Department chairperson vs department director

The differences between department chairpeople and department 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 department chairperson and a department director. Additionally, a department chairperson has an average salary of $98,438, which is higher than the $97,804 average annual salary of a department director.

The top three skills for a department chairperson include curriculum development, professional development and classroom management. The most important skills for a department director are patient care, patients, and healthcare.

Department chairperson vs department director overview

	Department Chairperson	Department Director
Yearly salary	$98,438	$97,804
Hourly rate	$47.33	$47.02
Growth rate	7%	28%
Number of jobs	33,511	73,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a department chairperson do?

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.

What does a department director do?

A Department Director spearheads and oversees the operations of a department, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Although their responsibilities vary upon the functions of a department, they typically have the power to decide on projects and programs. Their responsibilities include setting goals, establishing budgets and guidelines, representing the department at meetings and media coverages, liaising with external business partners, managing staff, and monitoring the progress of operations. Moreover, a Department Director leads and encourages staff to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Department chairperson vs department director salary

Department chairpeople and department directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Department Chairperson	Department Director
Average salary	$98,438	$97,804
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $191,000	Between $64,000 And $148,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	Marshall University	Anna Jaques Hospital
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between department chairperson and department director education

There are a few differences between a department chairperson and a department director in terms of educational background:

	Department Chairperson	Department Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Education	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Department chairperson vs department director demographics

Here are the differences between department chairpeople' and department directors' demographics:

	Department Chairperson	Department Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%	Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 4.2% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.9% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	12%

Differences between department chairperson and department director duties and responsibilities

Department chairperson example responsibilities.

Manage the club's Facebook/Twitter accounts.
Lead meetings with ESL department teachers in which teachers collaborate on unit plan ideas, classroom strategies and student needs.
Manage the development of an alumni newsletter and coordinate with alumni to provide relevant content.
Manage both individual and organizational achievements for the members through involvement with the community, philanthropies, campus involvement, and scholarship
Negotiate and obtain clinical sites for PN and ADN programs.
Develop and deliver dynamic, rigorous lessons for high school economics classes.

Department director example responsibilities.

Manage and direct bureau operations, and provide oversight of criminal investigations of statewide importance.
Establish and develop relationships with ERP and consulting vendors with the goal of maximizing comparative advantage and cost efficient solution development.
Ensure compliance with all CMS regulations.
Provide public education in the areas of fire department capabilities and history as well as CPR classes.
Follow up and coordination of rehabilitation services.
Cross-Train pre-operative and PACU staff to optimize efficiency.

Department chairperson vs department director skills

Common department chairperson skills

Curriculum Development, 15%
Professional Development, 14%
Classroom Management, 13%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Student Learning, 5%
Colleges, 4%

Common department director skills

Patient Care, 15%
Patients, 14%
Healthcare, 13%
Oversight, 8%
Human Resources, 5%
Payroll, 4%

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Department Chairperson
Department Chairperson vs Department Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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