How To Become An Assistant Director Of Development: What It Is and Career Path

What is an assistant director of development and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Company management teams are composed of the highest officials in the company, including the C-suite officers and the department heads. They have the daunting task of making decisions for the organization. They have a crucial role in setting the company up for success. With this heavy responsibility, department heads often have a second-in-command to help them lead their departments. One such second-in-command is the Assistant Director of Development.

Assistant Directors of Development helps the director of development manage the team. They also lead research initiatives related to development. They can also set the team's direction and steer them towards the best solutions to unit-related concerns. In the absence of the department head, assistant directors of development may also make decisions that would affect the team and their work.

If you have leadership potential and are passionate about it, this is the best role for you. Of course, you need to have a deep understanding of the team you wish to lead.

ScoreAssistant Director Of DevelopmentUS Average

Salary

4.8

Avg. Salary $60,905

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

8.7

Growth Rate 8%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.42%

Asian 5.15%

Black or African American 6.09%

Hispanic or Latino 9.23%

Unknown 4.67%

White 74.44%

Gender

female 65.14%

male 34.86%

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

8.7

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.5

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.8

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become an assistant director of development

Explore assistant director of development education requirements

Most common assistant director of development degrees

Bachelor's

68.7 %

Master's

20.9 %

Associate

4.5 %

Start to develop specific assistant director of development skills

Skills	Percentages
Professional Development	10.04%
Alumni Relations	10.01%
PowerPoint	6.16%
Project Management	5.47%
Donor Relations	5.13%

Complete relevant assistant director of development training and internships

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

Research assistant director of development duties and responsibilities

Program development includes managing and building strong relationships with corporate and affinity partners to secure sponsorship and career enhancement for alumni
Program development includes managing and building strong relationships with corporate and affinity partners to secure sponsorship and career enhancement for alumni
Direct professional staff responsible for the implementation of HUD programs for the construction and rehabilitation of multi-family housing projects.

Get assistant director of development experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become an assistant director of development. The most common roles before becoming an assistant director of development include internship, assistant director team lead and administrative assistant.

Prepare your assistant director of development resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assistant director of development resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an assistant director of development resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Assistant Director Of Development Resume templates

Build a professional Assistant Director Of Development resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Assistant Director Of Development resume.

Apply for assistant director of development jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an assistant director of development job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

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

Average assistant director of development salary

The average Assistant Director Of Development salary in the United States is $60,905 per year or $29 per hour. Assistant director of development salaries range between $38,000 and $97,000 per year.

Average Assistant Director Of Development Salary

$60,905 Yearly

$29.28 hourly