How to hire an associate dean

How to hire an associate dean, step by step

Here's a step-by-step associate 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 associate dean job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new associate dean
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an associate dean do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the associate dean you need to hire. Certain associate dean roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect associate dean also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of associate deans and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Associate Dean	Description	Hourly rate
   Associate Dean	Postsecondary education administrators oversee student services, academics, and faculty research at colleges and universities. Their job duties vary depending on the area of the college they manage, such as admissions, student life, or the office of the registrar.	$25-72
   Department Chairperson	A Department Chairperson is a faculty member who provides academic and administrative leadership to an academic department. They exercise leadership in recruiting and retaining capable faculty, communicate departmental needs and desires to the Dean and Provost, and coordinate the academic advisement process.	$24-91
   Committee Chairperson	A committee chairperson or chair is a presiding officer in an organization who is responsible for leading committee meetings and establishing agendas for the committee members to tackle. Committee chairpersons must provide strong leadership to the organization while reminding committee members about their purpose, mission, and strategic direction... Show more	$18-187

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Oversight
   • Colleges
   • Academic Affairs
   • Curriculum Development
   • Strategic Plan
   • Educational Programs
   • Student Learning
   • Faculty Development
   • Social Work
   • Program Development
   • Student Services
   • Graduate Programs
   • Program Directors
   • HR

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Produce, manage and evaluate all budgetary and programmatic aspects of a comprehensive career service program for students and alumni.
   • Provide oversight on curriculum development, faculty development, and student affairs.
   • Guide department chairs and student advisor for overall improvement of persistence b.
   • Grade papers submit by students according to class rubrics and APA formatting.
   • Promote & facilitate life long learning and leadership in teaching, scholarship and professional practice.
   • Chair committee responsible for developing college-wide programs and assessment tools for measuring student persistence.

   More associate dean duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your associate dean job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An associate 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 associate dean in Mississippi may be lower than in California, and an entry-level associate dean usually earns less than a senior-level associate dean. Additionally, an associate 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 associate dean salary

   $89,798yearly

   $43.17 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level associate dean salary

   $53,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average associate dean salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$121,192	$58
   2	New Jersey	$110,161	$53
   3	New York	$110,005	$53
   4	Maryland	$104,685	$50
   5	Arizona	$95,373	$46
   6	Pennsylvania	$94,166	$45
   7	Oregon	$89,950	$43
   8	Massachusetts	$89,649	$43
   9	New Hampshire	$86,333	$42
   10	Michigan	$85,640	$41
   11	Connecticut	$85,408	$41
   12	Virginia	$83,198	$40
   13	Florida	$82,640	$40
   14	Ohio	$81,466	$39
   15	Washington	$81,330	$39
   16	Wisconsin	$76,223	$37
   17	North Carolina	$74,447	$36
   18	Georgia	$73,446	$35
   19	Illinois	$71,354	$34
   20	Iowa	$69,637	$33

   Average associate dean salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Palmer College of Chiropractic	$156,677	$75.33
   2	Pace University	$142,026	$68.28	2
   3	Cedars-Sinai	$135,179	$64.99
   4	Berklee College of Music	$125,843	$60.50	1
   5	Providence College	$124,645	$59.93
   6	Kern Community College District	$123,312	$59.28
   7	The University of Kansas Health System	$122,001	$58.65	1
   8	National Medical Association	$121,265	$58.30
   9	University of Maryland, Baltimore	$119,551	$57.48	8
   10	Oregon Health & Science University	$118,584	$57.01
   11	Harvard University	$117,434	$56.46
   12	New York University	$116,251	$55.89	5
   13	University of California	$114,709	$55.15	1
   14	AMI International	$114,488	$55.04
   15	Columbia University in the City of New York	$109,611	$52.70	3
   16	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$106,284	$51.10
   17	Grayson College	$105,662	$50.80
   18	Grand Canyon University	$103,260	$49.64
   19	Florida International University	$102,599	$49.33
   20	Yale University	$102,427	$49.24	4

4. Writing an associate dean job description

   An associate dean job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an associate dean job description:

   Associate dean job description example

   Reports directly to the Campus Director of Nursing, the Campus Associate Director of Nursing, Academics (CADON, Academics) assists with providing leadership in managing and implementing a comprehensive pre-licensure registered nurse program at the baccalaureate level in support of university, campus, and/or departmental goals to ensure regulatory compliance, programmatic accreditation, internal consistency, and graduate outcomes that meet workplace expectations. Participates in Curriculum development and evaluation for continuous process improvements. Provides academic leadership in nursing that results in outstanding student learning outcomes and faculty development in academics and classroom management. Enables an environment that fosters creativity, responsiveness, and self-responsibility. Focuses extensively on ensuring the implementation of the academic program that leads to core nursing student persistence and graduate passage of board licensure exam (NCLEX). Collaborates with CADONs for Administration and Clinical Education to enhance the seamless student experience. Collaborates with peers serving in the same capacity at other campuses to ensure consistency of approach between all locations.
   KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:
   
   * Leadership knowledge in the program field to cultivate a learner-centered environment and to foster excellence.
   * Knowledge in technological support and delivery of program area and services.
   * Knowledge and evidence of strong supervisory and management skills as applicable to specialized program area.
   * Knowledge of state, federal and local laws/regulations relating to programs, governmental compliance and other regulatory standards such as Board of Registered Nursing (BRN), Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and other accreditation standards (WSCUC).
   * Experience with MS Office.
   * Knowledge of applicable databases and computer application systems to supply the most accurate information, reports and projections.
   
   Program specific requirements:
   
   Completion of at least one year's experience teaching courses in a pre- or post-licensure registered nursing program.
   
   Preferred:
   
   5 years of relevant experience
   
   EDUCATION:
   
   Master's or higher degree from an accredited college or university which includes course work in nursing, education or administration required.
   
   LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS:
   
   Current Registered Nurse License required in state of employment.
   
   Approval by the Board of Registered Nursing as needed.
   
   Current Driver's License.
   
   Current CPR Certification.
   
   #LI-MJ1 #HEJ

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right associate 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 associate dean job on Zippia to find and attract quality associate dean candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with associate dean candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 associate dean

   Once you have selected a candidate for the associate dean position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new associate dean. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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