Academic affairs director vs student dean

The differences between academic affairs directors and student deans 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 student dean. Additionally, an academic affairs director has an average salary of $112,527, which is higher than the $59,497 average annual salary of a student dean.

The top three skills for an academic affairs director include financial aid, colleges and academic programs. The most important skills for a student dean are behavior issues, staff development, and crisis intervention.

Academic affairs director vs student dean overview

	Academic Affairs Director	Student Dean
Yearly salary	$112,527	$59,497
Hourly rate	$54.10	$28.60
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	11,420	10,422
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

Academic affairs director vs student dean salary

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

	Academic Affairs Director	Student Dean
Average salary	$112,527	$59,497
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $180,000	Between $32,000 And $109,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	University of Maryland, Baltimore	Dawson School
Best paying industry	Professional	Education

Differences between academic affairs director and student dean education

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

	Academic Affairs Director	Student Dean
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Business	Educational Leadership
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Academic affairs director vs student dean demographics

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

	Academic Affairs Director	Student Dean
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 48.0% Female, 52.0%	Male, 61.2% Female, 38.8%
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, 11.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between academic affairs director and student dean 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.

Student dean example responsibilities.

Implement recruitment efforts with local schools and colleges.
Assist with tours of various HBCU and non-HBCU colleges and universities.
Foster a positive school culture through oversight of social activities including talent shows, prep rallies and community meetings.
Provide comprehensive oversight and direction.
Foster positive campus climate for very diverse student population.
Work cooperatively with other administrators to promote student success and a positive campus climate.

Academic affairs director vs student dean skills

Common academic affairs director skills

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

Common student dean skills

Behavior Issues, 9%
Staff Development, 7%
Crisis Intervention, 6%
Student Achievement, 5%
Progress Monitoring, 5%
Student Services, 4%

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Academic Affairs Director vs Student Dean

Updated January 8, 2025

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