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How to hire an assistant to the dean

Assistant to the dean hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring assistants to the dean in the United States:

  • There are currently 28,850 assistants to the dean in the US, as well as 21,538 job openings.
  • Assistants to the dean are in the highest demand in New York, NY, with 3 current job openings.
  • The median cost to hire an assistant to the dean is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new assistant to the dean to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire an assistant to the dean, step by step

To hire an assistant to the dean, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a assistant to the dean:

Here's a step-by-step assistant to the dean hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write an assistant to the dean job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant to the dean
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an assistant to the dean do?

In an academic institution, the dean's assistant is the first to speak on student and faculty concerns. As the school dean's right hand, you are responsible for running the faculty, event-planning, and other administrative duties. The Assistant is also the person who will help in resolving problems and emergencies and help the dean in organizing activities and calendar events and meetings. The Assistant is one of the single-most important positions in a school, and many institutions require a master's degree to fill the position.

Learn more about the specifics of what an assistant to the dean does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The assistant to the dean hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    An assistant to the dean's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, assistants to the dean from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list shows salaries for various types of assistants to the dean.

    Type of Assistant To The DeanDescriptionHourly rate
    Assistant To The DeanSecretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.$13-39
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Travel Arrangements
    • Alumni
    • Financial Aid
    • Payroll
    • Provides Administrative Support
    • Event Planning
    • Word Processing
    • Administrative Tasks
    • Strategic Plan
    • Colleges
    • Front Desk
    • Office Management
    • Administrative Operations
    • Meeting Minutes
    Check all skills
    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.
    • Create PowerPoint presentations for monthly faculty and trustee meetings.
    • Act as administrator over team SharePoint site and Wiki.
    More assistant to the dean duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your assistant to the dean job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An assistant to the dean salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for an assistant to the dean in North Dakota may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level assistant to the dean usually earns less than a senior-level assistant to the dean. Additionally, an assistant to the dean with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average assistant to the dean salary

    $48,853yearly

    $23.49 hourly rate

    Entry-level assistant to the dean salary
    $28,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 19, 2025

    Average assistant to the dean salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$62,232$30
    2New Jersey$56,295$27
    3Virginia$50,429$24
    4Connecticut$49,541$24
    5Florida$49,349$24
    6New York$45,883$22
    7Mississippi$44,132$21
    8Pennsylvania$43,787$21
    9North Carolina$43,551$21
    10Georgia$43,268$21
    11Ohio$39,761$19
    12Delaware$39,613$19
    13South Carolina$39,568$19
    14Colorado$37,967$18
    15Michigan$37,366$18
    16Washington$37,291$18
    17Kansas$37,284$18
    18Oklahoma$35,459$17
    19Wisconsin$34,939$17
    20Maine$32,144$15

    Average assistant to the dean salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1New Jersey Institute of Technology$79,232$38.091
    2Cornell University$61,331$29.4923
    3University of California-Berkeley$60,258$28.971
    4Naropa University$59,955$28.82
    5Villanova University$56,696$27.261
    6Yale University$54,237$26.085
    7Syracuse University$51,076$24.562
    8Gonzaga University$50,619$24.34
    9Pepperdine University$50,223$24.15
    10California State University, Chico$50,074$24.07
    11The University System of Maryland Foundation$48,778$23.45
    12University of Michigan$48,085$23.1210
    13University of Delaware$47,411$22.792
    14University of Virginia$45,755$22.0013
    15Dartmouth$45,702$21.972
    16Georgia State University$45,622$21.938
    17University of Washington$45,466$21.866
    18University of Alaska$45,235$21.759
    19University of Iowa Center for Advancement$45,195$21.732
    20Vanderbilt University Medical Center$45,022$21.65
  4. Writing an assistant to the dean job description

    A good assistant to the dean job description should include a few things:

    • Summary of the role
    • List of responsibilities
    • Required skills and experience

    Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an assistant to the dean job description:

    Assistant to the dean job description example

    Job Title:
    Special Assistant to the Deans' and Deans' Office Manager, School of Law

    Job Summary:
    The Special Assistant to the Deans and Deans' Office Manager, University of San Francisco School of Law provides administrative leadership in the Deans' Office, including management of Deans' Office staff and student assistants. The position provides high level administrative and programmatic support for the Dean and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs ("Deans"), the top two members of the leadership team of the School of Law. The Special Assistant to the Deans and Deans' Office Manager works closely with the Deans to advance their priorities and achieve their goals. The Special Assistant to the Deans and Deans' Office Manager is responsible for representing the Deans' Office in a culturally competent and professional manner to a variety of internal and external constituents. The successful candidate will be discreet, diplomatic, flexible, organized, a self-starter, conscientious, detail oriented, and committed to fostering an equitable and inclusive work environment, demonstrating emotional intelligence and care for all members of the School of Law and USF communities.

    Full Job Description:

    Assist the Deans with project management, including strategic planning and ensuring timely implementation of tasks. Provide project and event support and other duties as requested to support the operational needs of the Deans' Office and the School of Law.

    Manage the accreditation processes for the law school. This includes managing the materials and process for the American Bar Association (ABA) self-study this year and the ABA site visit next year for the Law School's accreditation. Manage the compilation of data for the annual ABA report and U.S. News and World Report survey in coordination with the Associate Dean.

    Work with the School of Law Marketing Strategist to assist the Deans with proactive internal and external communications and timely responses to inquiries from students, campus and community stakeholders. Manage and update, and in some cases develop, related web pages, excel spreadsheets, and powerpoint presentations.

    Serve as a liaison to faculty and staff for the Deans, ensuring that all members of the School of Law community feel valued, supported and celebrated through affirming and respectful communication and coordination of meetings and events. Ensure the smooth, professional, and efficient running of the Deans' Office in coordination with other members of the Law School community.

    Manage or oversee periodic projects related to faculty and faculty committee activity, tasks related to enforcing academic policies and managing faculty research grants, including documentation, record-keeping and processing payments through Workday.

    Manage and prioritize the Deans' schedules to ensure the most strategic and efficient use of the Deans' time. Ensure the Deans are briefed and prepared for meetings and events, and provide, as needed, packets, reports, and related presentation materials. Distribute materials in advance of meetings, per applicable faculty rules and regulations. Manage or oversee room reservations and catering, and maintain records.

    Manage the front office of the Deans' Suite, ensuring adequate reception coverage and office supplies, and hire, train and manage staff and student assistants. Manage the Deans' Office budget and budgets for key events. Manage or oversee the Deans' physical and electronic filing systems and ensure that records are maintained in an orderly and easily retrievable manner.

    Perform or oversee a range of administrative and technical support duties as the primary and confidential administrative support to the Deans, relieving the Deans of a variety of administrative details, including travel arrangements, expense reports, and managing correspondence and filing.

    Minimum Requirements

    • Understanding and commitment to USF's mission, vision, and values.
    • Bachelor degree required. Master's degree preferred. Excellent written and verbal communication and web-based research skills required.
    • A minimum of 5 years of supporting senior level executives or academic administrators.
    • Demonstrated ability to juggle multiple responsibilities and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment while remaining calm and professional.
    • Excellent organizational, planning, time management and analytical skills.
    • Highly attentive to detail and accuracy.
    • Demonstrated ability to work independently and resolve problems, seeing projects through to their completion.
    • Strong mathematical, statistical, computational, analytical and management skills preferred. Experience with report preparation and presentation, including those using charts and graphs, and experience tracking data via relational databases and spreadsheets preferred.
    • Proven ability to be discreet when dealing with sensitive and confidential information.
    • Must be customer service and team-oriented with the ability to establish effective working relationships with staff, faculty, department administrators, and the public.
    • Experience with or the ability to work with a diverse student body, faculty and staff. Strong equity lens, cultural humility and proven ability to work well in a diverse context.
    • Excellent computer skills including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google Suite and task management and task sharing tools. Experience managing virtual meetings.
    • Exhibits a growth mindset and continually enhances their skill set through ongoing professional development.
    • Ability and willingness to occasionally lift and carry up to 40 lbs.


    Full-Time/Part-Time:
    Full time

    Pay Rate:
    Salary
  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right assistant to the dean for your business:

    • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your assistant to the dean job on Zippia to find and recruit assistant to the dean candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit assistants to the dean, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant to the dean

    Once you've decided on a perfect assistant to the dean candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new assistant to the dean. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire an assistant to the dean?

Recruiting assistants to the dean involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

Assistants to the dean earn a median yearly salary is $48,853 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find assistants to the dean for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $13 and $39.

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