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Job outlook for clinical managers in the United States
Clinical manager job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected clinical manager job growth rate is 28% from 2018-2028.
About 136,200 new jobs for clinical managers are projected over the next decade.
Clinical manager salaries have increased 8% for clinical managers in the last 5 years.
There are over 58,539 clinical managers currently employed in the United States.
There are 81,863 active clinical manager job openings in the US.
The average clinical manager salary is $84,066.
Are clinical manager jobs in demand?
Clinical manager job and salary trends over time
Clinical manager jobs over time
Clinical manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 58,539 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 54,379 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 53,544 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 50,815 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 47,508 | 0.01% |
Average clinical manager salary over time
Clinical manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $84,066 | $40.42 | +3.3% |
| 2025 | $81,405 | $39.14 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | $80,398 | $38.65 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $79,285 | $38.12 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $77,826 | $37.42 | +2.2% |
Clinical manager jobs by state
Most common states for clinical managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 373 | 54% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,007 | 29% |
| 3 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 239 | 23% |
| 4 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 298 | 22% |
| 5 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,251 | 21% |
| 6 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,841 | 20% |
| 7 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,471 | 20% |
| 8 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 716 | 20% |
| 9 | Delaware | 961,939 | 190 | 20% |
| 10 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 789 | 19% |
| 11 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 147 | 19% |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 2,322 | 18% |
| 13 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 981 | 18% |
| 14 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 185 | 18% |
| 15 | Alaska | 739,795 | 133 | 18% |
| 16 | California | 39,536,653 | 6,823 | 17% |
| 17 | New York | 19,849,399 | 3,288 | 17% |
| 18 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,793 | 17% |
| 19 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,465 | 17% |
| 20 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 148 | 17% |
Most common cities for clinical managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint Paul | 12 | 4% | $72,468 |
| 2 | Carlsbad | 5 | 4% | $92,590 |
| 3 | Hartford | 5 | 4% | $98,339 |
| 4 | Boston | 23 | 3% | $94,501 |
| 5 | Washington | 13 | 2% | $79,572 |
| 6 | Las Vegas | 10 | 2% | $97,991 |
| 7 | Minneapolis | 9 | 2% | $72,375 |
| 8 | Atlanta | 8 | 2% | $64,464 |
| 9 | Glendale | 5 | 2% | $78,595 |
| 10 | Los Angeles | 20 | 1% | $95,643 |
| 11 | Indianapolis | 12 | 1% | $66,455 |
| 12 | Phoenix | 11 | 1% | $78,575 |
| 13 | Denver | 7 | 1% | $71,247 |
| 14 | Detroit | 7 | 1% | $80,979 |
| 15 | San Francisco | 6 | 1% | $103,544 |
| 16 | Austin | 5 | 1% | $76,463 |
| 17 | Baltimore | 5 | 1% | $67,570 |
| 18 | Chicago | 13 | 0% | $73,150 |
| 19 | New York | 8 | 0% | $86,664 |
Clinical Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of clinical manager experts
Texas A&M University - Central Texas
The University of Alabama
Cedar Crest College
Dawn Riess Ph.D., RN, ACUE
Assistant ProfessorTexas A&M University - Central Texas
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research And Clinical Nursing
What general advice would you give to a Clinical Manager?
Dawn Riess Ph.D., RN, ACUE: Nursing is difficult both physically and emotionally, but it is rewarding. Entry nurses may feel overwhelmed when they first enter the nursing field. I recommend you seek out a mentor and follow up with that person often. Texas Nursing Association (TNA) offers a mentoring program, I recommend you join that organization to help support you as you enter the nursing field. You will have good and bad days when you first begin your career. Having support in the unit you work in is important and usually, the organization has an internship program. You will have a direct impact on people's lives at the worst time in their lives. If someone is stressed, they may take that out on you but do not take it personally.
There are so many different avenues for entry-level nurses. If you don't want to work in the hospital setting, you can go into community health, clinics, outpatient rehab, home health, school nursing, informatics, and more. The flexibility offered in nursing is phenomenal. Your patients may not remember your name, but they will remember how you made them feel. Your impact on patient's lives is limitless. Nurses are present from birth to death and everything in between.
Pawn Johnson-Hunter MS, RN, AGPCNP-BC, GERO- BC, CM/DN
Nurse Educator, Nclex Mentor/CoachWhat general advice would you give to a Clinical Manager?
Pawn Johnson-Hunter MS, RN, AGPCNP-BC, GERO- BC, CM/DN: A few ways to maximize earning potential as a new graduate nurse is through skillful negotiations and previous experience in healthcare, such as degree level, nurse externships, phlebotomy skills, or certifications. Many, if not all, employers appreciate that new graduates are equipped with clinical skills that are strongly recommended for the practice area. While many nurse certifications require experience, some are for entry-level, such as advanced life support (ACLS and PALS) and IV insertion. There are also some specialty practice certifications that new grads can obtain without years of experience; although they may recommend the experience at times, this is optional. All of this demonstrates the applicant's commitment to the profession and interest. Other ways are to work overtime hours, learn about clinical career ladders, or continue formal education.
Dr. Michelle Cheshire
Associate Dean Undergraduate ProgramsThe University of Alabama
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research And Clinical Nursing
What Clinical Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Michelle Cheshire: As nursing education transitions to competency based education I believe that students will graduate from programs more "practice ready". I believe that in the next 3-5 years having strong leadership and delegation skills will be critical for nurses to optimize patient care outcomes. The healthcare team is interdisciplinary so delegation and leadership for fellow nurses is not the only skill you will need. You will need to be able to lead a healthcare team with members from other disciplines within the healthcare arena.
Wendy Robb Ph.D.
Dean & Professor, School of Nursing, Hazel and Walter May Nursing Endowed Chair for Excellence in NursingCedar Crest College
School of Nursing
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Clinical Managers?
Wendy Robb Ph.D.: A resounding, YES, there will be an enduring impact on the coronavirus pandemic on new nursing graduates! Many graduates likely missed out on components of their nursing education, whether it was experiences in the simulation labs, unit restrictions in the hospitals, or specific experiences that were eliminated as a result of the pandemic. Their nursing education was changed forever and they will not make up that lost time. They will grow and develop from it in different ways building collateral knowledge from experiences that are not often taught in nursing school. But they most certainly will be inexplicably changed by their pandemic entrance into the profession of nursing!
New graduates may have been denied the traditional period of transition from expert student nurse to novice registered nurse. This phase of adaptation is complex and difficult during the best of times. New nurses who are entering the profession during a pandemic are faced with stressful conditions, feelings of unpreparedness, absent or minimalized preceptorship, and general chaos. As new nurses enter the profession they are typically consumed with becoming acclimated to the responsibilities of the role. With the pandemic, these new nurses are experiencing the constant flux of treatment protocols, fear of contamination, long hours and physical fatigue, all while managing high patient morbidity and mortality as surrogate family member and professional nurse.