Academic affairs director vs director of student affairs

The differences between academic affairs directors and directors of student affairs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an academic affairs director and a director of student affairs. Additionally, an academic affairs director has an average salary of $112,527, which is higher than the $74,804 average annual salary of a director of student affairs.

The top three skills for an academic affairs director include financial aid, colleges and academic programs. The most important skills for a director of student affairs are student affairs, student services, and alumni.

Academic affairs director vs director of student affairs overview

	Academic Affairs Director	Director Of Student Affairs
Yearly salary	$112,527	$74,804
Hourly rate	$54.10	$35.96
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	11,420	22,875
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

Academic affairs director vs director of student affairs salary

Academic affairs directors and directors of student affairs have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Academic Affairs Director	Director Of Student Affairs
Average salary	$112,527	$74,804
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $180,000	Between $44,000 And $125,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	University of Maryland, Baltimore	Pacifi
Best paying industry	Professional	Education

Differences between academic affairs director and director of student affairs education

There are a few differences between an academic affairs director and a director of student affairs in terms of educational background:

	Academic Affairs Director	Director Of Student Affairs
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Academic affairs director vs director of student affairs demographics

Here are the differences between academic affairs directors' and directors of student affairs' demographics:

	Academic Affairs Director	Director Of Student Affairs
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 48.0% Female, 52.0%	Male, 48.2% Female, 51.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 4.4% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between academic affairs director and director of student affairs duties and responsibilities

Academic affairs director example responsibilities.

Manage and track individual sorority members monthly study hour requirements.
Experience in the support of transition and retention strategies for multicultural student populations to address differentials in attrition and retention.
Deliver training seminars to faculty, administrators and staff providing services to veterans.

Director of student affairs example responsibilities.

Provide resources and professional development opportunities to alumni to ensure engagement and a connection to Rasmussen.
Develop yearly FERPA training to increase knowledge and compliance with the law.
Develop CRM, print, website, and social media campaigns to enhance recruitment.
Open new culinary school from initial build-out to include initial program design and approval.
Direct campus through application process, site visits, and approval for institutional ABHES accreditation.
Coordinate events and catering services including divisional meetings, outings, student dinners, and other VPSA events.

Academic affairs director vs director of student affairs skills

Common academic affairs director skills

Financial Aid, 10%
Colleges, 10%
Academic Programs, 7%
Student Services, 7%
Curriculum Development, 7%
Educational Programs, 6%

Common director of student affairs skills

Student Affairs, 16%
Student Services, 7%
Alumni, 7%
Professional Development, 6%
Financial Aid, 5%
Student Organizations, 5%

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Academic Affairs Director
Academic Affairs Director vs Director Of Student Affairs

Updated January 8, 2025

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