Laboratory director vs clinical manager

The differences between laboratory directors and clinical 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 laboratory director and a clinical manager. Additionally, a laboratory director has an average salary of $92,971, which is higher than the $84,066 average annual salary of a clinical manager.

The top three skills for a laboratory director include clinical laboratory, patients and patient care. The most important skills for a clinical manager are patients, customer service, and home health.

Laboratory director vs clinical manager overview

	Laboratory Director	Clinical Manager
Yearly salary	$92,971	$84,066
Hourly rate	$44.70	$40.42
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	59,500	81,863
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a laboratory director do?

A Laboratory Director is responsible for the overall operation and administration of the laboratory. They examine data, create reports, manage the staff, and ensure that the lab facility operates in accordance with the regulatory provisions of the government and the organization.

What does a clinical manager do?

A clinical manager is responsible for monitoring medical procedures and administrative duties to ensure the smooth flow of operations in a healthcare facility. Clinical managers manage the facility's staffing needs, evaluate budget reports, assist healthcare professionals on administering medical duties, and develop strategic procedures to optimize treatments and maximize productivity. A clinical manager enforces strict sanitary and safety regulations for everyone's strict compliance. They also need to have excellent knowledge of the medical industry to promote medical processes and provide the highest quality care.

Laboratory director vs clinical manager salary

Laboratory directors and clinical managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Laboratory Director	Clinical Manager
Average salary	$92,971	$84,066
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $156,000	Between $55,000 And $128,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Delaware	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Reed Smith	Genentech
Best paying industry	Media	Health Care

Differences between laboratory director and clinical manager education

There are a few differences between a laboratory director and a clinical manager in terms of educational background:

	Laboratory Director	Clinical Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Biology	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Laboratory director vs clinical manager demographics

Here are the differences between laboratory directors' and clinical managers' demographics:

	Laboratory Director	Clinical Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 55.9% Female, 44.1%	Male, 22.6% Female, 77.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.1% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between laboratory director and clinical manager duties and responsibilities

Laboratory director example responsibilities.

Perform and manage quality control, maintenance and calibration of all equipment in hematology, coagulation and urinalysis.
Set up forensic DNA laboratory, train laboratory technicians in advance molecular techniques, and manage day-to-day activities of forensic DNA laboratory
Consult patients on various laboratory procedures involve in IVF.
Supervise 8 managers and 130 full-time employees (FTEs).
Focus on sterility, endotoxin, water and bioburden testing.
Restore compliance integrity of lab back to full capacity in time for JCAHO inspection.

Clinical manager example responsibilities.

Track and manage IRB approvals.
Lead a team of 25 patient service coordinators and receptionists.
Manage and lead teams consisting of multiple internal departments as well as CRO and other vendors.
Manage data for research project billing and accountability for drug study product in accordance with FDA regulations.
Manage studies in association with the lead CRA to ensure all project expectations and milestones are meet.
Manage all facets of daily operations relating to imaging services, radiation therapy, and medical oncology services.

Laboratory director vs clinical manager skills

Common laboratory director skills

Clinical Laboratory, 11%
Patients, 10%
Patient Care, 9%
CLIA, 6%
Test Results, 6%
Laboratory Services, 4%

Common clinical manager skills

Patients, 19%
Customer Service, 8%
Home Health, 6%
Direct Patient Care, 5%
Quality Patient Care, 5%
Patient Education, 3%

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Laboratory Director
Laboratory Director vs Clinical Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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