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The differences between directors 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 director and a department director. Additionally, a director has an average salary of $113,489, which is higher than the $97,804 average annual salary of a department director.
The top three skills for a director include healthcare, customer service and oversight. The most important skills for a department director are patient care, patients, and healthcare.
| Director | Department Director | |
| Yearly salary | $113,489 | $97,804 |
| Hourly rate | $54.56 | $47.02 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 230,711 | 73,424 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Directors work in show business, whether in a film, a television show, or a theatre production. They are responsible for bringing the material to life. They work with the writers to get a clear vision of how the production should look. They lead the production team in planning for the production, identifying filming or rehearsing schedules, casting for roles, and other aspects that need to be decided upon. Directors provide direction to the actors to ensure that the actors understand their role and will be able to effectively convey emotions to the audience. They also manage all other crew members and communicate their expectations clearly so that everyone on the set is working towards one vision.
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.
Directors and department directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director | Department Director | |
| Average salary | $113,489 | $97,804 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $192,000 | Between $64,000 And $148,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Mayo Clinic | Anna Jaques Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a director and a department director in terms of educational background:
| Director | Department Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between directors' and department directors' demographics:
| Director | Department Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8% | Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 14% | 12% |