Academic director vs department chairperson

The differences between academic directors 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 director and a department chairperson. Additionally, an academic director has an average salary of $122,669, which is higher than the $98,438 average annual salary of a department chairperson.

The top three skills for an academic director include professional development, curriculum development and student performance. The most important skills for a department chairperson are curriculum development, professional development, and classroom management.

Academic director vs department chairperson overview

	Academic Director	Department Chairperson
Yearly salary	$122,669	$98,438
Hourly rate	$58.98	$47.33
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	12,420	33,511
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

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.

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 director vs department chairperson salary

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

	Academic Director	Department Chairperson
Average salary	$122,669	$98,438
Salary range	Between $78,000 And $191,000	Between $50,000 And $191,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Oregon	California
Best paying company	Emory Healthcare	Marshall University
Best paying industry	Transportation	Finance

Differences between academic director and department chairperson education

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

	Academic Director	Department Chairperson
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Education
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Academic director vs department chairperson demographics

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

	Academic Director	Department Chairperson
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1%	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
Race ratio	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%	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 director and department chairperson duties and responsibilities

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.

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 director vs department chairperson skills

Common academic director skills

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

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 Director vs Department Chairperson

Updated January 8, 2025

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