Academic dean vs residence hall director

The differences between academic deans and residence hall 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 a residence hall director. Additionally, an academic dean has an average salary of $94,053, which is higher than the $47,193 average annual salary of a residence hall director.

The top three skills for an academic dean include curriculum development, professional development and student services. The most important skills for a residence hall director are residence life, desk assistants, and student development.

Academic dean vs residence hall director overview

	Academic Dean	Residence Hall Director
Yearly salary	$94,053	$47,193
Hourly rate	$45.22	$22.69
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	3,190	6,713
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
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 residence hall director do?

A Residence Hall Director spearheads and oversees campus residential areas' daily operations to ensure students' safety and welfare. They are responsible for managing staff, setting goals and guidelines, establishing budgets and timelines, delegating duties among managers, implementing programs and protocols, and monitoring all procedures, resolving issues and concerns if any arise. Moreover, a Residence Hall Director encourages staff to reach goals while implementing policies and regulations to help maintain a healthy and safe community for the students.

Academic dean vs residence hall director salary

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

	Academic Dean	Residence Hall Director
Average salary	$94,053	$47,193
Salary range	Between $57,000 And $153,000	Between $31,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Newark, NJ
Highest paying state	New York	Massachusetts
Best paying company	DCP Holdings Inc	School of Visual Concepts
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between academic dean and residence hall director education

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

	Academic Dean	Residence Hall Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Business	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Academic dean vs residence hall director demographics

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

	Academic Dean	Residence Hall Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0%	Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1%
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, 12.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 4.7% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between academic dean and residence hall 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.

Residence hall director example responsibilities.

Motivate, train and lead a team of nine ministry coordinators.
Develop nightly social programs and weekly educational programs to encourage healthy lifestyle choices and embracement of multicultural diversity.
Direct resident relations by providing oversight of resident retention, leasing and marketing programs.
Cultivate, coordinate, and assist in the development of student leadership and responsibility through programming and direct involvement with students.

Academic dean vs residence hall 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 residence hall director skills

Residence Life, 12%
Desk Assistants, 7%
Student Development, 6%
Community Development, 6%
Student Conduct, 4%
Professional Development, 3%

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Academic Dean vs Residence Hall Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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