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Director of advancement vs dean

The differences between directors of advancement and deans can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a director of advancement, becoming a dean takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a director of advancement has an average salary of $117,155, which is higher than the $86,318 average annual salary of a dean.

The top three skills for a director of advancement include analytics, professional development and project management. The most important skills for a dean are curriculum development, oversight, and scholarship.

Director of advancement vs dean overview

Director Of AdvancementDean
Yearly salary$117,155$86,318
Hourly rate$56.32$41.50
Growth rate8%7%
Number of jobs11,4731,183
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4247
Years of experience46

What does a director of advancement do?

The director of advancement plays an important role in the management of a development program that has the potential to advance a company's goals and mission. The typical duties for this role include leading employee communication functions, establishing asset level budget across the portfolio, and working closely with other departments, including compliance, investor relations, and tax/accounting. Additionally, you will be responsible for implementing an online solution for event management and email communication. As the director of the advancement, you should be understanding of employee needs and operational goals.

What does a dean do?

A dean is responsible for overseeing the educational operations of the assigned department, enforcing school policies, and monitoring the students' progress by coordinating with the teachers and setting up procedures to improve teaching methods. Deans administer educational training and programs for the students, as well as extra-curricular activities to develop the students' social behavior, maximize their potentials, and increase their self-confidence. They also handle the department's budget, accurately allocating resources and funds to different activities and educational materials.

Director of advancement vs dean salary

Directors of advancement and deans have different pay scales, as shown below.

Director Of AdvancementDean
Average salary$117,155$86,318
Salary rangeBetween $74,000 And $184,000Between $49,000 And $150,000
Highest paying CityMenlo Park, CALos Altos, CA
Highest paying stateNevadaCalifornia
Best paying companyFirst Republic BankPalmer College of Chiropractic
Best paying industryTechnologyEducation

Differences between director of advancement and dean education

There are a few differences between a director of advancement and a dean in terms of educational background:

Director Of AdvancementDean
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Director of advancement vs dean demographics

Here are the differences between directors of advancement' and deans' demographics:

Director Of AdvancementDean
Average age4247
Gender ratioMale, 54.6% Female, 45.4%Male, 53.8% Female, 46.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%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 director of advancement and dean duties and responsibilities

Director of advancement example responsibilities.

  • Program development includes managing and building strong relationships with corporate and affinity partners to secure sponsorship and career enhancement for alumni
  • Raise millions of dollars for ACS through tax-advantage charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities, and bequests.
  • Generate major gifts, including bequests and charitable gift annuities, by cultivating relationships with Eskaton residents.
  • Coordinate among cross-functional business departments including investor relations, risk, trading desk, compliance, tax/accounting, and portfolio administration.
  • Work with administrative leadership with community relations, including promotional events and media communication.

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

Director of advancement vs dean skills

Common director of advancement skills
  • Analytics, 22%
  • Professional Development, 12%
  • Project Management, 7%
  • Alumni Relations, 5%
  • Strategic Plan, 4%
  • Donor Relations, 4%
Common dean skills
  • Curriculum Development, 8%
  • Oversight, 8%
  • Scholarship, 7%
  • Human Resources, 6%
  • Strategic Plan, 5%
  • Colleges, 5%

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