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What is an administrative director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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Administrative directors are also called or referred to as directors of operations or operations and administration directors. Majorly, you are to oversee daily operations. You are also responsible for the development of the organizational policies. Also, you are to disburse funds to managers and manage administrative budgets. In addition, you are to negotiate contracts and agreements with vendors. Administrative directors are responsible for reporting every concern and progress to higher officials like the president and vice president of the organization. The hiring and training of administrative staff is also part of your duties. You are to monitor operating expenses and maintain corporate relationships.

To be a successful administrative director, you must be reliable and self-motivated. Also, you must possess superior problem-solving skills, good communication skills, and strong leadership qualities. Most administrative directors study accounting, business, etc. You should have at least a bachelor's degree in this field. You will make at least an average salary of $86,195 per year.

ScoreAdministrative DirectorUS Average
Salary
6.3

Avg. Salary $80,158

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
8.0

Growth Rate 7%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.48%

Asian 4.29%

Black or African American 9.97%

Hispanic or Latino 13.75%

Unknown 4.32%

White 67.19%

Gender

female 66.17%

male 33.83%

Age - 51
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 51
Stress Level
8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.5

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.0

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Administrative Director career paths

Key steps to become an administrative director

  1. Explore administrative director education requirements

    Most common administrative director degrees

    Bachelor's

    58.5 %

    Master's

    19.2 %

    Associate

    14.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific administrative director skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients11.42%
    Patient Care9.50%
    Customer Service6.50%
    Human Resources5.47%
    Financial Reports5.18%
  3. Complete relevant administrative director training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New administrative directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an administrative director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real administrative director resumes.
  4. Gain additional administrative director certifications

    Administrative director certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific administrative director certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for administrative directors include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research administrative director duties and responsibilities

    • Manage payroll system and provide staff and directors with essential reporting necessary for managing employee resources.
    • Manage A/P, A/R and general accounting.
    • Lead a change in system philosophy on physician equity interest in surgery centers.
    • Manage administrative operations for the business -purchasing, accounting, payroll, safety and environmental safety training and testing.
  6. Get administrative director experience

    Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become an administrative director. The most common roles before becoming an administrative director include staff nurse, administrative assistant team lead and office manager.
  7. Prepare your administrative director resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your administrative director resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an administrative director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Administrative Director Resume templates

    Build a professional Administrative Director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Administrative Director resume.
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  8. Apply for administrative director jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an administrative director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Administrative Director Job

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Average administrative director salary

The average Administrative Director salary in the United States is $80,158 per year or $39 per hour. Administrative director salaries range between $53,000 and $121,000 per year.

Average Administrative Director Salary
$80,158 Yearly
$38.54 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do administrative directors rate their job?

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Administrative Director reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Pros

It provides me an opportunity to actively employ my passion for a leadership, while taking ideas from other people, above my position and developing leaders that work in my group. I have taught many classes in Customer Service, Communications Skills, Leadership and many others, for the State of NH, Federal Government and colleges and universities, including Entrepreneurship, for SNHU.

Cons

Being restricted to working with a smaller group, than might need Leadership training and coaching.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2020
Pros

Working with teams, creating and sustaining service delivery systems, variety of tasks and projects, making it happen.


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros

I love to lead, in my everyday duties I have to deal with different type of situation which requires my deep knowledge to think before I decide.

Cons

It is stressful Job, I have to act fast in giving different decisions simultaneously, sometimes is not easy, I have to think quickly , while I don't have immediate answers.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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