College administrator vs athletic director

The differences between college administrators and athletic directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a college administrator and an athletic director. Additionally, an athletic director has an average salary of $71,311, which is higher than the $41,036 average annual salary of a college administrator.

The top three skills for a college administrator include financial aid, alumni and human resources. The most important skills for an athletic director are student athletes, NCAA, and physical education.

College administrator vs athletic director overview

	College Administrator	Athletic Director
Yearly salary	$41,036	$71,311
Hourly rate	$19.73	$34.28
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	51,629	11,759
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

College administrator vs athletic director salary

College administrators and athletic directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	College Administrator	Athletic Director
Average salary	$41,036	$71,311
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $66,000	Between $40,000 And $126,000
Highest paying City	-	Alameda, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Kern Community College District
Best paying industry	-	Insurance

Differences between college administrator and athletic director education

There are a few differences between a college administrator and an athletic director in terms of educational background:

	College Administrator	Athletic Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Business	Kinesiology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Northwestern University

College administrator vs athletic director demographics

Here are the differences between college administrators' and athletic directors' demographics:

	College Administrator	Athletic Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 33.8% Female, 66.2%	Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.3% Asian, 4.2% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between college administrator and athletic director duties and responsibilities

College administrator example responsibilities.

Direct Medicaid health plan management division activities (manage care program operations, quality improvement, and contract administration).
Lead and develop the technical strategy for improving architectural and design elements of SharePoint to enhance utilization and drive user functionality.
Coordinate DoD security inspections and develop local policies and processes used to implement these regulations.

Athletic director example responsibilities.

Develop and manage an athletic page on facebook.
Manage student transcripts, GPA, and credit verification according to school and CIF rules and regulations.
Manage facility schedules and oversee activities including league basketball and indoor soccer.
Lead project management team in development/execution of conferences and enduring CME -accredite programs.
Develop strategy to revamp locker rooms and improve high school athletic facilities including a new softball field and scoreboard for gym.
Provide athletes with injury prevention information: maintenance exercises, nutrition plans and resources, and develop rehabilitation and treatment protocols.

College administrator vs athletic director skills

Common college administrator skills

Financial Aid, 44%
Alumni, 40%
Human Resources, 9%
Academic Programs, 8%

Common athletic director skills

Student Athletes, 15%
NCAA, 9%
Physical Education, 7%
Oversight, 6%
Athletic Events, 5%
Varsity Sports, 4%

College Administrator vs. similar jobs

College Administrator related careers

College Administrator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
College Administrator
College Administrator vs Athletic Director

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs