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The differences between volunteer services directors and program assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a volunteer services director, becoming a program assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a volunteer services director has an average salary of $54,005, which is higher than the $35,193 average annual salary of a program assistant.
The top three skills for a volunteer services director include patients, community outreach and child care. The most important skills for a program assistant are patients, customer service, and data entry.
| Volunteer Services Director | Program Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $54,005 | $35,193 |
| Hourly rate | $25.96 | $16.92 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 58,301 | 96,901 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
A volunteer services director specializes in devising and designing volunteer programs for an organization. They are primarily responsible for overseeing the recruitment and hiring process of volunteers, training, and even scheduling the work hours of volunteers. As the director, it is their role to spearhead the project and encourage volunteers. Moreover, they are also in charge of ensuring that all activities are completed within the allotted time and budget, maintaining the programs' mission and vision, and implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Program assistants are usually entry-level or junior employees assigned to a department that handles a specific program in the organization. They assist the team they are assigned to in the implementation of the programs. They usually take care of administrative or clerical activities while also getting exposure to actual program management. Program assistants get trained to handle agendas from inception, to sourcing, to implementation, to evaluation. They may also handle documentary support for business cases or other presentation materials that the team may need for a specific part of the program management cycle.
Volunteer services directors and program assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Volunteer Services Director | Program Assistant | |
| Average salary | $54,005 | $35,193 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $90,000 | Between $27,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | - | The Aspen Institute |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a volunteer services director and a program assistant in terms of educational background:
| Volunteer Services Director | Program Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between volunteer services directors' and program assistants' demographics:
| Volunteer Services Director | Program Assistant | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0% | Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 13.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 6.7% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 11% |