Department chairperson vs residence hall director

The differences between department chairpeople and residence hall 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 residence hall director. Additionally, a department chairperson has an average salary of $98,438, which is higher than the $47,193 average annual salary of a residence hall director.

The top three skills for a department chairperson include curriculum development, professional development and classroom management. The most important skills for a residence hall director are residence life, desk assistants, and student development.

Department chairperson vs residence hall director overview

	Department Chairperson	Residence Hall Director
Yearly salary	$98,438	$47,193
Hourly rate	$47.33	$22.69
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	33,511	6,713
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
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 residence hall director do?

A Residence Hall Director spearheads and oversees campus residential areas' daily operations to ensure students' safety and welfare. They are responsible for managing staff, setting goals and guidelines, establishing budgets and timelines, delegating duties among managers, implementing programs and protocols, and monitoring all procedures, resolving issues and concerns if any arise. Moreover, a Residence Hall Director encourages staff to reach goals while implementing policies and regulations to help maintain a healthy and safe community for the students.

Department chairperson vs residence hall director salary

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

	Department Chairperson	Residence Hall Director
Average salary	$98,438	$47,193
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $191,000	Between $31,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Newark, NJ
Highest paying state	California	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Marshall University	School of Visual Concepts
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between department chairperson and residence hall director education

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

	Department Chairperson	Residence Hall Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Education	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Department chairperson vs residence hall director demographics

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

	Department Chairperson	Residence Hall Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%	Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1%
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, 12.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 4.7% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between department chairperson and residence hall 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.

Residence hall director example responsibilities.

Motivate, train and lead a team of nine ministry coordinators.
Develop nightly social programs and weekly educational programs to encourage healthy lifestyle choices and embracement of multicultural diversity.
Direct resident relations by providing oversight of resident retention, leasing and marketing programs.
Cultivate, coordinate, and assist in the development of student leadership and responsibility through programming and direct involvement with students.

Department chairperson vs residence hall director skills

Common department chairperson skills

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

Common residence hall director skills

Residence Life, 12%
Desk Assistants, 7%
Student Development, 6%
Community Development, 6%
Student Conduct, 4%
Professional Development, 3%

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Department Chairperson
Department Chairperson vs Residence Hall Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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