Health services administrator vs clinical director

The differences between health services administrators and clinical 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 services administrator and a clinical director. Additionally, a clinical director has an average salary of $96,497, which is higher than the $82,505 average annual salary of a health services administrator.

The top three skills for a health services administrator include patients, ACA and cost effectiveness. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.

Health services administrator vs clinical director overview

	Health Services Administrator	Clinical Director
Yearly salary	$82,505	$96,497
Hourly rate	$39.67	$46.39
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	163,213	83,232
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a health services administrator do?

A health services administrator is responsible for performing administrative functions in a health care setting, such as sorting medical reports, updating patients' information in the database, and ensuring the adequacy of medical inventory. Health services administrators also organize medical programs and activities, coordinate with suppliers and third-party vendors, and assist in strategizing efficient procedures to maintain quality care services for patients' satisfaction. A health services administrator may reach out to other organizations to gather medical information and interview patients to validate their details in the system for accurate reference.

What does a clinical director do?

A clinical director is a managing professional who manages the work of healthcare providers to ensure quality patient care is achieved. Clinical directors are responsible for organizational tasks such as adjusting staff schedules, explaining insurance benefits to the patients, and managing financial reports. They can work either in small clinics with a smaller workforce or larger hospitals with multiple departments. Clinical directors may also assist in the hiring process of healthcare providers and should establish a positive work environment.

Health services administrator vs clinical director salary

Health services administrators and clinical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Services Administrator	Clinical Director
Average salary	$82,505	$96,497
Salary range	Between $57,000 And $118,000	Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	Newark, NJ	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Kona Community Hospital	Sutro Biopharma
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between health services administrator and clinical director education

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

	Health Services Administrator	Clinical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Health services administrator vs clinical director demographics

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

	Health Services Administrator	Clinical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 34.6% Female, 65.4%	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 7.8% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between health services administrator and clinical director duties and responsibilities

Health services administrator example responsibilities.

Lead and train staff through initial certification of Medicare and Medicaid programs resulting in increase revenues and cash flows.
Lead transformation form top-down control organization to a model focuse on everyone's accountability to patients and co-workers.
Evaluate compliance with state licensing and federal certification requirements of Medicare and Medi-Cal programs.
Maintain all hospital functions within JCAHO, Medicare and Medicaid standards.
Prepare hospital for JCAHO and implement plan to assure ongoing compliance with regulatory agencies.
Develop curriculum for health and fitness programs and begin developing the health manual for the ministry.

Clinical director example responsibilities.

Develop distinctive ambulatory strategies to achieve and sustain competitive healthcare advantage.
Manage and assist with data collection and input for MDS.
Manage quality of documentation through education and electronic review of clinical processes utilizing HCHB EMR.
Manage front office, marketing, and communication -demonstrated/supervise exercises for patients -Developed instructional packets for home exercise programs
Manage projects and ambulatory system initiatives, and collaborate with system leadership teams to ensure EMR alignment with all regulatory requirements.
Experience in GCP, FDA audits, and regulatory guidance review and implementation.

Health services administrator vs clinical director skills

Common health services administrator skills

Patients, 20%
ACA, 7%
Cost Effectiveness, 7%
Medical Services, 6%
Statistical Data, 6%
Operational Efficiency, 5%

Common clinical director skills

Patients, 18%
Patient Care, 11%
Physical Therapy, 5%
Social Work, 4%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Clinical Services, 3%

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Health Services Administrator
Health Services Administrator vs Clinical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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