How To Become A Division Chief: What It Is and Career Path

What is a division chief and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Division chief means an individual who toils as head of a division or the other part of a department established for the convenient performance of one or more of the functions delegated to a department. They plan and coordinate business operations in assigned districts, assist in employee recruitment, promotion, retention, and termination activities. They also ensure that all team members follow company policies and procedures.

Typically, you need to possess a bachelor's degree from an authorized college or university in public administration or other related fields. Also, years of experience would help you.

The graduates who approach this field end up laying claim to annual earnings at $135,958. The current median pay for a division chief ranges from $129,377 to $138,368 in the U.S. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon your experience, skills, or organization.

ScoreDivision ChiefUS Average

Salary

6.8

Avg. Salary $86,913

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.41%

Black or African American 6.24%

Hispanic or Latino 15.38%

Unknown 4.34%

White 67.15%

Gender

female 16.48%

male 83.52%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a division chief

Explore division chief education requirements

Most common division chief degrees

Bachelor's

56.5 %

Master's

24.4 %

Associate

11.1 %

Start to develop specific division chief skills

Skills	Percentages
Oversight	24.26%
Rehabilitation	10.21%
Human Resources	8.54%
Professional Development	6.24%
Training Programs	4.52%

Complete relevant division chief training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New division chiefs 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 division chief based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real division chief resumes.

Gain additional division chief certifications

Division chief certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific division chief certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for division chiefs include Program Management Professional (PgMP) and Project Management Professional (PMP).

More About Certifications

Research division chief duties and responsibilities

Protect valuable banking, insurance and healthcare customer relationships while managing client global communication needs and adhering to regulatory compliance standards.
Provide oversight to investigations as required, to include record searches, interviews and automate information retrieval.
Re-Envision and realign important strategic relationships among DOD senior leadership to ensure unify communications and decision making.
Provide oversight on all policies pertaining to organizational safety, instructor certification program, and special recognition programs.

Prepare your division chief resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your division chief 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 division chief resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable division chief resume templates

Build a professional division chief 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 division chief resume.