Hospital director vs hospital administrator

The differences between hospital directors and hospital administrators 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 director and a hospital administrator. Additionally, a hospital director has an average salary of $127,268, which is higher than the $75,644 average annual salary of a hospital administrator.

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

Hospital director vs hospital administrator overview

	Hospital Director	Hospital Administrator
Yearly salary	$127,268	$75,644
Hourly rate	$61.19	$36.37
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	29,738	72,975
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a hospital director do?

A hospital director is primarily in charge of coordinating hospital activities and managing medical professionals, ensuring smooth workflow and efficient services to patients. Their responsibilities typically revolve around setting goals and objectives, managing budgets, coordinating medical and non-medical personnel, and developing strategies to optimize hospital operations. They are also responsible for addressing issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as a hospital director, it is their duty to make significant decisions in adherence to the facility's policies, regulations, vision, and mission.

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.

Hospital director vs hospital administrator salary

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

	Hospital Director	Hospital Administrator
Average salary	$127,268	$75,644
Salary range	Between $67,000 And $239,000	Between $48,000 And $118,000
Highest paying City	Poughkeepsie, NY	-
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	-
Best paying company	Community Medical Center	-
Best paying industry	Retail	-

Differences between hospital director and hospital administrator education

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

	Hospital Director	Hospital Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Hospital director vs hospital administrator demographics

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

	Hospital Director	Hospital Administrator
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0%	Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between hospital director and hospital administrator duties and responsibilities

Hospital director example responsibilities.

Insure department is JACHO, CMS & TDH compliant, manage professional staff & department productivity.
Manage the staff, schedule, payroll, problems that arise within hospital, reports, etc.
Interact successfully with regulatory and oversight agencies, which lead to more streamline operations of complex healthcare reimbursement programs.
Develop and maintain capital and FTE budget.
Contribute to the successful JCAHO accreditation within the department.
Ensure that all programs meet all local, state and CMS standards.

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.

Hospital director vs hospital administrator skills

Common hospital director skills

Patients, 13%
Patient Care, 10%
Oversight, 10%
Customer Service, 9%
Customer Satisfaction, 9%
Acute Care, 5%

Common hospital administrator skills

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

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Hospital Director
Hospital Director vs Hospital Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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