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The differences between finance aid directors and finance aid advisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a finance aid director, becoming a finance aid advisor takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a finance aid director has an average salary of $58,644, which is higher than the $37,791 average annual salary of a finance aid advisor.
The top three skills for a finance aid director include financial aid programs, title iv and state regulations. The most important skills for a finance aid advisor are financial aid, customer service, and FAFSA.
| Finance Aid Director | Finance Aid Advisor | |
| Yearly salary | $58,644 | $37,791 |
| Hourly rate | $28.19 | $18.17 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 98,523 | 127,378 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 47 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A finance aid director oversees finance aid officers that deal with student loans, fees, scholarship grants, insurance, and other loans. They organize cash flow for all funds available. They analyze applications, grant scholarships and loans to students, and provide information on benefits and restrictions included with financial aid. They also help students resolve loan defaults or underpayments. They must have good communication skills to facilitate talks between students and universities.
A finance aid advisor specializes in helping clients, mostly students and parents, understand financial aid programs available in learning institutions. They primarily provide advice, such as which programs will suit the students' needs, their requirements, or how the procedures will be. To carry out their duties, a finance aid advisor must conduct interviews with students, assess their background information and financial histories, respond to inquiries and concerns, review financial aid requests, perform extensive research and analysis, and coordinate different services while adhering to the institutions' policies and regulations.
Finance aid directors and finance aid advisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Finance Aid Director | Finance Aid Advisor | |
| Average salary | $58,644 | $37,791 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $92,000 | Between $28,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Commonwealth | Oakland University |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a finance aid director and a finance aid advisor in terms of educational background:
| Finance Aid Director | Finance Aid Advisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between finance aid directors' and finance aid advisors' demographics:
| Finance Aid Director | Finance Aid Advisor | |
| Average age | 47 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.9% Female, 69.1% | Male, 29.6% Female, 70.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 8% |