Health care manager vs practice manager

The differences between health care managers 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 health care manager and a practice manager. Additionally, a practice manager has an average salary of $107,374, which is higher than the $60,931 average annual salary of a health care manager.

The top three skills for a health care manager include social work, behavioral health and substance abuse. The most important skills for a practice manager are patients, patient care, and customer service.

Health care manager vs practice manager overview

	Health Care Manager	Practice Manager
Yearly salary	$60,931	$107,374
Hourly rate	$29.29	$51.62
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	153,821	38,196
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a health care manager do?

A health care manager is in charge of overseeing the workflow and the workforce in a medical facility. Their responsibilities revolve around planning and organizing services, delegating tasks, managing schedules and budgets, and devising strategies for optimal operations. They must also coordinate with different health care workers within the facility, participate in hiring and training staff, set goals and guidelines, and maintain hospital records. Furthermore, a health care manager must implement the hospital's policies and regulations, even create new ones as needed.

What does a practice manager do?

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.

Health care manager vs practice manager salary

Health care managers and practice managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Care Manager	Practice Manager
Average salary	$60,931	$107,374
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $93,000	Between $65,000 And $175,000
Highest paying City	Linden, NJ	Providence, RI
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Accenture	Davis Wright Tremaine
Best paying industry	Utilities	Technology

Differences between health care manager and practice manager education

There are a few differences between a health care manager and a practice manager in terms of educational background:

	Health Care Manager	Practice Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Nursing	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Health care manager vs practice manager demographics

Here are the differences between health care managers' and practice managers' demographics:

	Health Care Manager	Practice Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 30.2% Female, 69.8%	Male, 25.3% Female, 74.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 7.5% White, 61.3% 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%

Differences between health care manager and practice manager duties and responsibilities

Health care manager example responsibilities.

Manage network participation, care with specialty networks, DME providers and transfers to appropriate levels of care.
Manage patient care expenditures including but not limit to labor, pharmacy, DME, medical supplies and mileage.
Provide oversight of the case management and utilization management staff for the Medicaid population
Supervise and conduct employee seminars and training in employee health issues, infection control and CPR.
Support sales team in designing population health solutions present in proposals and client facing PowerPoint presentations.
Assist members with benefits, PCP referrals and inquires.

Practice manager example responsibilities.

Secure new engagements worldwide, and lead numerous ERP and CRM initiatives.
Manage a great team of 7 consultants that deliver outstanding ERP solutions.
Supervise and manage a staff of 12.5 FTE personnel and 4 FTE physicians.
Accomplish at applying knowledge of veterinary science and compassion for animals to ensure optimal care.
Manage all aspects of establishing, setting and implementing standards and work processes to ensure well running PMO.
Manage the selection process and implementation of the practice's EMR by reviewing and updating the system as needed.

Health care manager vs practice manager skills

Common health care manager skills

Social Work, 28%
Behavioral Health, 10%
Substance Abuse, 8%
Community Resources, 8%
Patients, 5%
Utilization Management, 4%

Common practice manager skills

Patients, 17%
Patient Care, 8%
Customer Service, 6%
PET, 5%
Practice Management, 4%
Payroll, 3%

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Health Care Manager
Health Care Manager vs Practice Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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