Hospital administrator vs nurse manager

The differences between hospital administrators and nurse 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 hospital administrator and a nurse manager. Additionally, a nurse manager has an average salary of $83,684, 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 nurse manager are patients, home health, and CPR.

Hospital administrator vs nurse manager overview

	Hospital Administrator	Nurse Manager
Yearly salary	$75,644	$83,684
Hourly rate	$36.37	$40.23
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	72,975	380,264
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
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 nurse manager do?

The primary role of nurse managers is to supervise the nursing staff in a clinical or hospital setting. They are the ones who are in charge of patient care, setting work schedules, and making budgetary and management decisions. They are also responsible for making personnel decisions, coordinating meetings, and creating safe environments that promote patient engagement and aid the healthcare team's work. Their role is vital in promoting a culture in which team members contribute to professional growth and patient outcomes.

Hospital administrator vs nurse manager salary

Hospital administrators and nurse managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Hospital Administrator	Nurse Manager
Average salary	$75,644	$83,684
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $118,000	Between $60,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	-	Las Vegas, NV
Highest paying state	-	Nevada
Best paying company	-	BD
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between hospital administrator and nurse manager education

There are a few differences between a hospital administrator and a nurse manager in terms of educational background:

	Hospital Administrator	Nurse Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Hospital administrator vs nurse manager demographics

Here are the differences between hospital administrators' and nurse managers' demographics:

	Hospital Administrator	Nurse Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7%	Male, 13.5% Female, 86.5%
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, 12.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.6% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between hospital administrator and nurse manager 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.

Show more

Nurse manager example responsibilities.

Case manage workers compensation cases, administer drug testing, surveillance testing, minor 1st aid and CPR instruction.
Assess and manage various allergic and life threatening reactions of chemotherapy medications.
Manage staff of medical personnel providing care for telemetry, geriatric and general medicine patients.
Involve in utilization review and chart audits for all appropriate documentation for medicaid, Medicare and manage care organizations.
Manage surgical recovery patients including vascular, ENT, GI urological and neurological cases, coronary bypass surgery patients.
Maintain current ACLS and BLS certifications.

Show more

Hospital administrator vs nurse manager skills

Common hospital administrator skills

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

Common nurse manager skills

Patients, 22%
Home Health, 8%
CPR, 4%
Customer Service, 4%
Performance Improvement, 3%
Surgery, 3%

Hospital Administrator vs. similar jobs

Hospital Administrator related careers

Hospital Administrator related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z