Health director vs health services manager

The differences between health directors and health services 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 director and a health services manager. Additionally, a health director has an average salary of $89,244, which is higher than the $84,568 average annual salary of a health services manager.

The top three skills for a health director include patients, home health and oversight. The most important skills for a health services manager are patients, behavioral health, and mental health.

Health director vs health services manager overview

	Health Director	Health Services Manager
Yearly salary	$89,244	$84,568
Hourly rate	$42.91	$40.66
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	81,038	162,609
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a health director do?

A Health Director is responsible for developing health programs for disease prevention and the promotion of good health practices. They must keep health records and ensure excellent health facility maintenance.

What does a health services manager do?

A health services manager is responsible for monitoring the medical services and policies of a healthcare institution, ensuring that the medical team provides the highest quality care services for the patients. Health services managers supervise daily operations, resolving complaints, facilitating health programs, and training new staff. They handle departmental budgets and allocate adequate resources to support medical procedures. A health services manager also inspects the quality of medical tools and equipment and schedule regular maintenance to guarantee efficiency and avoid potential hazards and delays.

Health director vs health services manager salary

Health directors and health services managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Director	Health Services Manager
Average salary	$89,244	$84,568
Salary range	Between $56,000 And $142,000	Between $56,000 And $127,000
Highest paying City	Greenwich, CT	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Delaware
Best paying company	Amgen	Genentech
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between health director and health services manager education

There are a few differences between a health director and a health services manager in terms of educational background:

	Health Director	Health Services Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Health director vs health services manager demographics

Here are the differences between health directors' and health services managers' demographics:

	Health Director	Health Services Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7%	Male, 31.2% Female, 68.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.1% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 8.2% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between health director and health services manager duties and responsibilities

Health director example responsibilities.

Manage accreditation process with AAHC, JCAHO, Medicare, HIPAA, AOA, ACGME, RRC, and individual payers.
Manage the agency's daily operations to ensure CMS compliance.
Manage EHS activities for manufacturing plants, global sourcing centers, and customer sites.
Initiate sentinel system allowing company to proactively manage reimbursement reductions impose by state Medicaid programs.
Manage multiple patients, assessing ability to continue living independently or moving to higher acuity care.
Conduct staff training regarding first aid, CPR, a.

Health services manager example responsibilities.

Initiate sentinel system allowing company to proactively manage reimbursement reductions impose by state Medicaid programs.
Possess the ability to work in a fast-pace environment with compassion and respect for all patients and family members.
Assist in the design and reconstruction of the culinary department.
File member's medical data in proper medical jacket, per HIPAA regulations.
Audit adjudication process so that compliance are met within ERISA and HIPAA guidelines.
Assist other facilities in preparation for ACA accreditation and develop departmental audit tools to ensure compliance in all areas.

Health director vs health services manager skills

Common health director skills

Patients, 13%
Home Health, 9%
Oversight, 8%
Patient Care, 6%
Social Work, 5%
CPR, 4%

Common health services manager skills

Patients, 11%
Behavioral Health, 9%
Mental Health, 8%
Health Services, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Social Work, 5%

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Health Director
Health Director vs Health Services Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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