Health care administrator vs patient care technician

The differences between health care administrators and patient care technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a health care administrator has an average salary of $68,187, which is higher than the $32,806 average annual salary of a patient care technician.

The top three skills for a health care administrator include patients, patient care and health care services. The most important skills for a patient care technician are patients, vital signs, and phlebotomy.

Health care administrator vs patient care technician overview

	Health Care Administrator	Patient Care Technician
Yearly salary	$68,187	$32,806
Hourly rate	$32.78	$15.77
Growth rate	11%	9%
Number of jobs	161,949	167,520
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 27%
Average age	45	34
Years of experience	12	-

What does a health care administrator do?

A health care administrator is primarily in charge of overseeing the daily administrative operations of medical and health care facilities. They are responsible for setting objectives, establishing guidelines and employee schedules, maintaining accurate records, gathering and analyzing data, developing strategies to optimize operations, and coordinating with nurses, physicians, patients, and other health care experts. Moreover, as a health care administrator, it is essential to address and resolve issues and concerns, implement the facility's policies and regulations, and ensure that procedures comply with health care laws and standards.

What does a patient care technician do?

Patient care technicians are medical workers who work in clinics, hospitals, or other medical facilities under the supervision of doctors or other health professionals. They provide assistance to health professionals and patients. They help patients with mobility concerns get into hospital beds, bathrooms, wheelchairs, and more. They also help patients with their physical therapy sessions and other physical needs. They handle patient concerns and communicate these to attending physicians. They may be assigned to administer basic medical procedures such as checking vital signs and collecting samples from patients, among others.

Health care administrator vs patient care technician salary

Health care administrators and patient care technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Care Administrator	Patient Care Technician
Average salary	$68,187	$32,806
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $95,000	Between $24,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	Rochester, NH
Highest paying state	Nevada	Vermont
Best paying company	One Brooklyn Health	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Best paying industry	Professional	Health Care

Differences between health care administrator and patient care technician education

There are a few differences between a health care administrator and a patient care technician in terms of educational background:

	Health Care Administrator	Patient Care Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 27%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Emory University

Health care administrator vs patient care technician demographics

Here are the differences between health care administrators' and patient care technicians' demographics:

	Health Care Administrator	Patient Care Technician
Average age	45	34
Gender ratio	Male, 24.3% Female, 75.7%	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 8.5% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	9%	15%

Differences between health care administrator and patient care technician duties and responsibilities

Health care administrator example responsibilities.

Research and resolve recipients complaints relate to Medicaid service limitations, accessibility of MediPass manage services and provider treatment of recipients.
Interview prospective adopters and communicate the pet's needs.
Design training for EMR implementation for staff and medical providers.
Oversee pet care technician staff and report issues to management.
Utilize electronic medical records (EMR) technology for military members.
Supervise the maintenance and safeguarding of medical records and compliance with HIPAA regulations.

Patient care technician example responsibilities.

Manage care and prepare medical records, transcription and supply orders.
Manage daily care of high acuity patients with neurological trauma/disorders and post-surgery.
Qualify to perform patient care responsibilities on catheter patients.
Transport patients using wheelchairs and stretchers and assist patients to ambulate safely.
Assist with transferring patients in and out of wheelchairs, recliners, and stretchers.
Apply protective restraints safely and appropriately, assist in the admission, discharge and transfer of patients as needed.

Health care administrator vs patient care technician skills

Common health care administrator skills

Patients, 26%
Patient Care, 9%
Health Care Services, 6%
Home Health, 6%
Mental Health, 6%
Vital Signs, 4%

Common patient care technician skills

Patients, 24%
Vital Signs, 9%
Phlebotomy, 7%
CPR, 6%
Direct Patient Care, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Health Care Administrator
Health Care Administrator vs Patient Care Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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