How To Become An Assistant To The Dean: What It Is and Career Path

What is an assistant to the dean and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

The assistant to the dean is not just another name for the dean's secretary. True, they assist the dean by processing paperwork and making reports, but they are also a manager in and of themselves. They coordinate with the administration of all the departments, approving grants, tenure, internships, and budgets. They also have a huge hand in developing programs for the institution.

Most employers require their assistant to the dean to have a bachelor's degree. Assistants to the dean in the United States commonly major in business, psychology, and communication.

The average assistant to the dean working in the United States earns a yearly salary of $49,000. That's more or less $23 an hour. However, top earners can make as much as $74,000. Employers like the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the Allen Public Library, and Jack & Dorothy Bender Library pay their assistant to the dean a competitive salary of $63,000 or more on average.

ScoreAssistant To The DeanUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $48,853

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.0

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 3.83%

Black or African American 9.29%

Hispanic or Latino 16.26%

Unknown 3.87%

White 66.02%

Gender

female 72.08%

male 27.92%

Age - 52

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 - 52

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.4

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.6

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an assistant to the dean

Explore assistant to the dean education requirements

Most common assistant to the dean degrees

Bachelor's

62.2 %

Associate

14.7 %

Master's

13.4 %

Start to develop specific assistant to the dean skills

Skills	Percentages
Travel Arrangements	8.28%
Alumni	6.88%
Financial Aid	6.40%
Payroll	5.30%
Provides Administrative Support	5.23%

Complete relevant assistant to the dean training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assistants to the dean 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 to the dean based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assistant to the dean resumes.

Research assistant to the dean duties and responsibilities

Design an A/R system to manage revenue and expenditures.
Create, manage and update senior executive intranet site using SharePoint.
Manage all administrative responsibilities of CMO including confidential materials and business communications with all levels of management.
Interface effectively, providing coordination and assistance with alumni relations, development efforts and event planning.

Prepare your assistant to the dean resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assistant to the dean 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 to the dean 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 to the dean resume templates

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