Administrative services director vs department director

The differences between administrative services directors and department directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an administrative services director, becoming a department director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a department director has an average salary of $97,804, which is higher than the $78,864 average annual salary of an administrative services director.

The top three skills for an administrative services director include patients, patient care and human resources. The most important skills for a department director are patient care, patients, and healthcare.

Administrative services director vs department director overview

	Administrative Services Director	Department Director
Yearly salary	$78,864	$97,804
Hourly rate	$37.92	$47.02
Growth rate	7%	28%
Number of jobs	108,975	73,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	50	47
Years of experience	2	6

What does an administrative services director do?

An administrative services director spearheads and oversees the daily administrative operations of a company. They have the authority to set goals and guidelines, establish budgets and timelines, liaise with internal and external parties, negotiate contracts, delegate responsibilities and funds among managers, and supervise the hiring and training of staff. Moreover, as the administrative services director, it is essential to lead and encourage teams to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations, developing new ones as needed.

What does a department director do?

A Department Director spearheads and oversees the operations of a department, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Although their responsibilities vary upon the functions of a department, they typically have the power to decide on projects and programs. Their responsibilities include setting goals, establishing budgets and guidelines, representing the department at meetings and media coverages, liaising with external business partners, managing staff, and monitoring the progress of operations. Moreover, a Department Director leads and encourages staff to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Administrative services director vs department director salary

Administrative services directors and department directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Administrative Services Director	Department Director
Average salary	$78,864	$97,804
Salary range	Between $51,000 And $121,000	Between $64,000 And $148,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	Hughes	Anna Jaques Hospital
Best paying industry	Health Care	Finance

Differences between administrative services director and department director education

There are a few differences between an administrative services director and a department director in terms of educational background:

	Administrative Services Director	Department Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Administrative services director vs department director demographics

Here are the differences between administrative services directors' and department directors' demographics:

	Administrative Services Director	Department Director
Average age	50	47
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 4.3% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.9% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	5%	12%

Differences between administrative services director and department director duties and responsibilities

Administrative services director example responsibilities.

Manage projects for building satellite offices, agent offices, mailroom, and fleet management for all company cars
Organize and direct clinical operations for patients receiving private duty nursing and intermittent home care services working with multiple funding sources.
Maintain an update knowledge of healthcare industry medical coding, AMA and federal guidelines and medical terminology.
Monitor, review, and approve results of internal and external surveys conduct by the QA department and report on findings.
Track disability and FMLA cases on a daily basis.
Organize QuickBooks base accounting and all necessary vendor services.

Department director example responsibilities.

Manage and direct bureau operations, and provide oversight of criminal investigations of statewide importance.
Establish and develop relationships with ERP and consulting vendors with the goal of maximizing comparative advantage and cost efficient solution development.
Ensure compliance with all CMS regulations.
Provide public education in the areas of fire department capabilities and history as well as CPR classes.
Follow up and coordination of rehabilitation services.
Cross-Train pre-operative and PACU staff to optimize efficiency.

Administrative services director vs department director skills

Common administrative services director skills

Patients, 17%
Patient Care, 15%
Human Resources, 6%
Service Line, 5%
Payroll, 3%
Health System, 3%

Common department director skills

Patient Care, 15%
Patients, 14%
Healthcare, 13%
Oversight, 8%
Human Resources, 5%
Payroll, 4%

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Administrative Services Director
Administrative Services Director vs Department Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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