Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for directors of student affairs in the United States
Director of student affairs job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected director of student affairs job growth rate is 7% from 2018-2028.
About 15,500 new jobs for directors of student affairs are projected over the next decade.
Director of student affairs salaries have increased 7% for directors of student affairs in the last 5 years.
There are over 3,946 directors of student affairs currently employed in the United States.
There are 22,875 active director of student affairs job openings in the US.
The average director of student affairs salary is $74,804.
Are director of student affairs jobs in demand?
Director of student affairs job and salary trends over time
Director of student affairs jobs over time
Director of student affairs job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,946 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 3,564 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 3,665 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 3,628 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 3,596 | 0.00% |
Average director of student affairs salary over time
Director of student affairs salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $74,804 | $35.96 | +2.2% |
| 2024 | $73,200 | $35.19 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $72,379 | $34.80 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $70,860 | $34.07 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $69,633 | $33.48 | +2.5% |
Director of student affairs jobs by state
Most common states for directors of student affairs
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 199 | 29% |
| 2 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 216 | 25% |
| 3 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 639 | 20% |
| 4 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 548 | 18% |
| 5 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 606 | 12% |
| 6 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 486 | 12% |
| 7 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 517 | 11% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 545 | 8% |
| 9 | Delaware | 961,939 | 62 | 6% |
| 10 | Alaska | 739,795 | 46 | 6% |
| 11 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 34 | 6% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 56 | 5% |
| 13 | New York | 19,849,399 | 855 | 4% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 525 | 4% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 509 | 4% |
| 16 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 288 | 4% |
| 17 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 256 | 4% |
| 18 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 242 | 4% |
| 19 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 181 | 4% |
| 20 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 136 | 4% |
Most common cities for directors of student affairs
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Culver City | 1 | 3% | $93,198 |
| 2 | Coral Gables | 1 | 2% | $56,793 |
| 3 | Boston | 6 | 1% | $75,168 |
| 4 | Washington | 6 | 1% | $90,043 |
| 5 | Bloomington | 1 | 1% | $60,111 |
| 6 | Bossier City | 1 | 1% | $72,862 |
| 7 | Cambridge | 1 | 1% | $75,022 |
| 8 | Hartford | 1 | 1% | $84,152 |
| 9 | San Marcos | 1 | 1% | $90,625 |
| 10 | Santa Monica | 1 | 1% | $93,281 |
| 11 | Tallahassee | 1 | 1% | $60,459 |
| 12 | Wilmington | 1 | 1% | $72,076 |
| 13 | Atlanta | 2 | 0% | $73,611 |
| 14 | Baltimore | 2 | 0% | $86,503 |
| 15 | Houston | 1 | 0% | $65,786 |
| 16 | Jacksonville | 1 | 0% | $59,451 |
| 17 | San Diego | 1 | 0% | $89,672 |
Director Of Student Affairs job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of director of student affairs experts
Soka University of America
What will help Directors Of Student Affairs increase their earning potential?
Ryan Allen: I think being willing to move to a new location, even sometimes across the world, can be one of the things that helps propel a career. In the educational leadership space, someone may end up at a place they like, but career advancement is limited because the person above them also likes that place. Depending on the location or institution, these can be desirable roles. One way to overcome these issues is to move to another institution, sometimes even in a lateral move with an eye moving up. There is no shame in getting more experience elsewhere and then moving back later. In fact, I think seeing a wider range of different schools, organization, or other educational institutions can be a great way to bring fresh ideas back with you if you do return. I understand moving (especially abroad) is not always an option for people, but it might even just be moving to a different school down the road. Grow through your options.