Academic dean vs academic director

The differences between academic deans and academic directors 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 dean and an academic director. Additionally, an academic director has an average salary of $122,669, which is higher than the $94,053 average annual salary of an academic dean.

The top three skills for an academic dean include curriculum development, professional development and student services. The most important skills for an academic director are professional development, curriculum development, and student performance.

Academic dean vs academic director overview

	Academic Dean	Academic Director
Yearly salary	$94,053	$122,669
Hourly rate	$45.22	$58.98
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	3,190	12,420
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does an academic dean do?

Academic deans take a vital role in the development and advancement of education in a college or university. The dean may have different functions depending on the university, but mostly, academic deans focus on creating new strategies in providing education for students. It is the responsibility of the academic dean to ensure that the faculty conducts all educational practices. The academic dean also manages all faculty members' activities and works with drafting the university's curriculum.

What does an academic director do?

The academic director is the person that leads the school or university in an active stance in education. The vitality of the level of education rests on the shoulders of the director. The academic director is also responsible for hiring faculty staff, working with teachers and professors to create and develop the school curriculum, work with the school administrator regarding student affairs and help in the administrative duties in line with the educational institution. Also included in the academic director's task is assessing incoming students, processing grades, and attending to students' needs and welfare.

Academic dean vs academic director salary

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

	Academic Dean	Academic Director
Average salary	$94,053	$122,669
Salary range	Between $57,000 And $153,000	Between $78,000 And $191,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	Oregon
Best paying company	DCP Holdings Inc	Emory Healthcare
Best paying industry	Education	Transportation

Differences between academic dean and academic director education

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

	Academic Dean	Academic Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Academic dean vs academic director demographics

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

	Academic Dean	Academic Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0%	Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 4.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between academic dean and academic director duties and responsibilities

Academic dean example responsibilities.

Produce, manage and evaluate all budgetary and programmatic aspects of a comprehensive career service program for students and alumni.
Work cooperatively with other offices and student groups in the implementation of various campus-wide multicultural activities and other major events.
Create individualized educational plans for students desiring to study in English speaking countries.
Coordinate several courses which involve development of the departmental syllabus and managing development of the departmental final.

Academic director example responsibilities.

Manage and track individual sorority members monthly study hour requirements.
Devise process improvements that lead increased operational efficiency and persistence.
Lead project management team in development/execution of conferences and enduring CME -accredite programs.
Help in various fund raising activities for PTA
Develop and teach public lands policy seminar.
Provide advocacy services in attendance at local IEP meetings.

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Academic dean vs academic director skills

Common academic dean skills

Curriculum Development, 10%
Professional Development, 7%
Student Services, 5%
Student Learning, 5%
Academic Affairs, 5%
Program Directors, 4%

Common academic director skills

Professional Development, 13%
Curriculum Development, 9%
Student Performance, 7%
Academic Programs, 7%
Staff Development, 6%
Academic Support, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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