Division chief vs department chairperson

The differences between division chiefs and department chairpeople can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a division chief and a department chairperson. Additionally, a department chairperson has an average salary of $98,438, which is higher than the $86,913 average annual salary of a division chief.

The top three skills for a division chief include oversight, rehabilitation and human resources. The most important skills for a department chairperson are curriculum development, professional development, and classroom management.

Division chief vs department chairperson overview

	Division Chief	Department Chairperson
Yearly salary	$86,913	$98,438
Hourly rate	$41.79	$47.33
Growth rate	6%	7%
Number of jobs	14,138	33,511
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	44	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a division chief do?

Division chiefs are professionals who are responsible for leading and managing subordinates of a particular division of a department. These chiefs are required to conduct administrative and personnel transactions as well as review their legislation and technical program activities. In the military, division chiefs are required to supervise military personnel while implementing military personnel management operations within the command. Division chiefs must also organize training programs to ensure the skill, technical, and professional development of all marines.

What does a department chairperson do?

A Department Chairperson is a faculty member who provides academic and administrative leadership to an academic department. They exercise leadership in recruiting and retaining capable faculty, communicate departmental needs and desires to the Dean and Provost, and coordinate the academic advisement process.

Division chief vs department chairperson salary

Division chiefs and department chairpeople have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Division Chief	Department Chairperson
Average salary	$86,913	$98,438
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $203,000	Between $50,000 And $191,000
Highest paying City	Olympia, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	Connecticut Children's Medical Center	Marshall University
Best paying industry	Government	Finance

Differences between division chief and department chairperson education

There are a few differences between a division chief and a department chairperson in terms of educational background:

	Division Chief	Department Chairperson
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Education
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Division chief vs department chairperson demographics

Here are the differences between division chiefs' and department chairpeople' demographics:

	Division Chief	Department Chairperson
Average age	44	47
Gender ratio	Male, 83.5% Female, 16.5%	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 4.2% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	10%	16%

Differences between division chief and department chairperson duties and responsibilities

Division chief example 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.
Research and develop country cooperation plan to facilitate partnerships and ensure efforts are synchronized with other DoD agencies.
Protect valuable banking, insurance and healthcare customer relationships while managing client global communication needs and adhering to regulatory compliance standards.

Department chairperson example responsibilities.

Manage the club's Facebook/Twitter accounts.
Lead meetings with ESL department teachers in which teachers collaborate on unit plan ideas, classroom strategies and student needs.
Manage the development of an alumni newsletter and coordinate with alumni to provide relevant content.
Manage both individual and organizational achievements for the members through involvement with the community, philanthropies, campus involvement, and scholarship
Negotiate and obtain clinical sites for PN and ADN programs.
Develop and deliver dynamic, rigorous lessons for high school economics classes.

Division chief vs department chairperson skills

Common division chief skills

Oversight, 24%
Rehabilitation, 10%
Human Resources, 9%
Professional Development, 6%
Training Programs, 5%
Logistical Support, 5%

Common department chairperson skills

Curriculum Development, 15%
Professional Development, 14%
Classroom Management, 13%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Student Learning, 5%
Colleges, 4%

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Division Chief
Division Chief vs Department Chairperson

Updated January 8, 2025

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