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Clinical manager vs nursing director

The differences between clinical managers and nursing 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 manager and a nursing director. Additionally, a nursing director has an average salary of $87,643, which is higher than the $84,066 average annual salary of a clinical manager.

The top three skills for a clinical manager include patients, customer service and home health. The most important skills for a nursing director are patients, term care, and home health.

Clinical manager vs nursing director overview

Clinical ManagerNursing Director
Yearly salary$84,066$87,643
Hourly rate$40.42$42.14
Growth rate28%28%
Number of jobs81,86376,956
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 48%Associate Degree, 44%
Average age4747
Years of experience66

What does a clinical manager do?

A clinical manager is responsible for monitoring medical procedures and administrative duties to ensure the smooth flow of operations in a healthcare facility. Clinical managers manage the facility's staffing needs, evaluate budget reports, assist healthcare professionals on administering medical duties, and develop strategic procedures to optimize treatments and maximize productivity. A clinical manager enforces strict sanitary and safety regulations for everyone's strict compliance. They also need to have excellent knowledge of the medical industry to promote medical processes and provide the highest quality care.

What does a nursing director do?

A nursing director's role is to oversee and evaluate all nurse staff in a hospital or organization, ensuring their efficiency at providing care towards patients. A nursing director's responsibilities mainly revolve around administrative tasks such as coordinating with physicians and other consultants, producing reports, conducting assessments, managing the budget and expenditures, and resolving issues. Furthermore, a nursing director must keep and maintain accurate records, ensuring all procedures adhere to the highest health standards and aligns with the hospital's policies and regulations.

Clinical manager vs nursing director salary

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

Clinical ManagerNursing Director
Average salary$84,066$87,643
Salary rangeBetween $55,000 And $128,000Between $64,000 And $118,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateRhode IslandCalifornia
Best paying companyGenentechOculus
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between clinical manager and nursing director education

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

Clinical ManagerNursing Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 48%Associate Degree, 44%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Clinical manager vs nursing director demographics

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

Clinical ManagerNursing Director
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 22.6% Female, 77.4%Male, 11.6% Female, 88.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 7.5% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between clinical manager and nursing director duties and responsibilities

Clinical manager example responsibilities.

  • Track and manage IRB approvals.
  • Lead a team of 25 patient service coordinators and receptionists.
  • Manage and lead teams consisting of multiple internal departments as well as CRO and other vendors.
  • Manage data for research project billing and accountability for drug study product in accordance with FDA regulations.
  • Manage studies in association with the lead CRA to ensure all project expectations and milestones are meet.
  • Manage all facets of daily operations relating to imaging services, radiation therapy, and medical oncology services.
  • Show more

Nursing director example responsibilities.

  • Manage FTE'S of the units.
  • Manage FTE numbers by following staffing grids.
  • Lead in the implementation of whole house telemetry.
  • Manage and provide inpatient nursing care for all aspects of general surgery.
  • Manage and coordinate all aspects of nursing and ancillary services for successful operation of the SNF.
  • Complete comprehensive assessments for all LTC residents which include managing falls, pain, skin integrity, and medications.
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Clinical manager vs nursing director skills

Common clinical manager skills
  • Patients, 19%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Home Health, 6%
  • Direct Patient Care, 5%
  • Quality Patient Care, 5%
  • Patient Education, 3%
Common nursing director skills
  • Patients, 16%
  • Term Care, 8%
  • Home Health, 7%
  • Resident Care, 6%
  • Rehabilitation, 5%
  • Infection Control, 5%

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