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The differences between health facility administrators and department directors 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 facility administrator and a department director. Additionally, a department director has an average salary of $97,804, which is higher than the $60,836 average annual salary of a health facility administrator.
The top three skills for a health facility administrator include patients, public health and health care facilities. The most important skills for a department director are patient care, patients, and healthcare.
| Health Facility Administrator | Department Director | |
| Yearly salary | $60,836 | $97,804 |
| Hourly rate | $29.25 | $47.02 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 102,350 | 73,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Every healthcare facility has someone who oversees its day-to-day administration, and that person is referred to as the health facility administrator. This person doesn't interact with patients directly and is not responsible for patient care. Instead, they take responsibility for the organizational side of health services in the facility. There is responsibility for some management functions in the healthcare facility like the services offered, staff management, programs, budgets, etc. However, depending on the size and type of the organization, the administrator may have to do other duties, as the case may be.
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.
Health facility administrators and department directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Facility Administrator | Department Director | |
| Average salary | $60,836 | $97,804 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $87,000 | Between $64,000 And $148,000 |
| Highest paying City | Campbell, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | The Carlyle Group | Anna Jaques Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Finance |
There are a few differences between a health facility administrator and a department director in terms of educational background:
| Health Facility Administrator | Department Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Business |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between health facility administrators' and department directors' demographics:
| Health Facility Administrator | Department Director | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.9% Female, 71.1% | Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 8.2% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |