Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between assistant directors and assistant program 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 assistant director and an assistant program director. Additionally, an assistant director has an average salary of $63,063, which is higher than the $51,138 average annual salary of an assistant program director.
The top three skills for an assistant director include customer service, CPR and child care. The most important skills for an assistant program director are mental health, oversight, and social work.
| Assistant Director | Assistant Program Director | |
| Yearly salary | $63,063 | $51,138 |
| Hourly rate | $30.32 | $24.59 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 25,087 | 77,761 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Assistant directors are employees in show business who directly support directors. They may be working on a film, television show, or theatre production. Assistant directors are the second-in-command on the set. They take over for the director when he/she or she is unable to work. Assistant directors should be familiar with the script and the scenes. They are usually heavily involved in the conception of the production. They ensure that the plans are executed well by assisting in the selection of the cast and crew, production sets, and other set providers. They also make sure that shoot days or performance days go without a hitch by ironing out all the details in advance and preparing alternatives.
An assistant program director is responsible for assisting the program director in organizing events and outreach services to support the organization's business functions and operations. Assistant program directors coordinate with other institutions, suppliers, and third-party vendors to deliver the program goals and objectives successfully. They also perform administrative and clerical duties as needed, delegating tasks, and ensuring that the program stays within the budget goals. An assistant program director must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on allocating resources and creating reports regarding the project's progress.
Assistant directors and assistant program directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Director | Assistant Program Director | |
| Average salary | $63,063 | $51,138 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $105,000 | Between $28,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Mayer Brown | Southeastern Lifestyle Fitness Center Lumberton |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between an assistant director and an assistant program director in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Director | Assistant Program Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between assistant directors' and assistant program directors' demographics:
| Assistant Director | Assistant Program Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% | Male, 41.3% Female, 58.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 14% |