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Job outlook for deans in the United States
Dean job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected dean job growth rate is 7% from 2018-2028.
About 15,500 new jobs for deans are projected over the next decade.
Dean salaries have increased 7% for deans in the last 5 years.
There are over 9,820 deans currently employed in the United States.
There are 1,183 active dean job openings in the US.
The average dean salary is $86,318.
Are dean jobs in demand?
Dean job and salary trends over time
Dean jobs over time
Dean job growth rate over time
Year  | # Of Jobs | % Of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,820 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 8,869 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 9,120 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 9,029 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 8,949 | 0.00% |
Average dean salary over time
Dean salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $86,318 | $41.50 | +2.2% |
| 2024 | $84,467 | $40.61 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $83,520 | $40.15 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $81,767 | $39.31 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $80,351 | $38.63 | +2.5% |
Dean jobs by state
Most common states for deans
| Rank | State | Population | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 20 | 3% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 17 | 2% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 72 | 1% |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 62 | 1% |
| 5 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 60 | 1% |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 51 | 1% |
| 7 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 29 | 1% |
| 8 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 23 | 1% |
| 9 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 17 | 1% |
| 10 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 13 | 1% |
| 11 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 11 | 1% |
| 12 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 8 | 1% |
| 13 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 7 | 1% |
| 14 | Vermont | 623,657 | 5 | 1% |
| 15 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 5 | 1% |
| 16 | California | 39,536,653 | 125 | 0% |
| 17 | New York | 19,849,399 | 99 | 0% |
| 18 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 42 | 0% |
| 19 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 4 | 0% |
| 20 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 3 | 0% |
Most common cities for deans
| Rank | City | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Lansing | 2 | 4% | $93,443 |
| 2 | Cleveland | 2 | 1% | $82,335 |
| 3 | Davenport | 1 | 1% | $72,417 |
| 4 | Livonia | 1 | 1% | $94,892 |
| 5 | Indianapolis | 3 | 0% | $71,437 |
| 6 | San Diego | 2 | 0% | $103,756 |
| 7 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $85,107 |
| 8 | Denver | 1 | 0% | $50,915 |
| 9 | Houston | 1 | 0% | $64,191 |
| 10 | New Orleans | 1 | 0% | $75,788 |
| 11 | Orlando | 1 | 0% | $70,086 |
| 12 | Philadelphia | 1 | 0% | $81,867 |
| 13 | Sacramento | 1 | 0% | $115,036 |
| 14 | San Jose | 1 | 0% | $116,460 |
| 15 | Urban Honolulu | 1 | 0% | $68,472 |
Dean job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of dean experts
University of Toledo
Council of Graduate Schools
Melissa Gregory
Dean and ProfessorUniversity of Toledo
Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
What general advice would you give to a Dean?
Melissa Gregory: Melissa Valiska Gregory, Dean, College of Arts and Letters, University of Toledo, https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-gregory-193546290/, https://www.utoledo.edu/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=Gen-Enrollment&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqpSwBhClARIsADlZ_TlC5r5c4-Sw7v9XW7tXvN3mlDs-TrgkdXuf8J8xwnvs7T-HF2gVPgoaAkYCEALw_wcB
What Dean skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Melissa Gregory: I'm copying some UToledo faculty on this message in case you want to reach out to them for quotes:
Dr. Barry Jackisch, History
Dr. Patrick Lawrence, Geography and Planning
Dr. Kim Nielsen, Disability Studies
What will help Deans increase their earning potential?
Melissa Gregory: Today's contemporary liberal arts degrees typically do two things:
(1) prepare you for a lifetime of career adaptation by cultivating deep infrastructure skills such as communication, analysis, creativity, quantitative abilities, and others, which prepares you to adapt to the jobs that don't even exist, yet; and (2) offer you real-life professional experience in the form of internships and other kinds of hands-on training that provide you with specific credentials for graduate school or the current job market.
In other words, the key to a liberal arts degree is its flexibility. A liberal arts degree isn't as explicitly career-aligned as, say, a degree in pharmacy or engineering. But that is the whole point: a liberal arts degree takes the long view of how a graduate might advance successfully through a lifetime of work where economic, political, and technological forces regularly close out old jobs and create new opportunities (e.g., "sustainability" did not used to be a job category - now it is!). When coupled with professional experience, a flexible degree that has rigorously trained you to be smart and adaptive prepares you to enter the workforce quickly and also sets you up for long-term success.
What type of skills will young Deans need?
Suzanne T. Ortega: Young graduates entering the workforce will need to be highly adaptable to a changing environment. This isn't a new trend, but the pandemic has made it even more important. They will also need to be able to work collaboratively. The workplace has become increasingly team-based, even in a college setting, and knowing how to work with people from other backgrounds and across disciplines is imperative. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, young graduates will need to keep their "learner mentality." The workforce is changing, and employees need to be ready to expand upon existing knowledge and learn new skills throughout the course of their careers; this includes proficiency in new learning technologies and teaching pedagogies that meet the needs of online and hybrid classrooms. It is highly likely that the flexibility in course content and methods of delivery will continue for years to come.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Deans to find work opportunities?
Suzanne T. Ortega: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, projected job growth for postsecondary teachers over the next decade is about 9 percent, which is much faster than the average, although there are differences in the academic field. Job growth is likely to occur in those regions and states with the most rapidly growing populations.