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College administrator vs dean

The differences between college administrators and deans 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 a dean. Additionally, a dean has an average salary of $86,318, 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 a dean are curriculum development, oversight, and scholarship.

College administrator vs dean overview

College AdministratorDean
Yearly salary$41,036$86,318
Hourly rate$19.73$41.50
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs51,6291,183
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4747
Years of experience66

College administrator vs dean salary

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

College AdministratorDean
Average salary$41,036$86,318
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $66,000Between $49,000 And $150,000
Highest paying City-Los Altos, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Palmer College of Chiropractic
Best paying industry-Education

Differences between college administrator and dean education

There are a few differences between a college administrator and a dean in terms of educational background:

College AdministratorDean
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

College administrator vs dean demographics

Here are the differences between college administrators' and deans' demographics:

College AdministratorDean
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 33.8% Female, 66.2%Male, 53.8% Female, 46.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 14.2% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between college administrator and dean 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.

Dean example responsibilities.

  • Produce, manage and evaluate all budgetary and programmatic aspects of a comprehensive career service program for students and alumni.
  • Develop funding split or co-fund project collaborations across colleges.
  • Deliver oversight and management of student behavior and attendance compliance.
  • Build partnerships with community colleges and universities for student opportunities.
  • Provide leadership for instructional programming and oversight for the operations of the agriculture, energy and sustainability areas.
  • Work cooperatively with other offices and student groups in the implementation of various campus-wide multicultural activities and other major events.
  • Show more

College administrator vs dean skills

Common college administrator skills
  • Financial Aid, 44%
  • Alumni, 40%
  • Human Resources, 9%
  • Academic Programs, 8%
Common dean skills
  • Curriculum Development, 8%
  • Oversight, 8%
  • Scholarship, 7%
  • Human Resources, 6%
  • Strategic Plan, 5%
  • Colleges, 5%

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