6 interviewer-side question kits across strategy, execution, influence, and behavioral sets, plus a first-chief-of-staff decision aid and a weighted scorecard. Download as DOCX.
A chief of staff is a force multiplier for the leader they support, turning strategy into execution across the whole organization, often by getting senior people to act without any formal authority over them. That makes the interview genuinely hard: you are testing strategic thinking, hands-on execution, influence, and discretion all at once, in a role that is broad and undefined by design. A structured set of questions and a consistent scorecard are what separate a confident hire from a costly one.
This page gives you six interviewer-side kits: strategic and operational, execution and project leadership, communication and influence, behavioral and judgment, a first-chief-of-staff decision aid for a growing company, and a weighted scorecard to tie it together. The questions are written for the person doing the hiring, with what to listen for on each one. For the role itself, the chief of staff job description templates pair naturally with this guide.
TL;DR
Interview a chief of staff across four areas, weighting two most: strategic thinking and cross-functional execution, plus influence and behavioral. The defining and most overlooked skill is leading without formal authority, so test it directly, along with the discretion the role demands. Confirm you need a chief of staff and not an operations manager, EA, or COO before you hire. Score with a weighted 1-to-5 scorecard. This page has six question kits, a first-CoS decision aid, and the scorecard; download all as one DOCX.
What a Chief of Staff Does
A chief of staff is a strategic extension of a leader, usually a CEO or founder. They turn the leader's priorities into executed outcomes, run the leadership operating cadence, drive cross-functional initiatives, unblock stalled work, and act on the leader's behalf, all while typically influencing rather than formally managing the teams they work with. The role is broad and adapts to whatever the leader needs most, which is exactly what makes it hard to hire for.
There is no separate federal occupation for the title; the closest proxies are general and operations managers for the operational dimension and chief executives for the strategic, leadership-adjacent dimension. For the interview, what matters is that you are testing two things at once: the strategic range to think like the leader, and the execution muscle to make it real across teams.
What to Assess in the Interview
A strong chief of staff interview tests four competency clusters, and strategy and execution carry the most weight because the role lives at their intersection. Map your questions to these rather than asking a loose collection, so every candidate is measured the same way.
Strategy and prioritization
Turns vague priorities into plans
Protects the leader's time and focus
Runs the leadership operating cadence
Execution
Drives cross-functional initiatives
Juggles competing priorities
Unblocks stalled projects
Influence and trust
Leads without formal authority
Handles confidential information
Resolves conflict between senior people
Judgment and fit
Operates well in ambiguity
Knows when to escalate vs decide
Builds trust with the leader
Strategy and execution are the gates; influence, discretion, and fit are what separate a good chief of staff from a great one. For a structured way to define the role before you interview, the guide to defining job responsibilities and the structured interview guide are useful companions.
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Use the kits together across a structured process, or pull the ones that fit each stage. The strategic and execution kits belong in every chief of staff interview; the influence and behavioral kits round out the picture; the first-CoS kit is for a growing company choosing the role; and the scorecard ties every interviewer's read together.
Strategic and Operational
The core gate
Turning vague priorities into executable plans, protecting the leader's focus, and running the operating cadence. Start here.
Execution and Project Leadership
Getting things done
Driving complex cross-functional projects, juggling competing priorities, and recovering work that is going off the rails.
Communication and Influence
The defining skill
Leading without formal authority, delivering hard news, handling confidential information, and resolving senior conflict.
Behavioral and Judgment
How they handle ambiguity
STAR-format questions on ambiguity, shifting priorities, mistakes, and the maturity to say no to the leader.
First Chief of Staff
For a growing company
A decision aid for whether you need a true chief of staff or an operations manager, EA, or COO, before you hire.
Weighted Scorecard
Compare candidates fairly
A weighted 1-to-5 scorecard across six competencies, so every interviewer scores the same way and the debrief compares evidence.
Match the Kit to the Stage
Core round: Strategic and Operational, plus Execution and Project Leadership. Second interview: Communication and Influence, plus Behavioral and Judgment. Making your first chief of staff hire: start with the first-chief-of-staff decision aid before you interview anyone. Every stage: have each interviewer fill out the Weighted Scorecard independently before the debrief.
6 Chief of Staff Interview Question Kits
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual kits. Each kit includes a short how-to, the questions with what to listen for, and a scoring line, so the person interviewing has everything in one place. Fill in the candidate and interviewer details and use the same kits across every candidate.
Download All 6 Interview Kits
Strategic, execution, influence, behavioral, the first-CoS decision aid, and the weighted scorecard. All in one DOCX.
Kit 1: Strategic and Operational Questions
The core gate: turning vague priorities into executable plans, protecting the leader's focus, and running the operating cadence. Look for translating ambiguity into action with real outcomes.
Strategic and Operational Questions
CHIEF OF STAFF INTERVIEW: STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL
Candidate: __
Interviewer: __
Date: _
HOW TO USE THIS KIT
A chief of staff is a force multiplier for the leader they support,
turning strategy into execution across the whole organization. These
questions test whether the candidate can see the big picture, set
priorities, and run the operating cadence, not just manage tasks.
Look for specific examples with real outcomes. Score each answer
1 to 5 using the rubric and note the example the candidate gives.
QUESTIONS
1. Describe a time you took a leader's vague priority and turned it
into an executable plan with owners and deadlines.
[Look for: translating ambiguity into action, ownership, a result.]
2. How do you decide what the leader you support should and should
not spend their time on?
[Look for: ruthless prioritization, protecting the leader's focus.]
3. Walk me through how you would run a leadership team's operating
cadence: meetings, goals, and follow-through.
[Look for: a real system, accountability, closing loops.]
4. Tell me about a strategic initiative that was stalled. How did you
5. How do you keep yourself aligned with the leader so you can act on
their behalf without checking in on everything?
[Look for: building trust, judgment on what to escalate.]
SCORING
Score 1-5 per question (see rubric). The core gate is whether the
candidate can turn strategy into execution and protect the leader's
focus; a strong project manager who cannot operate at the strategy
level is a different, lesser fit for this role.
Total ____ / 25 Notes: __
Kit 2: Execution and Project Leadership Questions
Driving complex cross-functional projects, juggling competing priorities, and recovering work going off the rails. Probe what the candidate actually drove, not what they sat near.
Execution and Project Leadership Questions
CHIEF OF STAFF INTERVIEW: EXECUTION AND PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Candidate: __
Interviewer: __
Date: _
HOW TO USE THIS KIT
A chief of staff is judged on getting things done across teams they
do not manage. These questions test project leadership, juggling
competing priorities, and driving outcomes without formal authority.
Score each answer 1 to 5 with a noted example.
QUESTIONS
1. Tell me about the most complex cross-functional project you drove.
What was your role, and how did you land it?
[Look for: real ownership, coordinating people they did not manage.]
2. How do you juggle several competing priorities from the leader at
once without dropping any of them?
[Look for: a system, triage, communicating tradeoffs.]
3. Describe a time a project was going off the rails. What did you do?
[Look for: early detection, decisiveness, a recovery.]
4. How do you track and report progress so the leader always knows
the real state of things, good or bad?
[Look for: honest reporting, dashboards or cadence, no surprises.]
5. Tell me about a process you built or fixed that made the
organization run better.
[Look for: initiative, a before and after, lasting impact.]
SCORING
Score 1-5 per question (see rubric). Weight the cross-functional
project and the off-the-rails recovery answers most; this is where a
chief of staff earns their keep.
Total ____ / 25 Notes: __
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Kit 3: Communication and Influence (Leadership Without Authority)
Leading without formal authority, delivering hard news, handling confidential information, and resolving senior conflict. The defining and most overlooked chief of staff skill.
Communication and Influence (Leadership Without Authority)
CHIEF OF STAFF INTERVIEW: COMMUNICATION AND INFLUENCE
Candidate: __
Interviewer: __
Date: _
HOW TO USE THIS KIT
The defining skill of a chief of staff is leading without formal
authority: getting senior people to act through trust, clarity, and
influence rather than a reporting line. These questions test exactly
that, plus the discretion the role demands. Score each answer 1 to 5
with a noted example.
QUESTIONS
1. Tell me about a time you got a team or senior leader to do
something when you had no authority over them.
[Look for: influence through trust and logic, not a title.]
2. Describe a situation where you had to deliver hard news or push
back on the leader you support. How did you handle it?
[Look for: candor with respect, backbone, judgment.]
3. How do you handle confidential or sensitive information that comes
4. Tell me about a conflict between senior people that you helped
resolve. What did you do?
[Look for: neutrality, listening, a real resolution.]
5. How do you represent the leader's voice without overstepping into
making decisions that are theirs to make?
[Look for: judgment on the line between speaking for and deciding.]
SCORING
Score 1-5 per question (see rubric). Leading without authority and
discretion are close to defining for this role; weight the influence
and confidentiality answers heavily.
Total ____ / 25 Notes: __
Kit 4: Behavioral and Judgment Questions
STAR-format questions on ambiguity, shifting priorities, mistakes, and the maturity to say no to the leader. How the candidate operates without a script.
Behavioral and Judgment Questions
CHIEF OF STAFF INTERVIEW: BEHAVIORAL AND JUDGMENT
Candidate: __
Interviewer: __
Date: _
HOW TO USE THIS KIT
Behavioral questions surface how a candidate actually works under
pressure, ambiguity, and shifting priorities. Use the STAR approach:
ask for the Situation, Task, Action, and Result. Score each answer
1 to 5 and note the specific example given.
QUESTIONS
1. Tell me about the most ambiguous situation you have had to operate
in. How did you create clarity?
[Look for: comfort with ambiguity, structure, a result.]
2. Describe a time your priorities changed completely overnight. How
did you adapt?
[Look for: flexibility, composure, re-planning.]
3. Tell me about a mistake you made that affected the leader or the
organization. What did you do?
[Look for: accountability, recovery, learning.]
4. When have you had to say no to the leader you support, or to a
senior stakeholder? How did it go?
[Look for: backbone, judgment, professionalism.]
5. Why a chief of staff role, and where do you want it to lead?
[Look for: genuine fit, understanding the role, retention signal.]
SCORING
Score 1-5 per question (see rubric). Comfort with ambiguity and the
maturity to say no are the answers that predict whether the candidate
will thrive in a role defined by shifting, unscripted demands.
Total ____ / 25 Notes: __
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Kit 5: First Chief of Staff / Founder's Right Hand
For a growing company making its first chief of staff hire: a decision aid for whether you actually need a chief of staff or an operations manager, EA, or COO, before you hire.
First Chief of Staff / Founder's Right Hand
FIRST CHIEF OF STAFF: FOUNDER'S RIGHT HAND DECISION AND QUESTIONS
Company: __
Hiring leader: __
Date: _
WHY THIS KIT MATTERS
A growing company hiring its first chief of staff is usually a
founder or CEO who has run out of hours, not a structured org with a
playbook for the role. The role is broad and undefined by design, so
the most important thing is to confirm what you actually need before
you hire, and to hire for range and trust over a polished resume.
Some leaders need a true chief of staff; others need an operations
manager, an executive assistant, or a COO. Work through this first.
DECISION QUESTIONS (ANSWER FOR YOUR COMPANY)
1. Do you need a strategic force multiplier who can act on your behalf
across the whole business, or a function-specific manager?
[Force multiplier across functions = chief of staff. One function =
an operations or office manager.]
2. Do you need someone to drive cross-functional initiatives and run
your operating cadence, or to manage your calendar and logistics?
[Initiatives and cadence = chief of staff. Calendar and logistics =
executive assistant.]
3. Will this person own a function and a team long-term, or flex
across whatever you need most that quarter?
[Own a function = a COO or functional head. Flex = chief of staff.]
4. Can you give this person real access, context, and trust? A chief
of staff fails without it.
[If you cannot share openly, the role will not work.]
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS IF YOU CONCLUDE YOU NEED A CHIEF OF STAFF
1. This role is broad and will change as we grow. Tell me about a time
you thrived in a role you had to define yourself.
[Look for: comfort with ambiguity, ownership, range.]
2. You would work extremely closely with me with a lot of trust and
access. How do you build that kind of relationship?
3. What would you want to understand about me and the business in your
first 30 days to be effective?
[Look for: curiosity, a plan to ramp, listening first.]
SCORING
Use the decision questions to confirm the role before you interview.
For a growing company, hiring a chief of staff when you really needed
an operations manager or an executive assistant is a common and
expensive mismatch.
Notes: __
Kit 6: Weighted Interview Scorecard
A weighted 1-to-5 scorecard across six competencies, so every interviewer scores the same way and the debrief compares evidence rather than first impressions.
Chief of Staff Interview Scorecard (Weighted)
CHIEF OF STAFF INTERVIEW SCORECARD
Candidate: __
Interviewer: __
Date: _ Overall recommendation: [ ] Strong yes
[ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Strong no
HOW TO USE THIS SCORECARD
Score each competency 1 to 5 using the rating scale below, multiply
by the weight, and total. Have every interviewer complete the
scorecard independently before you discuss, so the debrief compares
evidence rather than first impressions. The weights reflect what
matters most for this role; adjust them to your business.
Rating scale:
5 = Outstanding, clear evidence and strong examples
4 = Above expectations
3 = Meets expectations
2 = Below expectations, some concerns
1 = Poor, clear gap
WEIGHTED COMPETENCIES
Strategic thinking and prioritization x3
Score ____ x3 = ____
Execution and cross-functional project leadership x3
Score ____ x3 = ____
Influence and leadership without authority x2
Score ____ x2 = ____
Communication, discretion, and trust x2
Score ____ x2 = ____
Comfort with ambiguity and adaptability x1
Score ____ x1 = ____
Fit with the leader and the company x1
Score ____ x1 = ____
TOTAL
Total weighted score ____ / 60
Standout strengths: __
Concerns or follow-ups: __
References to confirm: __
Chief of Staff vs COO vs Operations Manager vs EA
The chief of staff title is broad and often confused with adjacent roles, which is exactly why hiring the wrong one is common and costly. Match the hire to the work you actually need done.
A scorecard only works if everyone applies the same scale. Use this 1-to-5 rubric for each competency, and require interviewers to note the example behind every score so the debrief rests on evidence. The defining line is specificity: real, first-person examples of driving outcomes and leading without authority score high, and polished generalities without a concrete result score low.
5
Outstanding
Clear, specific evidence with strong first-person examples. The candidate has demonstrably turned strategy into execution, led without authority, and operated with judgment in real ambiguity.
4
Above expectations
Solid, concrete answers with a real example, slightly less depth or polish than a 5. Would handle the competency well with normal ramp-up.
3
Meets expectations
Adequate answer that covers the basics without standout depth. Can do the work, but does not yet signal range or initiative in this area.
2
Below expectations
Vague or generic answer, leans on theory over experience, or shows a gap. Some concern the candidate has operated as a task manager, not a true chief of staff.
1
Poor
Clear gap. Cannot speak specifically to the competency, or the answer raises a real flag on discretion, judgment, or fit.
Apply the rubric live during the interview rather than from memory afterward, and have each interviewer complete the interview evaluation form independently before the group compares notes. That single discipline does more to improve a senior hire than any individual question.
How to Run the Interview
A chief of staff hire is high-stakes, the role is broad, and strong candidates interview well, so the process has to be structured and evidence-based rather than a single impressive conversation. These are the realities worth getting right before you start scheduling.
Test strategy and execution together, because a chief of staff has to do both
The chief of staff role lives at the intersection of strategy and execution: thinking like the leader they support, then making it real across teams. That dual demand is what makes the interview hard, because candidates tend to be strong on one side and weaker on the other. A polished strategic thinker who has never personally driven a messy cross-functional project to completion will struggle, and so will a relentless project manager who cannot operate at the level of the leader's priorities. The strongest signal is a candidate who can describe taking a vague, ambiguous priority and turning it into an executed result with owners, deadlines, and follow-through. Weight the strategic and execution kits equally and most heavily, and probe for the specific role the candidate played, since chiefs of staff often sit near big outcomes without owning them, and you need to know what they actually drove.
Probe leadership without authority, because that is the skill the title hides
The defining and most overlooked chief of staff skill is leading without formal authority. The role gets senior, often more experienced people to act not through a reporting line but through trust, clarity, and influence. Many otherwise impressive candidates have only ever led with positional power, and they struggle the moment the org chart does not back them up. Ask directly for a time the candidate moved a team or a senior leader when they had no authority over them, and listen for influence built on logic, relationships, and credibility rather than escalation. Pair this with the discretion the role demands: a chief of staff sits close to sensitive information and senior conflict, so test how they handle confidentiality and how they push back on the leader they support. The communication and influence kit is built to surface exactly these, which a generic behavioral interview will miss.
Confirm you need a chief of staff and not another role, because the title is used loosely
For a growing company hiring its first chief of staff, the most expensive mistake is hiring the role when you actually needed a different one. The title is broad and fashionable, and leaders reach for it when what they really need is an operations manager to own a function, an executive assistant to own logistics and the calendar, or a COO to own the operation outright. A true chief of staff is a strategic force multiplier who flexes across the whole business and acts on the leader's behalf, and they fail without real access, context, and trust. Before you interview, work through the decision questions in the first-chief-of-staff kit: do you need cross-functional range or a single function, initiatives or logistics, a long-term functional owner or a flexible right hand, and can you actually give this person the trust the role requires. Getting the role right matters more than getting any single interview question right.
Keep the process thorough but timely, since strong chief of staff candidates have options, and lean on references that confirm what the candidate actually drove and how they are trusted, because proximity to big outcomes is easy to claim and harder to verify. The guide to illegal interview questions covers what to avoid asking, and the broader interview-questions guide covers structure.
Chief of Staff Pay
A chief of staff is a senior, well-paid role, typically salaried with a bonus, and pay varies widely by company size, stage, and the seniority of the leader they support. Knowing the band helps you screen for fit and set expectations early.
Bracketed by Two Federal Proxies (BLS, May 2024)
There is no standalone occupation for the title, so anchor between two. General and operations managers had a median of $102,950, and chief executives had a median of $206,420, with the highest 10 percent of each above $239,200. A chief of staff usually falls between the two depending on scope and the level of the leader supported, and pay runs higher at venture-backed technology companies and in major metros.
Pay is lower for a first chief of staff at a smaller or earlier-stage organization and higher in technology hubs. Because the role is senior and judgment-intensive, it is almost always exempt and salaried under the exempt versus non-exempt tests, though classification depends on actual duties and some states set stricter thresholds. Benchmark to your specific stage, industry, and leader level, and set a clear range.
After You Hire: Onboarding a Chief of Staff
Onboarding a chief of staff is about access, context, and trust, because the role fails without them. The offer goes out in writing with the scope spelled out, then the ramp: scoped systems and calendar access, alignment on the leader's priorities and operating cadence, and a 30-60-90 day plan so a deliberately broad role has concrete early milestones.
Send and e-sign the offer
Confirm the role, scope, compensation, reporting line to the leader, and start date in writing, and have the new chief of staff e-sign before day one.
Grant access and context
Give the scoped systems access, calendar visibility, and the context a chief of staff needs, since the role fails without real access and trust from the start.
Align on priorities and operating cadence
Walk through the leader's top priorities, the operating cadence, and what the role owns, so the new hire works on what matters from week one.
Set a 30-60-90 day plan
Agree on what the chief of staff learns, observes, and starts owning across the first three months, so a broad role has concrete early milestones.
Once the candidate accepts, the documents and ramp follow a familiar sequence, and a structured first 90 days built around the leader's priorities gets a new chief of staff productive faster. FirstHR connects the hiring-to-onboarding side of this: e-signature for the offer letter, document storage for signed forms, training and task assignments for the ramp, and onboarding checklists in one place built for growing teams. Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step, the 30-60-90 day plan template structures the first three months, and an onboarding template gives the new hire a structured start. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a project-management or operations system, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
Interview a chief of staff across four areas, weighting strategic thinking and cross-functional execution most, then influence and behavioral.
The defining and most overlooked skill is leading without formal authority; test it directly with a specific example, not a generic behavioral question.
Probe what the candidate actually drove, since chiefs of staff often sit near big outcomes without owning them.
Confirm you need a chief of staff and not an operations manager, executive assistant, or COO before you hire; the title is used loosely.
Score with a weighted 1-to-5 scorecard, completed independently before the debrief, so you compare evidence rather than polish.
The role is almost always exempt and salaried, and pay brackets between the BLS general-manager and chief-executive medians.
Frequently Asked Questions
What questions should I ask a chief of staff candidate?
Cover four areas and weight strategy and execution most. Strategic and operational: describe a time you turned a leader's vague priority into an executable plan, and how you decide what the leader should and should not spend time on. Execution: tell me about the most complex cross-functional project you drove and how you landed it. Communication and influence: tell me about a time you moved a team or senior leader when you had no authority over them, which is the defining chief of staff skill. Behavioral: describe the most ambiguous situation you have operated in and how you created clarity. The strongest answers are specific and first-person, with real outcomes, and you should probe what the candidate actually drove, since chiefs of staff often sit near big results without owning them. Use a weighted scorecard so strategy, execution, and influence outweigh a polished resume, and have every interviewer score the same way before comparing notes.
What is the difference between a chief of staff and a COO?
They are different roles that are easy to confuse. A chief of staff is a force multiplier for a specific leader, usually the CEO or founder: they flex across the whole business, turn the leader's priorities into execution, run the operating cadence, and act on the leader's behalf, but they typically do not own a function or a large team outright. A chief operating officer owns the operation: they have direct authority over functions, manage large teams, and are accountable for operational results as a line executive. Put simply, a chief of staff leads largely through influence and proximity to the leader, while a COO leads through formal authority over the organization. Some companies have both, with the chief of staff supporting the CEO and the COO running operations. When you hire, decide whether you need a flexible right hand who works through influence, which points to a chief of staff, or a senior executive to own the operation, which points to a COO.
What is the difference between a chief of staff and an executive assistant?
The roles overlap in proximity to the leader but differ sharply in scope. An executive assistant owns logistics and administration: calendar, travel, scheduling, communications, and the smooth running of the leader's day. A chief of staff owns strategy and execution: driving cross-functional initiatives, running the leadership operating cadence, unblocking stalled projects, and acting as a strategic extension of the leader. An EA makes the leader's time work; a chief of staff makes the leader's priorities happen across the organization. In smaller companies the line can blur, and one person may do both, but they are genuinely different jobs with different skill profiles. When a growing company is hiring, this distinction matters: if the core need is logistics and calendar management, that is an executive assistant; if the core need is driving strategy into execution across teams, that is a chief of staff. Hiring one when you needed the other is a common and costly mismatch.
What skills should a chief of staff have?
A strong chief of staff combines strategic thinking, execution, influence, and discretion. The foundation is the ability to operate at the level of the leader they support, turning vague priorities into clear, executable plans and protecting the leader's focus through ruthless prioritization. On the execution side, they drive complex cross-functional projects, juggle competing priorities, and unblock stalled initiatives, all while reporting the real state of things honestly. The defining and most overlooked skill is leadership without formal authority: getting senior, often more experienced people to act through trust, clarity, and influence rather than a reporting line. Because the role sits close to the leader and to sensitive information, discretion, trustworthiness, and the judgment to know when to escalate versus decide are essential. Finally, the role is broad and ambiguous by design, so comfort operating without a script and adapting as priorities shift rounds out the profile. Test all of these with specific, first-person examples rather than hypotheticals.
How do you assess leadership without authority in a chief of staff interview?
Test it directly, because it is the defining chief of staff skill and a generic behavioral interview will miss it. Ask the candidate for a specific time they got a team or a senior leader to do something when they had no authority over them, and listen for influence built on trust, logic, relationships, and credibility rather than escalation to a higher power. Strong candidates describe understanding what the other person needed, building a coalition, or making the case so compellingly that authority was unnecessary; weak candidates either cannot produce an example or reveal that they have only ever led with positional power. Pair this with the discretion the role requires by asking how they handle confidential information and how they push back on the leader they support. The combination of influence without authority and trustworthy discretion is what separates a true chief of staff from a capable manager who needs the org chart behind them. The communication and influence kit on this page is built to surface exactly this.
Should a growing company hire a chief of staff or an operations manager?
It depends on what the leader actually needs, and getting the role right matters more than any single interview question. Hire a chief of staff when you need a strategic force multiplier who flexes across the whole business, drives cross-functional initiatives, runs your operating cadence, and can act on your behalf, and when you can give that person real access, context, and trust. Hire an operations manager when you need someone to own a specific function or process and run it well, rather than range across everything. Many leaders reach for the chief of staff title when what they really need is an operations manager to own a function, an executive assistant to own logistics, or a COO to own the operation outright. Work through the decision questions in the first-chief-of-staff kit before you interview, since hiring a broad strategic role when you needed a focused functional one, or the reverse, is a common and expensive mismatch. This is general guidance; match the hire to your real need.
Is a chief of staff exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
A chief of staff is almost always exempt and salaried. The role is a high-level position whose primary duties involve exercising discretion and independent judgment on significant matters, supporting executive decision-making, and often directing cross-functional work, which fits the executive or administrative exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the role pays well above the salary threshold in practice. Classification is therefore rarely a close call. That said, exempt status always depends on the actual duties rather than the title, and some states apply their own salary thresholds and tests that are stricter than the federal floor. Confirm the classification against the real responsibilities and your state's rules rather than assuming the title settles it. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a chief of staff make?
A chief of staff is a senior, well-paid role, typically salaried with a bonus, and pay varies widely by company size, stage, and location. There is no separate federal occupation for the title; the closest Bureau of Labor Statistics proxies bracket it. General and operations managers had a median annual wage of about $102,950 as of May 2024, and chief executives had a median of about $206,420, with a chief of staff usually falling between the two depending on scope and the seniority of the leader they support. Pay runs meaningfully higher at venture-backed technology companies and in major metros, and lower for a first chief of staff at a smaller or earlier-stage organization. Because the role is broad and varies so much, benchmark to your specific stage, industry, and the level of the leader the role supports, and set a clear range. This is general information, not legal advice.
