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The differences between assistant directors and center directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an assistant director, becoming a center director takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a center director has an average salary of $106,505, which is higher than the $63,063 average annual salary of an assistant director.
The top three skills for an assistant director include customer service, CPR and child care. The most important skills for a center director are customer service, oversight, and proficiency testing.
| Assistant Director | Center Director | |
| Yearly salary | $63,063 | $106,505 |
| Hourly rate | $30.32 | $51.20 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 25,087 | 62,348 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
A center director is responsible for ensuring and maintaining the efficiency of child care facilities. Their role is to conduct various assessments, ensure that all aspects adhere to federal requirements, develop programs and supplemental activities in collaboration with child care experts, recruit and hire an efficient workforce, and train staff for professional development. Furthermore, a center director is also responsible for managing budgets, handling issues, meeting parents or guardians to discuss the scope of programs or any other concerns, and implementing policies and regulations.
Assistant directors and center directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Director | Center Director | |
| Average salary | $63,063 | $106,505 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $105,000 | Between $65,000 And $172,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Newark, DE |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Mayer Brown | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between an assistant director and a center director in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Director | Center Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between assistant directors' and center directors' demographics:
| Assistant Director | Center Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% | Male, 29.0% Female, 71.0% |
| 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, 11.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 16% |