Health facility administrator vs unit director

The differences between health facility administrators and unit 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 unit director. Additionally, a unit director has an average salary of $74,346, 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 unit director are patients, patient care, and customer service.

Health facility administrator vs unit director overview

	Health Facility Administrator	Unit Director
Yearly salary	$60,836	$74,346
Hourly rate	$29.25	$35.74
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	102,350	41,585
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a health facility administrator do?

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.

What does a unit director do?

A unit director is a management professional who is responsible for directing and managing a group of medical professionals in an organization. This director must manage the daily clinical and administrative duties for those professionals involved in the mental health hospitalization programs. The director must assist in recruiting healthcare professionals to maximize the branch and margin profits of the medical establishment. This director should also attend meetings with the OCFS program to discuss the performance and outcome measures of the program.

Health facility administrator vs unit director salary

Health facility administrators and unit directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Facility Administrator	Unit Director
Average salary	$60,836	$74,346
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $87,000	Between $42,000 And $131,000
Highest paying City	Campbell, CA	Fairfield, CT
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Connecticut
Best paying company	The Carlyle Group	Palo Alto Networks
Best paying industry	Health Care	Manufacturing

Differences between health facility administrator and unit director education

There are a few differences between a health facility administrator and a unit director in terms of educational background:

	Health Facility Administrator	Unit Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Pennsylvania

Health facility administrator vs unit director demographics

Here are the differences between health facility administrators' and unit directors' demographics:

	Health Facility Administrator	Unit Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 28.9% Female, 71.1%	Male, 46.0% Female, 54.0%
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, 12.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between health facility administrator and unit director duties and responsibilities

Health facility administrator example responsibilities.

Achieve and maintain 5-star rating by CMS.
Lead staff in the creation of high-performing and culture of superior quality care and collaboration with patients and staff.
Hire, manage payroll and provide oversight for research and administrative assistants.
Direct and ensure individual residents' healthcare by overseeing outcomes of physician orders, social well-being, rehabilitation and dietary needs.
Monitor financial performance v/s budget promote rehabilitation services within the community.
Provide information, education and consultation regarding the Medicaid state plan program.

Unit director example responsibilities.

Prepare and manage payroll and purchasing, which include balancing of accounts within budgetary limits; establish daily interaction with clients.
Manage operational organizing of stock and equipment, order supplies and oversee building maintenance, cleanliness and security.
Provide case management services to residents in the Alzheimer's unit.
Migrate all operations to a new ERP and retail system with a successful implementation.
Develop and implement a program which assure quality of life for mid- stage Alzheimer's residents.
Oversee labor, as well as, payroll, purchases, complete work orders, and operating supplies.

Health facility administrator vs unit director skills

Common health facility administrator skills

Patients, 21%
Public Health, 11%
Health Care Facilities, 9%
Home Health, 7%
Medical Care, 4%
Rehabilitation, 4%

Common unit director skills

Patients, 23%
Patient Care, 21%
Customer Service, 14%
Cleanliness, 7%
Staff Development, 6%
Customer Satisfaction, 5%

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Health Facility Administrator
Health Facility Administrator vs Unit Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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