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The differences between athletic directors and sports 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 athletic director and a sports director. Additionally, an athletic director has an average salary of $71,311, which is higher than the $61,211 average annual salary of a sports director.
The top three skills for an athletic director include student athletes, NCAA and physical education. The most important skills for a sports director are soccer, CPR, and softball.
| Athletic Director | Sports Director | |
| Yearly salary | $71,311 | $61,211 |
| Hourly rate | $34.28 | $29.43 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 11,759 | 13,106 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 47 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An athletics director is an administrative professional who is responsible for managing all activities related to the athletic program of a school, university, or college. The director must ensure that the school follows athletic rules and regulations as well as provide direction and guidance for its athletic program. This director must work with coaches to file reports on the progress of each of the athletic teams. The director must also assist in hiring coaches and athletic staff and should mediate disputes between coaches and athletes.
Sports directors update the management about anything relating to sports. They participate in strategic planning and policy-making as needed by the management. Besides preparing, monitoring, and updating yearly departments plans after consulting their colleagues, sports directors also manage daily administrative tasks like keeping accurate records, arranging sports fixtures and departmental timetables, and ensuring departmental efficiency. These professionals supervise the development teams, academy teams, training ground environment, and performance departments, including sports science and medical science.
Athletic directors and sports directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Athletic Director | Sports Director | |
| Average salary | $71,311 | $61,211 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $126,000 | Between $33,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | Alameda, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Kern Community College District | Univision Holdings, Inc. |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | - |
There are a few differences between an athletic director and a sports director in terms of educational background:
| Athletic Director | Sports Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Communication |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between athletic directors' and sports directors' demographics:
| Athletic Director | Sports Director | |
| Average age | 47 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 14% |