How To Become An Assistant Department Head: What It Is and Career Path

What is an assistant department head and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

An assistant department head supports the work of a department manager in taking care of his/her or her day-to-day responsibilities.

Tasks vary, of course, depending on the industry, but generally include strategic planning of processes, ordering merchandise and managing stock, recruiting and training personnel, creating the documentation of processes, and analyzing progress reports.

The position of the assistant department head is a promising one. If you keep up a good job, sooner or later, you will probably end up as department head. Annual salaries are somewhere around $56,700 a year, so even if no promotion is around the corner, you will still be doing okay.

ScoreAssistant Department HeadUS Average

Salary

5.1

Avg. Salary $65,309

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

8.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.66%

Asian 7.37%

Black or African American 9.23%

Hispanic or Latino 16.35%

Unknown 4.70%

White 61.69%

Gender

female 45.06%

male 54.94%

Age - 42

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 - 42

Stress level

9.4

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.2

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an assistant department head

Explore assistant department head education requirements

Most common assistant department head degrees

Bachelor's

52.8 %

Master's

14.3 %

Associate

13.4 %

Start to develop specific assistant department head skills

Skills	Percentages
Ladders	29.14%
Sales Floor	28.19%
Customer Service	10.52%
Curriculum Development	3.18%
Professional Development	3.15%

Complete relevant assistant department head training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assistant department heads 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 assistant department head based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assistant department head resumes.

Gain additional assistant department head certifications

Assistant department head 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 assistant department head certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for assistant department heads include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

More About Certifications

Research assistant department head duties and responsibilities

Generate and implement new rules and regulations for the disciplinary department which lead to streamlining the process for separating challenge sailors.
Manage a high volume of patient information from authorizing diagnostic procedures and scheduling patients.
Perform all duties require while working in a retail environment such as POS cash handling, customer service and sales.
Stoop, climb ladders, and lift heavy loads during set-up for events.

Prepare your assistant department head resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assistant department head 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 assistant department head resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable assistant department head resume templates

Build a professional assistant department head 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 assistant department head resume.