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Residence life director vs dean

The differences between residence life directors and deans can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a residence life director and a dean. Additionally, a dean has an average salary of $86,318, which is higher than the $52,520 average annual salary of a residence life director.

The top three skills for a residence life director include residence life, phone calls and student development. The most important skills for a dean are curriculum development, oversight, and scholarship.

Residence life director vs dean overview

Residence Life DirectorDean
Yearly salary$52,520$86,318
Hourly rate$25.25$41.50
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs17,4901,183
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4747
Years of experience66

Residence life director vs dean salary

Residence life directors and deans have different pay scales, as shown below.

Residence Life DirectorDean
Average salary$52,520$86,318
Salary rangeBetween $32,000 And $84,000Between $49,000 And $150,000
Highest paying CityNew Haven, CTLos Altos, CA
Highest paying stateConnecticutCalifornia
Best paying companyPoint BPalmer College of Chiropractic
Best paying industry-Education

Differences between residence life director and dean education

There are a few differences between a residence life director and a dean in terms of educational background:

Residence Life DirectorDean
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Residence life director vs dean demographics

Here are the differences between residence life directors' and deans' demographics:

Residence Life DirectorDean
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 44.0% Female, 56.0%Male, 53.8% Female, 46.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.3% Asian, 4.6% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 4.3% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between residence life director and dean duties and responsibilities

Residence life director example responsibilities.

  • Motivate, train and lead a team of nine ministry coordinators.
  • Provide leadership, oversight, and administration of innovative student-centered activities.
  • Provide clinical oversight of family-centered services that include capacity building, needs assessment, program and policy development and evaluation.
  • Cultivate, coordinate, and assist in the development of student leadership and responsibility through programming and direct involvement with students.

Dean example responsibilities.

  • Produce, manage and evaluate all budgetary and programmatic aspects of a comprehensive career service program for students and alumni.
  • Develop funding split or co-fund project collaborations across colleges.
  • Deliver oversight and management of student behavior and attendance compliance.
  • Build partnerships with community colleges and universities for student opportunities.
  • Provide leadership for instructional programming and oversight for the operations of the agriculture, energy and sustainability areas.
  • Work cooperatively with other offices and student groups in the implementation of various campus-wide multicultural activities and other major events.
  • Show more

Residence life director vs dean skills

Common residence life director skills
  • Residence Life, 7%
  • Phone Calls, 6%
  • Student Development, 6%
  • Oversight, 6%
  • Student Affairs, 6%
  • Student Conduct, 4%
Common dean skills
  • Curriculum Development, 8%
  • Oversight, 8%
  • Scholarship, 7%
  • Human Resources, 6%
  • Strategic Plan, 5%
  • Colleges, 5%

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