Hospital administrator vs medical director

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

Hospital administrator vs medical director overview

	Hospital Administrator	Medical Director
Yearly salary	$75,644	$230,317
Hourly rate	$36.37	$110.73
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	72,975	75,810
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
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 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.

Hospital administrator vs medical director salary

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

	Hospital Administrator	Medical Director
Average salary	$75,644	$230,317
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $118,000	Between $143,000 And $369,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	UnitedHealth Group
Best paying industry	-	Insurance

Differences between hospital administrator and medical director education

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

	Hospital Administrator	Medical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Business	Medicine
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Hospital administrator vs medical director demographics

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

	Hospital Administrator	Medical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7%	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
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, 11.0% 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 hospital administrator and medical 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.

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.

Hospital administrator vs medical director skills

Common hospital administrator skills

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

Common medical director skills

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

Hospital Administrator vs. similar jobs

Hospital Administrator related careers

Hospital Administrator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Hospital Administrator
Hospital Administrator vs Medical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs