How To Become A Regional Program Director: What It Is and Career Path

What is a regional program director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Meaghan Goodman Ph.D.

The average regional program director salary is $75,546. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an business major. It usually takes 4-6 years of experience to become a regional program director. Regional program directors with a First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 8% and produce 12,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

What's a day at work look like for a regional program director?

Meaghan Goodman Ph.D.

Program Director & Assistant Professor, Maryville University

A bachelor's in communication sciences and disorders can prepare you for three different tracks. First, it can prepare you to become a licensed Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA). This is someone who works under a fully credential speech-language pathologist. Often times, they carryout intervention plans developed by a fully credentialed speech-language pathologist. If graduate school is on your horizon, a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders will prepare you for acceptance into a Speech-Language Pathology program, or an Audiology program. If you are not accepted into a graduate program right away, working as a speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA) is a great way to get experience in the field!

ScoreRegional Program DirectorUS Average

Salary

5.9

Avg. Salary $75,546

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.0

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 6.43%

Black or African American 8.03%

Hispanic or Latino 14.74%

Unknown 5.61%

White 65.02%

Gender

female 54.17%

male 45.83%

Age - 39

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 - 39

Stress level

8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a regional program director

Explore regional program director education requirements

Most common regional program director degrees

Bachelor's

63.3 %

Master's

22.7 %

Associate

7.3 %

Start to develop specific regional program director skills

Skills	Percentages
Rehabilitation	13.17%
Oversight	12.84%
Service Delivery	7.49%
Medicare	7.29%
Social Work	6.73%

Complete relevant regional program director training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New regional program directors 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 regional program director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real regional program director resumes.

Research regional program director duties and responsibilities

Establish and manage the mid-Atlantic regional office of a privately own legal education company that provide educational services to law students.
Provide general oversight of a drug court program, day treatment program and detention center.
Negotiate network contracts with healthcare facilities, physician groups, and ancillary providers utilizing various reimbursement methodologies and risk sharing arrangements.
Establish and manage the mid-Atlantic regional office of a privately own legal education company that provide educational services to law students.

Get regional program director experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a regional program director. The most common roles before becoming a regional program director include program director, program manager team lead and director.

Prepare your regional program director resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your regional program director resume.

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