Health services administrator vs medical director

The differences between health services administrators and medical 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 medical director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, 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 medical director are patients, medical care, and medical services.

Health services administrator vs medical director overview

	Health Services Administrator	Medical Director
Yearly salary	$82,505	$230,317
Hourly rate	$39.67	$110.73
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	163,213	75,810
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
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 medical director do?

A medical director is responsible for handling the overall supervision of different medical departments, managing the coordination between medical teams to ensure smooth operations and achieve high-quality care services for the patients. Medical directors enforce strict guidelines and safety measures for everyone's adherence. They also implement medical care programs, recruit medical staff, inspect the adequacy of medical equipment, respond to patient's inquiries and concerns, and oversee the facilities' procedures. A medical director manages the budget of the department, allocating equal resources to address every need.

Health services administrator vs medical director salary

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

	Health Services Administrator	Medical Director
Average salary	$82,505	$230,317
Salary range	Between $57,000 And $118,000	Between $143,000 And $369,000
Highest paying City	Newark, NJ	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Alaska
Best paying company	Kona Community Hospital	UnitedHealth Group
Best paying industry	Health Care	Insurance

Differences between health services administrator and medical director education

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

	Health Services Administrator	Medical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Nursing	Medicine
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Health services administrator vs medical director demographics

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

	Health Services Administrator	Medical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 34.6% Female, 65.4%	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
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, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between health services administrator and medical 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.

Medical director example responsibilities.

Manage OPD for acute injuries.
Manage patients with diabetes, hypertension and other medical problems.
Manage patients living with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other sexually transmit infections.
Manage hypertension and diabetes in elderly patients
Conduct psychiatry evaluations and treatment, manage co-occurring disorders.
Manage budget planning, forecasting and accruals for improve financial management.

Health services administrator vs medical director skills

Common health services administrator skills

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

Common medical director skills

Patients, 12%
Medical Care, 7%
Medical Services, 6%
Utilization Review, 5%
Appeals, 5%
Internal Medicine, 4%

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Health Services Administrator
Health Services Administrator vs Medical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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