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The differences between case managers and nurse case managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a case manager, becoming a nurse case manager takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a nurse case manager has an average salary of $68,461, which is higher than the $43,118 average annual salary of a case manager.
The top three skills for a case manager include social work, patients and community resources. The most important skills for a nurse case manager are care management, discharge planning, and patients.
| Case Manager | Nurse Case Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $43,118 | $68,461 |
| Hourly rate | $20.73 | $32.91 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 84,959 | 83,480 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A case manager is responsible for giving advice, handling plans for the client's recovery, and connecting with other human service professionals to ask for further options and recommendations for the client's concerns. Case managers should have excellent communication and listening skills to evaluate the client's needs, ensuring that they will have the utmost care and safety through efficient advocacy. A case manager should be able to provide a reliable support system for the client and monitor progress to achieve wellness and guarantee satisfaction.
A nurse case manager's role focuses on providing advice and medication to patients in an outpatient clinic or hospital. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around conducting extensive assessments, discussing essential matters to patients and families, devising efficient health care plans, coordinating with health care experts to share patients' progress, determining the needed care, and performing follow-up services. There are also instances when a nurse case manager must adjust medication or treatment as needed, refer patients to programs that will support them on their financial and other needs, and implement policies and regulations.
Case managers and nurse case managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Case Manager | Nurse Case Manager | |
| Average salary | $43,118 | $68,461 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $61,000 | Between $48,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Wellpath | CNA Insurance |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Government |
There are a few differences between a case manager and a nurse case manager in terms of educational background:
| Case Manager | Nurse Case Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Nursing |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Duke University |
Here are the differences between case managers' and nurse case managers' demographics:
| Case Manager | Nurse Case Manager | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6% | Male, 9.6% Female, 90.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 9% |