Clinical manager vs patient care manager

The differences between clinical managers and patient care managers 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 patient care manager. Additionally, a clinical manager has an average salary of $84,066, which is higher than the $65,369 average annual salary of a patient care manager.

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

Clinical manager vs patient care manager overview

	Clinical Manager	Patient Care Manager
Yearly salary	$84,066	$65,369
Hourly rate	$40.42	$31.43
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	81,863	123,652
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

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 patient care manager do?

Patient care managers are executives who are in charge of supervising a clinical team. The managers take responsibility for directing patient care within an organization. Also called health care managers, they protect every patient's safety and health in a clinical setting. They interact with the healthcare team members to maintain open communication. It is also part of their duties to supervise the daily operations in the clinical care units. Managing clinical budgets and maintaining quality health services are also their responsibilities.

Clinical manager vs patient care manager salary

Clinical managers and patient care managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Manager	Patient Care Manager
Average salary	$84,066	$65,369
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $128,000	Between $36,000 And $117,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	California
Best paying company	Genentech	Accenture
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between clinical manager and patient care manager education

There are a few differences between a clinical manager and a patient care manager in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Manager	Patient Care Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Clinical manager vs patient care manager demographics

Here are the differences between clinical managers' and patient care managers' demographics:

	Clinical Manager	Patient Care Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 22.6% Female, 77.4%	Male, 17.1% Female, 82.9%
Race ratio	Black 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, 15.0% Asian, 7.4% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between clinical manager and patient care manager 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.

Patient care manager example responsibilities.

Manage complicated cases involving serious injuries, medical evacuations, cruise ship disembarkation, and repatriation of remains with compassion.
Direct oversight of all case management and education relate to chronic disease and primary care management.
Utilize resources such as financial and pharmacy assistance for uninsure patients to receive professional medical care upon discharge.
Prevent unnecessary hospital admissions using keen assessment skills and redirecting to PCP's office when appropriate.
Ensure compliance both with HIPAA and CMS, to include all audits and enrollments via Medicare.
Plant and maintain flower beds such as mulching, fertilizing, watering, mowing, and pruning.

Clinical manager vs patient care manager 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 patient care manager skills

Home Health, 15%
Patients, 12%
Quality Care, 8%
Social Work, 7%
Community Resources, 4%
Substance Abuse, 4%

Clinical Manager vs. similar jobs

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Executive Management Industry
Clinical Manager
Clinical Manager vs Patient Care Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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