University administrator vs department chairperson

The differences between university administrators and department chairpeople can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a university administrator and a department chairperson. Additionally, a department chairperson has an average salary of $98,438, which is higher than the $39,398 average annual salary of a university administrator.

The top three skills for a university administrator include facilities management, workstations and financial aid. The most important skills for a department chairperson are curriculum development, professional development, and classroom management.

University administrator vs department chairperson overview

	University Administrator	Department Chairperson
Yearly salary	$39,398	$98,438
Hourly rate	$18.94	$47.33
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	50,841	33,511
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

University administrator vs department chairperson salary

University administrators and department chairpeople have different pay scales, as shown below.

	University Administrator	Department Chairperson
Average salary	$39,398	$98,438
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $62,000	Between $50,000 And $191,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Marshall University
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between university administrator and department chairperson education

There are a few differences between a university administrator and a department chairperson in terms of educational background:

	University Administrator	Department Chairperson
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Education
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

University administrator vs department chairperson demographics

Here are the differences between university administrators' and department chairpeople' demographics:

	University Administrator	Department Chairperson
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 51.3% Female, 48.7%	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 4.3% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 4.2% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between university administrator and department chairperson duties and responsibilities

University administrator example responsibilities.

Establish operating policies and procedures and attain SNF Medicare certification.
Lead and develop the technical strategy for improving architectural and design elements of SharePoint to enhance utilization and drive user functionality.
Lead and develop the technical strategy for improving architectural and design elements of SharePoint to enhance utilization and drive user functionality.

Department chairperson example responsibilities.

Manage the club's Facebook/Twitter accounts.
Lead meetings with ESL department teachers in which teachers collaborate on unit plan ideas, classroom strategies and student needs.
Manage the development of an alumni newsletter and coordinate with alumni to provide relevant content.
Manage both individual and organizational achievements for the members through involvement with the community, philanthropies, campus involvement, and scholarship
Negotiate and obtain clinical sites for PN and ADN programs.
Develop and deliver dynamic, rigorous lessons for high school economics classes.

University administrator vs department chairperson skills

Common university administrator skills

Facilities Management, 55%
Workstations, 15%
Financial Aid, 12%
Learning Management System, 11%
SQL, 6%

Common department chairperson skills

Curriculum Development, 15%
Professional Development, 14%
Classroom Management, 13%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Student Learning, 5%
Colleges, 4%

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University Administrator
University Administrator vs Department Chairperson

Updated January 8, 2025

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