Clinical services director vs unit director

The differences between clinical services directors and unit 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 services director and a unit director. Additionally, a clinical services director has an average salary of $90,816, which is higher than the $74,346 average annual salary of a unit director.

The top three skills for a clinical services director include patients, social work and clinical services. The most important skills for a unit director are patients, patient care, and customer service.

Clinical services director vs unit director overview

	Clinical Services Director	Unit Director
Yearly salary	$90,816	$74,346
Hourly rate	$43.66	$35.74
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	127,948	41,585
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a clinical services director do?

A Clinical Services Director directs the operations, programs, and activities in a clinical area. They develop and implement methods to ensure the effective and efficient use of staff and facilities.

What does a unit director do?

A unit director is a management professional who is responsible for directing and managing a group of medical professionals in an organization. This director must manage the daily clinical and administrative duties for those professionals involved in the mental health hospitalization programs. The director must assist in recruiting healthcare professionals to maximize the branch and margin profits of the medical establishment. This director should also attend meetings with the OCFS program to discuss the performance and outcome measures of the program.

Clinical services director vs unit director salary

Clinical services directors and unit directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Services Director	Unit Director
Average salary	$90,816	$74,346
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $129,000	Between $42,000 And $131,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Fairfield, CT
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Connecticut
Best paying company	Vertex Pharmaceuticals	Palo Alto Networks
Best paying industry	Technology	Manufacturing

Differences between clinical services director and unit director education

There are a few differences between a clinical services director and a unit director in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Services Director	Unit Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Clinical services director vs unit director demographics

Here are the differences between clinical services directors' and unit directors' demographics:

	Clinical Services Director	Unit Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 22.8% Female, 77.2%	Male, 46.0% Female, 54.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 7.8% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between clinical services director and unit director duties and responsibilities

Clinical services director example responsibilities.

Supervise all clinical staff, participates and leads IDG lmeeting.
Complete comprehensive assessments for all LTC residents which include managing falls, pain, skin integrity, and medications.
Maintain compliance with OSHA, FDA, and HIPAA guidelines.
Maintain compliance with new and existing HIPAA and company client privacy requirements.
Monitor DME, medical supplies and pharmacy costs for budgetary and regulatory guidelines.
Control expenses by negotiating competitive contracts for DME, pharmaceuticals and in-patient care.

Unit director example responsibilities.

Prepare and manage payroll and purchasing, which include balancing of accounts within budgetary limits; establish daily interaction with clients.
Manage operational organizing of stock and equipment, order supplies and oversee building maintenance, cleanliness and security.
Provide case management services to residents in the Alzheimer's unit.
Migrate all operations to a new ERP and retail system with a successful implementation.
Develop and implement a program which assure quality of life for mid- stage Alzheimer's residents.
Oversee labor, as well as, payroll, purchases, complete work orders, and operating supplies.

Clinical services director vs unit director skills

Common clinical services director skills

Patients, 14%
Social Work, 8%
Clinical Services, 7%
Mental Health, 7%
Quality Care, 5%
Infection Control, 4%

Common unit director skills

Patients, 23%
Patient Care, 21%
Customer Service, 14%
Cleanliness, 7%
Staff Development, 6%
Customer Satisfaction, 5%

Clinical Services Director vs. similar jobs

Clinical Services Director related careers

Clinical Services Director related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Clinical Services Director
Clinical Services Director vs Unit Director

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs