A shift lever assembly for a vehicle may include a knob disposed above a base, has an accommodation space formed therein, and includes a button type shift device disposed in the accommodation space to perform shifting in response to button operations, wherein a cover opens or closes the accommodation space of the knob, a rod extends downward from the knob and through a hole of the base and having a magnet disposed on a bottom portion thereof, a driving motor includes a rotation shaft connected to the rod and providing a driving force for rotating the knob at the time of driving, a shifting PCB detects a gear by recognizing the magnet and controlling the gear, and shifting is performed by selectively using one of a lever shift mode and a button shift mode.