Care Manager vs. Case Manager

A care manager is a healthcare professional who works one-on-one with patients to help create and manage their care plans, while a case manager is a healthcare professional who coordinates the overall care of individual patients.

How To Become A Lead Care Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a lead care manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Wrennah Gabbert Ph.D.

Lead care managers are responsible for providing assistance with activities of daily living and ensuring proper techniques are demonstrated to provide the highest quality of care for the residents. They monitor and take action of changes in resident's condition and recommend adjustments in the level of care and services. Lead care managers earn an average salary of $33,000 annually or $16 per hour.

Lead care managers provide light housekeeping duties, dining services, and laundry. They champion the quality of life for all seniors in accordance with federal, state, and local standards and regulations. They report all unsafe and hazardous conditions/equipment immediately. They also lead daily meetings and encourage active participation and teamwork within the changing shifts.

Lead care managers typically hold a high school diploma or GED. They are expected to have some years of experience working with seniors in assisted living, home health, independent living, hospital, or long-term care environments. Some employers prefer candidates with the ability to delegate assignments to the appropriate individuals based on their skills, roles, and interests.

What general advice would you give to a Lead Care Manager?

Wrennah Gabbert Ph.D.

Professor - Tenured, Angelo State University

-NCLEX-RN - Take your NCLEX-RN licensure examination as soon as possible after graduation. Be aware that some employers will not hire new graduates until they successfully pass their exam.
-Vital Skills - Along with careful self-assessment, communication skills are going to be a necessary skill that you must consciously work on. Reflect on your comfort level and confidence in a variety of clinical situations and conversations. Assessing a situation and knowing what to say and when to say it is vital and a major therapeutic intervention. Always remember that the ability to convey compassion in a professional manner with your words, actions, and, at the same time, not be too "familiar" is an art, and can make the difference in the outcome(s) for your patient and their family.

ScoreLead Care ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,192

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.1

Growth Rate 28%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 8.02%

Black or African American 10.40%

Hispanic or Latino 14.86%

Unknown 4.28%

White 61.72%

Gender

female 78.43%

male 21.57%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress Level

7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.8

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.9

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a lead care manager

Explore lead care manager education requirements

Most common lead care manager degrees

Bachelor's

39.2 %

Associate

21.2 %

High School Diploma

19.3 %

Start to develop specific lead care manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	12.20%
Quality Care	8.86%
Customer Service	8.41%
Good Judgment	7.11%
Senior Care	5.79%

Complete relevant lead care manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead care managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lead care manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead care manager resumes.

Gain additional lead care manager certifications

Lead care manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific lead care manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for lead care managers include Medical Assistant and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

More About Certifications

Research lead care manager duties and responsibilities

Manage marketing programs for online and direct mail; including virtual tours, Facebook, Craigslist and managing realtor website.
Manage listings, websites and MLS data.
Manage complicated cases involving serious injuries, medical evacuations, cruise ship disembarkation, and repatriation of remains with compassion.
Utilize SalesForce (CRM) to manage/maintain client accounts.

Get lead care manager experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a lead care manager. The most common roles before becoming a lead care manager include certified nursing assistant, cashier team lead and sales associate.

Apply for lead care manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a lead care manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do lead care managers rate their job?

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Lead Care Manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros

Seeing and facilitating the growth of the staff and department