Hospital administrator vs clinical director

The differences between hospital 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 hospital administrator and a clinical director. Additionally, a clinical director has an average salary of $96,497, which is higher than the $75,644 average annual salary of a hospital administrator.

The top three skills for a hospital administrator include patient care, patients and PET. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.

Hospital administrator vs clinical director overview

	Hospital Administrator	Clinical Director
Yearly salary	$75,644	$96,497
Hourly rate	$36.37	$46.39
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	72,975	83,232
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a hospital administrator do?

A hospital administrator is responsible for the management of the hospital. They may also manage outpatient clinics, hospices, or substance abuse centers. Working in this role, they are tasked with ensuring that the hospital operates efficiently and that adequate care is given to patients. Generally speaking, they oversee both the health and medical services in a hospital.

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.

Hospital administrator vs clinical director salary

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

	Hospital Administrator	Clinical Director
Average salary	$75,644	$96,497
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $118,000	Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	Rhode Island
Best paying company	-	Sutro Biopharma
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between hospital administrator and clinical director education

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

	Hospital Administrator	Clinical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Hospital administrator vs clinical director demographics

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

	Hospital Administrator	Clinical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7%	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 7.9% White, 60.6% 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 hospital administrator and clinical director duties and responsibilities

Hospital administrator example responsibilities.

Manage accounts receivable, inventory, control facility and administrative costs, process payroll and perform invoice audit reviews.
Manage billing procedures and negotiate third-party contracts including a federal Medicare and state Medicaid contracts.
Add new employees to payroll system setting up employee specific tax, deduction, direct deposit, etc.
Maintain confidential patient information in accordance to HIPPA.
Revise policy and procedures; developed/revise reports and documents for practice efficiency and HIPPA compliance.
Implement business relationship with national strategic partner to provide bedside medication delivery services for discharging patients.

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.

Hospital administrator vs clinical director skills

Common hospital administrator skills

Patient Care, 15%
Patients, 14%
PET, 6%
Hospital Operations, 6%
Human Resources, 4%
Surgery, 4%

Common clinical director skills

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

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Hospital Administrator
Hospital Administrator vs Clinical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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