Admissions Director job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

12

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Education Administrators, Postsecondary

O*NET-SOC 11-9033.00

Preparation

Job Zone 5 of 5

extensive preparation

Typical entry education

Master's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$104,590

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Education Administrators, Postsecondary (O*NET-SOC 11-9033.00). O*NET 31.0 lists “Admissions Director” as a job title for this occupation only (evidence: O*NET's Sample of Reported Titles (titles job holders report), O*NET job-incumbent data, the SOC Index, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Employment and Training Administration and employer job postings). Figures on this page are for that occupation. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes. importance 4.1 of 5
2. Recruit, hire, train, and terminate departmental personnel. importance 4.0 of 5
3. Direct, coordinate, and evaluate the activities of personnel, including support staff engaged in administering academic institutions, departments, or alumni organizations. importance 3.9 of 5
4. Advise students on issues such as course selection, progress toward graduation, and career decisions. importance 3.9 of 5
5. Plan, administer, and control budgets, maintain financial records, and produce financial reports. importance 3.8 of 5
6. Formulate strategic plans for the institution. importance 3.8 of 5
7. Establish operational policies and procedures and make any necessary modifications, based on analysis of operations, demographics, and other research information. importance 3.8 of 5
8. Provide assistance to faculty and staff in duties such as teaching classes, conducting orientation programs, issuing transcripts, and scheduling events. importance 3.8 of 5
9. Represent institutions at community and campus events, in meetings with other institution personnel, and during accreditation processes. importance 3.8 of 5
10. Prepare reports on academic or institutional data. importance 3.7 of 5
11. Promote the university by participating in community, state, and national events or meetings, and by developing partnerships with industry and secondary education institutions. importance 3.7 of 5
12. Participate in faculty and college committee activities. importance 3.7 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates and Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Direct activities of administrative departments, such as admissions, registration, and career services.
• Appoint individuals to faculty positions, and evaluate their performance.
• Develop curricula, and recommend curricula revisions and additions.
• Consult with government regulatory and licensing agencies to ensure the institution's conformance with applicable standards.
• Participate in student recruitment, selection, and admission, making admissions recommendations when required to do so.
• Determine course schedules, and coordinate teaching assignments and room assignments to ensure optimum use of buildings and equipment.

Knowledge areas: English Language, Administration and Management, Education and Training, Customer and Personal Service and Personnel and Human Resources.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Student information systems SIS software, Facebook. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists less than 5 years of work experience in a related occupation as typical.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 5 of 5 (extensive preparation). Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

The most common answer among admissions directors surveyed by O*NET is a master's degree (48%).

Job title: Admissions Director
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring an Admissions Director to plan, direct, or coordinate student instruction, administration, and services, as well as other research and educational activities, at postsecondary institutions, including universities, colleges, and junior and community colleges.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes.
- Recruit, hire, train, and terminate departmental personnel.
- Direct, coordinate, and evaluate the activities of personnel, including support staff engaged in administering academic institutions, departments, or alumni organizations.
- Advise students on issues such as course selection, progress toward graduation, and career decisions.
- Plan, administer, and control budgets, maintain financial records, and produce financial reports.
- Formulate strategic plans for the institution.
- Establish operational policies and procedures and make any necessary modifications, based on analysis of operations, demographics, and other research information.
- Provide assistance to faculty and staff in duties such as teaching classes, conducting orientation programs, issuing transcripts, and scheduling events.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a master's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists less than 5 years in a related occupation as typical; adjust to this role]
- Strength in reading comprehension, critical thinking and instructing
- Working knowledge of English Language and Administration and Management
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

For Education Administrators, Postsecondary, the median annual wage was $104,590 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $50.29. BLS estimates about 180,470 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Education Administrators, Postsecondary to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 14,500 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real admissions director posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only admissions director work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (reading comprehension and critical thinking): a real situation, what you did and what changed.