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What is a student development advisor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

A student development advisor is an individual who supervises activities related to student academic success in secondary and university academic settings. They conduct workshops, develop educational activities, and advise students on career and personal issues as well. Student development advisors communicate with parents, coordinate with student organizations, and supervise student workshops and training.

Most student development advisors have a bachelor's degree or experience in managing and counseling student groups. These advisors should possess a broad knowledge of student issues and excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.

Given the responsibility and leadership roles that student development advisors hold, they can make up to $100,000 annually, and the career field is expected to grow 8% by 2028.

ScoreStudent Development AdvisorUS Average
Salary
7.7

Avg. Salary $103,328

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.0

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.62%

Asian 3.74%

Black or African American 10.64%

Hispanic or Latino 14.20%

Unknown 3.76%

White 67.03%

Gender

female 48.20%

male 51.80%

Age - 41
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 - 41
Stress level
9.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Student development advisor career paths

Key steps to become a student development advisor

  1. Explore student development advisor education requirements

    Most common student development advisor degrees

    Bachelor's

    67.6 %

    Master's

    16.8 %

    Associate

    8.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific student development advisor skills

    SkillsPercentages
    C++20.64%
    Java15.86%
    API5.67%
    Python5.58%
    Application Development5.39%
  3. Complete relevant student development advisor training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New student development advisors 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 student development advisor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real student development advisor resumes.
  4. Research student development advisor duties and responsibilities

    • Design, document, develop, test, install, support and automate ETL applications.
    • Manage UAFS's F-1/J-1 student visa SEVIS compliance as DSO/ARO, ensuring all documentation is in order prior to students arriving.
    • Design interactive websites using HTML with CSS for styling and JavaScript for adding working functionality.
    • Apply HTML and CSS fundamentals and best practices.
  5. Get student development advisor experience

  6. Apply for student development advisor jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a student development advisor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first student development advisor job

Zippi

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Average student development advisor salary

The average student development advisor salary in the United States is $103,328 per year or $50 per hour. Student development advisor salaries range between $80,000 and $132,000 per year.

Average student development advisor salary
$103,328 Yearly
$49.68 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do student development advisors rate their job?

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Student development advisor reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Pros

The interaction with students, the progress of the students and the opportunities to develop programs.

Cons

The very hectic schedule and the multi-tasking that never ends.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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