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The differences between clinical project managers and clinical directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a clinical project manager, becoming a clinical director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a clinical project manager has an average salary of $100,510, which is higher than the $96,497 average annual salary of a clinical director.
The top three skills for a clinical project manager include manage cross, patients and clinical research. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.
| Clinical Project Manager | Clinical Director | |
| Yearly salary | $100,510 | $96,497 |
| Hourly rate | $48.32 | $46.39 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 153,837 | 83,232 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A clinical project manager specializes in developing and organizing clinical trials. Their responsibilities revolve around planning and coordinating with all necessary personnel and experts, scheduling meetings, and preparing necessary documentation, ensuring compliance with all laws and regulations. Moreover, a clinical project manager must devise strategies and train all staff, develop protocols and guidelines, coordinate with vendors and suppliers, evaluate staff and verify documentation, and assist in all activities to ensure that every process aligns with the project's agenda. Should there be any issues or concerns, a clinical project manager must conduct corrective measures right away.
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 project managers and clinical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Project Manager | Clinical Director | |
| Average salary | $100,510 | $96,497 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $136,000 | Between $63,000 And $145,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Intuitive Surgical | Sutro Biopharma |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a clinical project manager and a clinical director in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Project Manager | Clinical Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between clinical project managers' and clinical directors' demographics:
| Clinical Project Manager | Clinical Director | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.5% Female, 67.5% | Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 10.8% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 9% | 12% |