Department director vs clinical manager

The differences between department directors and clinical 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 department director and a clinical manager. Additionally, a department director has an average salary of $97,804, which is higher than the $84,066 average annual salary of a clinical manager.

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

Department director vs clinical manager overview

	Department Director	Clinical Manager
Yearly salary	$97,804	$84,066
Hourly rate	$47.02	$40.42
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	73,424	81,863
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a department director do?

A Department Director spearheads and oversees the operations of a department, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Although their responsibilities vary upon the functions of a department, they typically have the power to decide on projects and programs. Their responsibilities include setting goals, establishing budgets and guidelines, representing the department at meetings and media coverages, liaising with external business partners, managing staff, and monitoring the progress of operations. Moreover, a Department Director leads and encourages staff to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

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.

Department director vs clinical manager salary

Department directors and clinical managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Department Director	Clinical Manager
Average salary	$97,804	$84,066
Salary range	Between $64,000 And $148,000	Between $55,000 And $128,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Anna Jaques Hospital	Genentech
Best paying industry	Finance	Health Care

Differences between department director and clinical manager education

There are a few differences between a department director and a clinical manager in terms of educational background:

	Department Director	Clinical Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Department director vs clinical manager demographics

Here are the differences between department directors' and clinical managers' demographics:

	Department Director	Clinical Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2%	Male, 22.6% Female, 77.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.9% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between department director and clinical manager duties and responsibilities

Department director example responsibilities.

Manage and direct bureau operations, and provide oversight of criminal investigations of statewide importance.
Establish and develop relationships with ERP and consulting vendors with the goal of maximizing comparative advantage and cost efficient solution development.
Ensure compliance with all CMS regulations.
Provide public education in the areas of fire department capabilities and history as well as CPR classes.
Follow up and coordination of rehabilitation services.
Cross-Train pre-operative and PACU staff to optimize efficiency.

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.

Department director vs clinical manager skills

Common department director skills

Patient Care, 15%
Patients, 14%
Healthcare, 13%
Oversight, 8%
Human Resources, 5%
Payroll, 4%

Common clinical manager skills

Patients, 19%
Customer Service, 8%
Home Health, 6%
Direct Patient Care, 5%
Quality Patient Care, 5%
Patient Education, 3%

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Department Director
Department Director vs Clinical Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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