Clinical laboratory manager vs clinical director

The differences between clinical laboratory managers 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 clinical laboratory manager and a clinical director. Additionally, a clinical director has an average salary of $96,497, which is higher than the $79,359 average annual salary of a clinical laboratory manager.

The top three skills for a clinical laboratory manager include CLIA, patients and test results. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.

Clinical laboratory manager vs clinical director overview

	Clinical Laboratory Manager	Clinical Director
Yearly salary	$79,359	$96,497
Hourly rate	$38.15	$46.39
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	96,325	83,232
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a clinical laboratory manager do?

A clinical laboratory manager supervises the work of laboratory technicians and scientists. Clinical laboratory managers develop safety policies of laboratories in line with the international accreditation standards. They oversee administrative and budgetary responsibilities. It is their responsibility to purchase laboratory supplies or prepare ordering lists. They ensure that the employees follow the standards and regulations set by the industry. The managers need to develop include knowledge in solving technical problems, time management, and maintain technical equipment.

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.

Clinical laboratory manager vs clinical director salary

Clinical laboratory managers and clinical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Laboratory Manager	Clinical Director
Average salary	$79,359	$96,497
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $114,000	Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Agilent Technologies	Sutro Biopharma
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between clinical laboratory manager and clinical director education

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

	Clinical Laboratory Manager	Clinical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Nursing
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Clinical laboratory manager vs clinical director demographics

Here are the differences between clinical laboratory managers' and clinical directors' demographics:

	Clinical Laboratory Manager	Clinical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5%	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%

Differences between clinical laboratory manager and clinical director duties and responsibilities

Clinical laboratory manager example responsibilities.

Lead and guide in developing quality improvement programs to continue delivering high quality services to physician and patients.
Set up forensic DNA laboratory, train laboratory technicians in advance molecular techniques, and manage day-to-day activities of forensic DNA laboratory
Maintain LIS software updates for CPT procedure codes and ICD-9 coding.
Integrate an LIS system into the laboratory environment.
Facilitate testing of clinical trial samples in the CLIA lab for test waiting FDA clearance.
Set up auto-calculations for calculate results) and a patient means program as an additional QC.

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.

Clinical laboratory manager vs clinical director skills

Common clinical laboratory manager skills

CLIA, 10%
Patients, 9%
Test Results, 8%
Hematology, 7%
Microbiology, 7%
Customer Service, 6%

Common clinical director skills

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

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Clinical Laboratory Manager
Clinical Laboratory Manager vs Clinical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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