Academic dean vs department chairperson

The differences between academic deans and department chairpeople 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 a department chairperson. Additionally, a department chairperson has an average salary of $98,438, 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 a department chairperson are curriculum development, professional development, and classroom management.

Academic dean vs department chairperson overview

	Academic Dean	Department Chairperson
Yearly salary	$94,053	$98,438
Hourly rate	$45.22	$47.33
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	3,190	33,511
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
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 a department chairperson do?

A Department Chairperson is a faculty member who provides academic and administrative leadership to an academic department. They exercise leadership in recruiting and retaining capable faculty, communicate departmental needs and desires to the Dean and Provost, and coordinate the academic advisement process.

Academic dean vs department chairperson salary

Academic deans and department chairpeople have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Academic Dean	Department Chairperson
Average salary	$94,053	$98,438
Salary range	Between $57,000 And $153,000	Between $50,000 And $191,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	DCP Holdings Inc	Marshall University
Best paying industry	Education	Finance

Differences between academic dean and department chairperson education

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

	Academic Dean	Department Chairperson
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Education
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Academic dean vs department chairperson demographics

Here are the differences between academic deans' and department chairpeople' demographics:

	Academic Dean	Department Chairperson
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0%	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
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, 12.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 4.2% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between academic dean and department chairperson 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.

Department chairperson example responsibilities.

Manage the club's Facebook/Twitter accounts.
Lead meetings with ESL department teachers in which teachers collaborate on unit plan ideas, classroom strategies and student needs.
Manage the development of an alumni newsletter and coordinate with alumni to provide relevant content.
Manage both individual and organizational achievements for the members through involvement with the community, philanthropies, campus involvement, and scholarship
Negotiate and obtain clinical sites for PN and ADN programs.
Develop and deliver dynamic, rigorous lessons for high school economics classes.

Academic dean vs department chairperson skills

Common academic dean skills

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

Common department chairperson skills

Curriculum Development, 15%
Professional Development, 14%
Classroom Management, 13%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Student Learning, 5%
Colleges, 4%

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Academic Dean vs Department Chairperson

Updated January 8, 2025

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