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The differences between health unit supervisors and practice 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 unit supervisor and a practice manager. Additionally, a practice manager has an average salary of $107,374, which is higher than the $74,174 average annual salary of a health unit supervisor.
The top three skills for a health unit supervisor include patients, social work and patient care. The most important skills for a practice manager are patients, patient care, and customer service.
| Health Unit Supervisor | Practice Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $74,174 | $107,374 |
| Hourly rate | $35.66 | $51.62 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 70,139 | 38,196 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A health unit supervisor handles both the administrative and executive tasks in a health care unit. They coordinate all that takes place in one or more patient care units in health care facilities. The unit supervisor plans and oversees administrative operations. They also supervise other personnel or staff in the unit or ward. They may also be responsible for the generation of schedules for teams in the unit. They will be required to communicate with other members of the administrative team.
A practice manager is responsible for supervising daily operations, especially on the side of the medical industry. Practice managers monitor staffing needs, train new employees, and evaluate the employees' productivity and performance. They also enforce strict guidelines and procedures, ensuring that the processes adhere to the legal standards and regulatory requirements. Practice managers also maintain budget goals, creating cost estimates and expense reports. A practice manager must have strong communication, analytical, and critical-thinking skills, as well as comprehensive knowledge of the medical industry practices.
Health unit supervisors and practice managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Unit Supervisor | Practice Manager | |
| Average salary | $74,174 | $107,374 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $108,000 | Between $65,000 And $175,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Providence, RI |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Tesla | Davis Wright Tremaine |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a health unit supervisor and a practice manager in terms of educational background:
| Health Unit Supervisor | Practice Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Business |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between health unit supervisors' and practice managers' demographics:
| Health Unit Supervisor | Practice Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9% | Male, 25.3% Female, 74.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |