Levels By Career Stage

The hierarchical levels within a worker’s career stage typically are:

  • Individual Contributor: an entry level employee who does not directly supervise others
  • Expert Individual Contributor: a non-management track worker who is considered an expert in one’s field of work but does supervise other individuals
  • Manager: a first-line manager who is responsible for the supervision of other professionals or individual contributors
  • Manager of Managers: second- and third-line managers who oversee multiple managers or departments
  • Executive: a leader of the organization)

Titles Within I-O Career Paths

Please note that this list is intended to provide a sample of the job titles, it is not comprehensive.

Job Titles in Academia

  • Individual Contributor: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor
  • Expert Individual Contributor: Full Professor
  • Manager: Department Chair
  • Manager of Managers: Dean
  • Executive: Vice President, Provost, President

Job Titles in Government

  • Individual Contributor: Analyst, Associate, Consultant
  • Expert Individual Contributor: Expert
  • Manager: Case Team Leader, Manager, Senior Associate Consultant, Project Leader
  • Manager of Managers: Senior Manager
  • Executive: Executive, Senior Executive, Partner, Director

Job Titles in Industry

  • Individual Contributor: HR Research Specialist, Project Assistant, Associate Consultant, Consultant
  • Expert Individual Contributor: Chief Scientist, Principal Research Scientist, Principal Consultant, Managing Research Scientist
  • Manager: Director of HR Operations, Manager, Team Leader, Program Leader
  • Manager of Managers: Area Director of HR, Senior Team Leader, Principal Consultant, Program Director
  • Executive: Vice President of HR, Chief HR Officer, Global HR Officer, Director, Executive Consultant, Senior Vice President

Job Titles in Consulting

  • Individual Contributor: Project Assistant, Associate Consultant, Professional, Lead Professional, Consulting Associate
  • Expert Individual Contributor: Senior Consultant, Senior Professional
  • Manager: Manager, Team Leader, Program Manager, Director
  • Manager of Managers: Area Director of HR, Senior Team Leader, Principal Consultant, Program Director
  • Executive: Director, Officer, Executive Consultant, Vice President, Sr. Vice President, CEO