Clinical instructor vs clinical educator

The differences between clinical instructors and clinical educators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a clinical instructor, becoming a clinical educator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a clinical instructor has an average salary of $84,613, which is higher than the $65,929 average annual salary of a clinical educator.

The top three skills for a clinical instructor include patients, direct patient care and clinical practice. The most important skills for a clinical educator are patients, patient care, and excellent interpersonal.

Clinical instructor vs clinical educator overview

	Clinical Instructor	Clinical Educator
Yearly salary	$84,613	$65,929
Hourly rate	$40.68	$31.70
Growth rate	12%	6%
Number of jobs	87,152	60,065
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	46	44
Years of experience	4	2

What does a clinical instructor do?

A clinical instructor is responsible for instructing and evaluating the clinical training of health sciences students. Clinical instructors identify each student's potential and areas of improvement to adjust the teaching approach as needed. They conduct lectures and training in the classroom and health care facilities, testing the students' knowledge by performing actual clinical duties and medical procedures under their supervision. A clinical instructor monitors students' progress, creating comprehensive strategies to enhance interactive learning. A clinical instructor must have extensive knowledge of the medical industry, as well as excellent communication skills to respond to the students' inquiries and concerns during training.

What does a clinical educator do?

A clinical educator is primarily responsible for devising training programs for nurses and other health workers. They mostly coordinate with different departments and conduct skills assessments to determine areas that need improvement, develop various methods to make operations more manageable, and even organize certification programs. A clinical educator may also treat and handle patients, manage schedules, produce progress reports, and maintain an extensive record of all documentation. Moreover, as a clinical educator, it is essential to implement the medical facility's policies and regulations.

Clinical instructor vs clinical educator salary

Clinical instructors and clinical educators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Instructor	Clinical Educator
Average salary	$84,613	$65,929
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $155,000	Between $44,000 And $96,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Norwich, CT
Highest paying state	California	Connecticut
Best paying company	OhioHealth	Boehringer Ingelheim
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between clinical instructor and clinical educator education

There are a few differences between a clinical instructor and a clinical educator in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Instructor	Clinical Educator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Clinical instructor vs clinical educator demographics

Here are the differences between clinical instructors' and clinical educators' demographics:

	Clinical Instructor	Clinical Educator
Average age	46	44
Gender ratio	Male, 25.9% Female, 74.1%	Male, 19.4% Female, 80.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	16%	9%

Differences between clinical instructor and clinical educator duties and responsibilities

Clinical instructor example responsibilities.

Manage, direct, and teach ADN nursing students in the clinical setting in Tulsa hospitals.
Experience with ER & ICU patients, set up and perform portable exams.
Provide clinical instructions/teaching for the BSN program
Educate accelerate BSN students on an inpatient pediatric floor with hands-on instruction
Establish strong rapport with patients through effective therapeutic communication and delivery of compassionate level of patient care.
Review and demonstrate methods of obtaining accurate health history information for wellness or illness base encounters with patients across the lifespan.

Clinical educator example responsibilities.

Develop and manage customer training materials and deliver in-service and technical training programs for new and existing customers.
Provide case management with physicians recommendations and assistance navigating insurance such as Medicare, Medicaid and manage care.
Demonstrate clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures and managing emergencies
Provide education within the community for cardiac health, CPR and ACLS.
Provide ACLS and BLS classes for staff, physicians, and community groups.
Design and present annual mandatory competencies, OSHA, and CPR classes to current professional staff.

Clinical instructor vs clinical educator skills

Common clinical instructor skills

Patients, 22%
Direct Patient Care, 6%
Clinical Practice, 4%
Pediatrics, 3%
Medical Surgical, 3%
Clinical Supervision, 3%

Common clinical educator skills

Patients, 15%
Patient Care, 10%
Excellent Interpersonal, 10%
BLS, 7%
Educational Programs, 5%
Professional Development, 5%

Clinical Instructor vs. similar jobs

Clinical Instructor related careers

Clinical Instructor related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Education, Training, and Library Industry
Clinical Instructor
Clinical Instructor vs Clinical Educator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse education, training, and library jobs