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The differences between chief nursing officers and clinical directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a chief nursing officer and a clinical director. Additionally, a chief nursing officer has an average salary of $104,466, which is higher than the $96,497 average annual salary of a clinical director.
The top three skills for a chief nursing officer include patients, CNO and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.
| Chief Nursing Officer | Clinical Director | |
| Yearly salary | $104,466 | $96,497 |
| Hourly rate | $50.22 | $46.39 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 107,336 | 83,232 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Chief Nursing Officer supervises nurses and nurse managers, recommends strategies to improve services, and establishes goals for a healthcare facility. They ensure that operations comply with established standards and regulations, as well as prepare and supervise business reports, including annual budgets.
A clinical director is a managing professional who manages the work of healthcare providers to ensure quality patient care is achieved. Clinical directors are responsible for organizational tasks such as adjusting staff schedules, explaining insurance benefits to the patients, and managing financial reports. They can work either in small clinics with a smaller workforce or larger hospitals with multiple departments. Clinical directors may also assist in the hiring process of healthcare providers and should establish a positive work environment.
Chief nursing officers and clinical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Nursing Officer | Clinical Director | |
| Average salary | $104,466 | $96,497 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $151,000 | Between $63,000 And $145,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Sutro Biopharma |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a chief nursing officer and a clinical director in terms of educational background:
| Chief Nursing Officer | Clinical Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between chief nursing officers' and clinical directors' demographics:
| Chief Nursing Officer | Clinical Director | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8% | Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 7.8% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |