Clinical director vs medical director

The differences between clinical directors and medical 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 clinical director and a medical director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, which is higher than the $96,497 average annual salary of a clinical director.

The top three skills for a clinical director include patients, patient care and physical therapy. The most important skills for a medical director are patients, medical care, and medical services.

Clinical director vs medical director overview

	Clinical Director	Medical Director
Yearly salary	$96,497	$230,317
Hourly rate	$46.39	$110.73
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	83,232	75,810
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a clinical director do?

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.

What does a medical director do?

A medical director is responsible for handling the overall supervision of different medical departments, managing the coordination between medical teams to ensure smooth operations and achieve high-quality care services for the patients. Medical directors enforce strict guidelines and safety measures for everyone's adherence. They also implement medical care programs, recruit medical staff, inspect the adequacy of medical equipment, respond to patient's inquiries and concerns, and oversee the facilities' procedures. A medical director manages the budget of the department, allocating equal resources to address every need.

Clinical director vs medical director salary

Clinical directors and medical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Director	Medical Director
Average salary	$96,497	$230,317
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $145,000	Between $143,000 And $369,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Alaska
Best paying company	Sutro Biopharma	UnitedHealth Group
Best paying industry	Health Care	Insurance

Differences between clinical director and medical director education

There are a few differences between a clinical director and a medical director in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Director	Medical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Nursing	Medicine
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Clinical director vs medical director demographics

Here are the differences between clinical directors' and medical directors' demographics:

	Clinical Director	Medical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between clinical director and medical director duties and responsibilities

Clinical director example responsibilities.

Develop distinctive ambulatory strategies to achieve and sustain competitive healthcare advantage.
Manage and assist with data collection and input for MDS.
Manage quality of documentation through education and electronic review of clinical processes utilizing HCHB EMR.
Manage front office, marketing, and communication -demonstrated/supervise exercises for patients -Developed instructional packets for home exercise programs
Manage projects and ambulatory system initiatives, and collaborate with system leadership teams to ensure EMR alignment with all regulatory requirements.
Experience in GCP, FDA audits, and regulatory guidance review and implementation.

Medical director example responsibilities.

Manage OPD for acute injuries.
Manage patients with diabetes, hypertension and other medical problems.
Manage patients living with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other sexually transmit infections.
Manage hypertension and diabetes in elderly patients
Conduct psychiatry evaluations and treatment, manage co-occurring disorders.
Manage budget planning, forecasting and accruals for improve financial management.

Clinical director vs medical director skills

Common clinical director skills

Patients, 18%
Patient Care, 11%
Physical Therapy, 5%
Social Work, 4%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Clinical Services, 3%

Common medical director skills

Patients, 12%
Medical Care, 7%
Medical Services, 6%
Utilization Review, 5%
Appeals, 5%
Internal Medicine, 4%

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Clinical Director
Clinical Director vs Medical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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