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What is a clinical operations manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Eric Olsen

Clinical operations managers are responsible for overseeing and directing the activities in a medical and healthcare facility. They create work schedules, develop goals and objectives, and maintain records of the clinic's services. They are also tasked with proposing and maintaining budgets while ensuring that the facility runs efficiently within the budget's limits. Clinical operations managers earn an average sum of $73,000 annually or $35 per hour.

Clinical operations managers are also known as medical and health services managers, as well as directors of clinical operations. They are in charge of recruiting, training, and supervising staff members. They also manage the facility's paperwork and licensing needs while ensuring that the facility's proper licenses are acquired before conducting any clinical trials or any other related activities.

Clinical operations managers typically hold a bachelor's or master's degree in health administration, nursing, business administration, or other relevant fields. A good clinical operations manager has a keen eye for detail and possesses excellent analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills.

What general advice would you give to a clinical operations manager?

Eric OlsenEric Olsen LinkedIn profile

Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business

Times of change are also times of great opportunities. We are going to need new technical solutions to address problems we are just learning about. You have to lean into the issues. Don't be a technologist - be a problem solver. That is why we also emphasize soft skills like lean six sigma, teamwork, and change management.
ScoreClinical Operations ManagerUS Average
Salary
7.5

Avg. Salary $96,262

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.34%

Black or African American 6.15%

Hispanic or Latino 15.08%

Unknown 4.33%

White 67.64%

Gender

female 70.50%

male 29.50%

Age - 44
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44
Stress level
9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Clinical operations manager career paths

Key steps to become a clinical operations manager

  1. Explore clinical operations manager education requirements

    Most common clinical operations manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    52.1 %

    Master's

    22.2 %

    Associate

    17.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific clinical operations manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients12.64%
    Clinical Operations12.44%
    Healthcare9.89%
    Oversight5.19%
    Customer Service4.69%
  3. Complete relevant clinical operations manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New clinical operations managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a clinical operations manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real clinical operations manager resumes.
  4. Research clinical operations manager duties and responsibilities

    • Lead the project to develop and implement an electronic medical record (EMR) system for physician practices.
    • Prioritize repairs, participate in approving turnaround/project scope development, ensure PSM compliance, and achieve refinery department goals.
    • Manage 13 RN's who are responsible for clinical review and authorization of Medicaid and Medicare acute inpatient hospital services.
    • Manage 16 CRA contractors at upper management request, resulting in increase compliance with site visit report metrics for that group.
  5. Prepare your clinical operations manager resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your clinical operations manager resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a clinical operations manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable clinical operations manager resume templates

    Build a professional clinical operations manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your clinical operations manager resume.
    Clinical Operations Manager Resume
    Clinical Operations Manager Resume
    Clinical Operations Manager Resume
    Clinical Operations Manager Resume
    Clinical Operations Manager Resume
    Clinical Operations Manager Resume
    Clinical Operations Manager Resume
    Clinical Operations Manager Resume
    Clinical Operations Manager Resume
  6. Apply for clinical operations manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a clinical operations manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first clinical operations manager job

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Average clinical operations manager salary

The average clinical operations manager salary in the United States is $96,262 per year or $46 per hour. Clinical operations manager salaries range between $63,000 and $146,000 per year.

Average clinical operations manager salary
$96,262 Yearly
$46.28 hourly

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How do clinical operations managers rate their job?

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Clinical operations manager reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Cons

Unnecessary complications that could have been avoided by staff and/or physicians.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

I love being able to mold my team and the distribution center to the culture of respect and accountability! Having senior and executive leadership support is a huge positive factor in making this happen!!

Cons

Long hours and calls outside of regular business hours are the norm!


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019
Pros

I like to tell tell people that a be manager a room to maltreat people under you. Also like been humble even though I am heading people because they can contribute ideas that makes you Excel in your position


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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