Program director vs assistant program director

The differences between program directors and assistant program directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a program director and an assistant program director. Additionally, a program director has an average salary of $80,664, which is higher than the $51,138 average annual salary of an assistant program director.

The top three skills for a program director include oversight, social work and patients. The most important skills for an assistant program director are mental health, oversight, and social work.

Program director vs assistant program director overview

	Program Director	Assistant Program Director
Yearly salary	$80,664	$51,138
Hourly rate	$38.78	$24.59
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	82,810	77,761
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	6	6

What does a program director do?

Program directors are employees who oversee all aspects of a specific program in the company. They usually work in nonprofit organizations or are assigned to a department doing corporate social responsibility activities. Program directors ensure that the program is in line with the company's goals. They also ensure that the resources assigned to the program are properly managed and that all finances are accounted for. They create strategies to ensure the success of the program and communicate these to everyone involved. They lead the implementation and evaluation of the program.

What does an assistant program director do?

An assistant program director is responsible for assisting the program director in organizing events and outreach services to support the organization's business functions and operations. Assistant program directors coordinate with other institutions, suppliers, and third-party vendors to deliver the program goals and objectives successfully. They also perform administrative and clerical duties as needed, delegating tasks, and ensuring that the program stays within the budget goals. An assistant program director must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on allocating resources and creating reports regarding the project's progress.

Program director vs assistant program director salary

Program directors and assistant program directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Program Director	Assistant Program Director
Average salary	$80,664	$51,138
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $129,000	Between $28,000 And $93,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Georgia	New York
Best paying company	Mayo Clinic	Southeastern Lifestyle Fitness Center Lumberton
Best paying industry	Technology	Education

Differences between program director and assistant program director education

There are a few differences between a program director and an assistant program director in terms of educational background:

	Program Director	Assistant Program Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Business	Psychology
Most common college	Stanford University	Northwestern University

Program director vs assistant program director demographics

Here are the differences between program directors' and assistant program directors' demographics:

	Program Director	Assistant Program Director
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6%	Male, 41.3% Female, 58.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	14%	14%

Differences between program director and assistant program director duties and responsibilities

Program director example responsibilities.

Manage personnel performing SAS programming, technical document preparation and quality assurance.
Manage program budgets and supervise staff to ensure that immunization and registry activities are successfully implement.
Manage direct support professionals serving adult populations for persons with mental health, developmental disabilities and children with autism.
Manage day-to-day oversight and management involving planning, programming, execution, distribution, and analysis for assign organizations budgets.
Implement client ADL, ISP, and behavior plans in a group home.
Organize schedule for swim lessons and kids camp.

Assistant program director example responsibilities.

Manage direct support professionals serving adult populations for persons with mental health, developmental disabilities and children with autism.
Provide direct oversight of all program operations to ensure contract compliance, revenue enhancement, program development and quality assurance.
Perform first aid and CPR when necessary
Direct training classes for aides to become CPR certify.
Organize enrichment programs to service working families including a supplementary kindergarten and after-school care program.
Provide quality management oversight, auditing records to ensure regulatory compliance and the provision of quality services.

Program director vs assistant program director skills

Common program director skills

Oversight, 9%
Social Work, 6%
Patients, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Mental Health, 5%
Program Management, 5%

Common assistant program director skills

Mental Health, 8%
Oversight, 8%
Social Work, 7%
CPR, 7%
Professional Development, 5%
Alumni, 5%

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Program Director
Program Director vs Assistant Program Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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