process and model its further development.
company policies
The set of rules that govern the activity of a company.
operations management
The backend business functions that are implemented with the aim of achieving the high efficiency and profitability within an organisation.
- financial statements
- marketing management
- financial management
- lean manufacturing
Path to become a chief operating officer
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Master's or equivalent level
360 programmes in 22 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 138 short courses that build single skills.
A few examples, taught in the language of this page:
Aalto-yliopisto · Finland
Jyväskylän ammattikorkeakoulu · Finland
Higher Diploma in Business in Leadership
Technological University of the Shannon · Ireland
These are 6 of 498.
Sources
- 1. Bron: DUO open onderwijsdata
- 2. Source: Opintopolku.fi (Finnish National Agency for Education)
- 3. Source: Europass Qualification Dataset Register (European Commission)
- 4. Source: Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (students.kuccps.ac.ke).
- 5. Source: Malta Qualifications Registry, Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (qualifications.mfhea.gov.mt).
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does chief operating officer fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
For organisations
The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.
Frequently asked questions
What skills are most important for a chief operating officer?
Is this role typically a leadership position?
What is the typical career path to becoming a chief operating officer?
How much does Chief Operating Officer pay in the United States?
Sources: ESCO O*NET ELA/EURES Cedefop BLS Data updated October 3, 2026 About our data