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The differences between assistant directors and 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 a program director. Additionally, a program director has an average salary of $80,664, 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 program director are oversight, social work, and patients.
| Assistant Director | Program Director | |
| Yearly salary | $63,063 | $80,664 |
| Hourly rate | $30.32 | $38.78 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 25,087 | 82,810 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| 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.
Program directors are employees who oversee all aspects of a specific program in the company. They usually work in nonprofit organizations or are assigned to a department doing corporate social responsibility activities. Program directors ensure that the program is in line with the company's goals. They also ensure that the resources assigned to the program are properly managed and that all finances are accounted for. They create strategies to ensure the success of the program and communicate these to everyone involved. They lead the implementation and evaluation of the program.
Assistant directors and program directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Director | Program Director | |
| Average salary | $63,063 | $80,664 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $105,000 | Between $50,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Georgia |
| Best paying company | Mayer Brown | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an assistant director and a program director in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Director | Program Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between assistant directors' and program directors' demographics:
| Assistant Director | Program Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% | Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6% |
| 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, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 14% |