Interim director vs unit director

The differences between interim directors and unit directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an interim director and a unit director. Additionally, an interim director has an average salary of $104,142, which is higher than the $74,346 average annual salary of a unit director.

The top three skills for an interim director include healthcare, patient care and oversight. The most important skills for a unit director are patients, patient care, and customer service.

Interim director vs unit director overview

	Interim Director	Unit Director
Yearly salary	$104,142	$74,346
Hourly rate	$50.07	$35.74
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	49,433	41,585
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does an interim director do?

An interim director is responsible for supporting business operations, organizing training, as well as specific department programs for staff to maximize their productivity and improve optimal performance to meet project deliverables and achieve client satisfaction. Interim directors coordinate with the management and board executives on corporate decisions, implementing company guidelines and procedures, and identifying business opportunities to generate more revenues and profitability. They also analyze financial statements and business transactions, developing strategies to reduce expenses and minimize loss without sacrificing the organization's quality services.

What does a unit director do?

A unit director is a management professional who is responsible for directing and managing a group of medical professionals in an organization. This director must manage the daily clinical and administrative duties for those professionals involved in the mental health hospitalization programs. The director must assist in recruiting healthcare professionals to maximize the branch and margin profits of the medical establishment. This director should also attend meetings with the OCFS program to discuss the performance and outcome measures of the program.

Interim director vs unit director salary

Interim directors and unit directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Interim Director	Unit Director
Average salary	$104,142	$74,346
Salary range	Between $66,000 And $162,000	Between $42,000 And $131,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Fairfield, CT
Highest paying state	California	Connecticut
Best paying company	UPMC	Palo Alto Networks
Best paying industry	Professional	Manufacturing

Differences between interim director and unit director education

There are a few differences between an interim director and a unit director in terms of educational background:

	Interim Director	Unit Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Interim director vs unit director demographics

Here are the differences between interim directors' and unit directors' demographics:

	Interim Director	Unit Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 39.5% Female, 60.5%	Male, 46.0% Female, 54.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between interim director and unit director duties and responsibilities

Interim director example responsibilities.

Manage and direct department operations and staffing for the invasive and non-invasive cardiology department.
Establish and develop relationships with ERP and consulting vendors with the goal of maximizing comparative advantage and cost efficient solution development.
Increase patient satisfaction on scores relate the cleanliness through employee engagement and through close collaboration with the management team.
Program development, quality improvement, JCAHO preparation, and hospital disaster preparedness.
Pet restraint, blood draws, catheter placement, vaccine administration.
Put hospital on growth trajectory, reversing negative EBITDA within first year.

Show more

Unit director example responsibilities.

Prepare and manage payroll and purchasing, which include balancing of accounts within budgetary limits; establish daily interaction with clients.
Manage operational organizing of stock and equipment, order supplies and oversee building maintenance, cleanliness and security.
Provide case management services to residents in the Alzheimer's unit.
Migrate all operations to a new ERP and retail system with a successful implementation.
Develop and implement a program which assure quality of life for mid- stage Alzheimer's residents.
Oversee labor, as well as, payroll, purchases, complete work orders, and operating supplies.

Show more

Interim director vs unit director skills

Common interim director skills

Healthcare, 13%
Patient Care, 11%
Oversight, 9%
Patient Safety, 6%
Financial Management, 6%
Bed Facility, 5%

Common unit director skills

Patients, 23%
Patient Care, 21%
Customer Service, 14%
Cleanliness, 7%
Staff Development, 6%
Customer Satisfaction, 5%

Interim Director vs. similar jobs

Interim Director related careers

Interim Director 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