Hospital administrator vs patient care manager

The differences between hospital administrators and patient care 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 patient care manager. Additionally, a hospital administrator has an average salary of $75,644, which is higher than the $65,369 average annual salary of a patient care manager.

The top three skills for a hospital administrator include patient care, patients and PET. The most important skills for a patient care manager are home health, patients, and quality care.

Hospital administrator vs patient care manager overview

	Hospital Administrator	Patient Care Manager
Yearly salary	$75,644	$65,369
Hourly rate	$36.37	$31.43
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	72,975	123,652
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 patient care manager do?

Patient care managers are executives who are in charge of supervising a clinical team. The managers take responsibility for directing patient care within an organization. Also called health care managers, they protect every patient's safety and health in a clinical setting. They interact with the healthcare team members to maintain open communication. It is also part of their duties to supervise the daily operations in the clinical care units. Managing clinical budgets and maintaining quality health services are also their responsibilities.

Hospital administrator vs patient care manager salary

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

	Hospital Administrator	Patient Care Manager
Average salary	$75,644	$65,369
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $118,000	Between $36,000 And $117,000
Highest paying City	-	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Accenture
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between hospital administrator and patient care manager education

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

	Hospital Administrator	Patient Care 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 Pennsylvania

Hospital administrator vs patient care manager demographics

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

	Hospital Administrator	Patient Care Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7%	Male, 17.1% Female, 82.9%
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, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 7.4% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between hospital administrator and patient care 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.

Patient care manager example responsibilities.

Manage complicated cases involving serious injuries, medical evacuations, cruise ship disembarkation, and repatriation of remains with compassion.
Direct oversight of all case management and education relate to chronic disease and primary care management.
Utilize resources such as financial and pharmacy assistance for uninsure patients to receive professional medical care upon discharge.
Prevent unnecessary hospital admissions using keen assessment skills and redirecting to PCP's office when appropriate.
Ensure compliance both with HIPAA and CMS, to include all audits and enrollments via Medicare.
Plant and maintain flower beds such as mulching, fertilizing, watering, mowing, and pruning.

Hospital administrator vs patient care manager skills

Common hospital administrator skills

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

Common patient care manager skills

Home Health, 15%
Patients, 12%
Quality Care, 8%
Social Work, 7%
Community Resources, 4%
Substance Abuse, 4%

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Executive Management Industry
Hospital Administrator
Hospital Administrator vs Patient Care Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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