Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
What is a director of student affairs and how to become one
A director of student affairs is an academic professional who oversees student activities at a college or university and manages student organizations and clubs. They manage student organization budgets, oversee student activities, and plan other recreational and social events for different student groups. They also provide individual or group counseling, evaluate student programs, and advise student groups on improving their organizations. They are also responsible for scheduling caterers, entertainers, and decorators for special events.
A director of student affairs typically works for a college or university and should possess excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills. Although an advanced degree is not required for a job in this area, most applicants do have the equivalent of a High School diploma.
A director of student affairs can make up to $59,000 per year, and the career field is expected to grow 7% in the next ten years.
Avg. Salary $74,804
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 7%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.70%
Asian 4.35%
Black or African American 11.84%
Hispanic or Latino 14.21%
Unknown 4.00%
White 64.91%
Genderfemale 51.85%
male 48.15%
Age - 47American 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 - 47Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Director of student affairs career paths
Key steps to become a director of student affairs
Explore director of student affairs education requirements
Start to develop specific director of student affairs skills
Skills Percentages Student Affairs 16.50% Student Services 6.97% Alumni 6.56% Professional Development 5.70% Financial Aid 5.06% Complete relevant director of student affairs training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors of student affairs 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 director of student affairs based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director of student affairs resumes.Research director of student affairs duties and responsibilities
- Provide resources and professional development opportunities to alumni to ensure engagement and a connection to Rasmussen.
- Develop yearly FERPA training to increase knowledge and compliance with the law.
- Develop CRM, print, website, and social media campaigns to enhance recruitment.
- Open new culinary school from initial build-out to include initial program design and approval.
Get director of student affairs experience
Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a director of student affairs. The most common roles before becoming a director of student affairs include internship, administrative assistant team lead and volunteer.Prepare your director of student affairs resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director of student affairs 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 director of student affairs resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable director of student affairs resume templates
Build a professional director of student affairs 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 director of student affairs resume.
Apply for director of student affairs jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a director of student affairs 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 director of student affairs job
Are you a director of student affairs?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average director of student affairs salary
The average director of student affairs salary in the United States is $74,804 per year or $36 per hour. Director of student affairs salaries range between $44,000 and $125,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do directors of student affairs rate their job?
Updated January 8, 2025
