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The differences between department directors and practice 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 practice manager. Additionally, a practice manager has an average salary of $107,374, which is higher than the $97,804 average annual salary of a department director.
The top three skills for a department director include patient care, patients and healthcare. The most important skills for a practice manager are patients, patient care, and customer service.
| Department Director | Practice Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $97,804 | $107,374 |
| Hourly rate | $47.02 | $51.62 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 73,424 | 38,196 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A practice manager is responsible for supervising daily operations, especially on the side of the medical industry. Practice managers monitor staffing needs, train new employees, and evaluate the employees' productivity and performance. They also enforce strict guidelines and procedures, ensuring that the processes adhere to the legal standards and regulatory requirements. Practice managers also maintain budget goals, creating cost estimates and expense reports. A practice manager must have strong communication, analytical, and critical-thinking skills, as well as comprehensive knowledge of the medical industry practices.
Department directors and practice managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Department Director | Practice Manager | |
| Average salary | $97,804 | $107,374 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $148,000 | Between $65,000 And $175,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Providence, RI |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Anna Jaques Hospital | Davis Wright Tremaine |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a department director and a practice manager in terms of educational background:
| Department Director | Practice Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between department directors' and practice managers' demographics:
| Department Director | Practice Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2% | Male, 25.3% Female, 74.7% |
| 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, 11.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |