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What is a community development director and how to become one
A community development director is a leadership individual who manages the planning and development of various projects for a community, city or an organization. They oversee staff, provide short and long-range planning for projects, review current projects, ensure that projects follow building safety codes. These individuals typically work on building projects involving affordable housing, and are either directly employed by a community or work as contractors. A community development director works closely with architects, construction companies, and also monitors budgets for development initiatives.
Many community development directors have a bachelor's in engineering, architecture or a related field, and as a director, should have experience in community building projects. These professionals should also have strong leadership, communication and coordination skills.
A community development director can make up to $90,000 a year, and in the next 10 years the career field is expected to grow 8%.
Avg. Salary $109,396
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 8%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.42%
Asian 5.05%
Black or African American 5.70%
Hispanic or Latino 8.89%
Unknown 4.65%
White 75.30%
Genderfemale 61.42%
male 38.58%
Age - 41American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 41Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Community development director career paths
Key steps to become a community development director
Explore community development director education requirements
Start to develop specific community development director skills
Skills Percentages Economic Development 6.18% Oversight 6.10% Project Management 5.12% Press Releases 4.78% Community Outreach 4.62% Complete relevant community development director training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New community development directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a community development director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real community development director resumes.Research community development director duties and responsibilities
- Manage organization s membership program by implementing annual membership drives and appeals.
- Support documentation activities for FDA audits & manage integration activities for acquisitions.
- Provide oversight and leadership to HUD fund rehab lending and grant programs, housing counseling and financial fitness training.
- Write grants, speeches, e-blasts, and appeals on social media and websites for non-profits and political campaigns.
Get community development director experience
Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a community development director. The most common roles before becoming a community development director include development director, executive director team lead and consultant.Prepare your community development director resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your community development director resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a community development director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable community development director resume templates
Build a professional community development director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your community development director resume.
Apply for community development director jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a community development director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first community development director job
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Average community development director salary
The average community development director salary in the United States is $109,396 per year or $53 per hour. Community development director salaries range between $70,000 and $169,000 per year.
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Updated January 8, 2025
