Medical care administrator vs medical director

The differences between medical care administrators and medical directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a medical care administrator and a medical director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, which is higher than the $70,177 average annual salary of a medical care administrator.

The top three skills for a medical care administrator include patients, patient care and home health. The most important skills for a medical director are patients, medical care, and medical services.

Medical care administrator vs medical director overview

	Medical Care Administrator	Medical Director
Yearly salary	$70,177	$230,317
Hourly rate	$33.74	$110.73
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	166,249	75,810
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a medical care administrator do?

Medical care administrators are professionals who are responsible for the daily operations of hospitals and other healthcare facilities by performing administrative duties. These administrators are required to monitor the budget of every department while preparing reports about their findings. They must develop work schedules for all hospital employees and informing them about the institute's policies and other changes. Medical care administrators must also coordinate with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to discuss and identify their issues and needs.

What does a medical director do?

A medical director is responsible for handling the overall supervision of different medical departments, managing the coordination between medical teams to ensure smooth operations and achieve high-quality care services for the patients. Medical directors enforce strict guidelines and safety measures for everyone's adherence. They also implement medical care programs, recruit medical staff, inspect the adequacy of medical equipment, respond to patient's inquiries and concerns, and oversee the facilities' procedures. A medical director manages the budget of the department, allocating equal resources to address every need.

Medical care administrator vs medical director salary

Medical care administrators and medical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Care Administrator	Medical Director
Average salary	$70,177	$230,317
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $113,000	Between $143,000 And $369,000
Highest paying City	Eugene, OR	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Oregon	Alaska
Best paying company	UCI Health	UnitedHealth Group
Best paying industry	Insurance	Insurance

Differences between medical care administrator and medical director education

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

	Medical Care Administrator	Medical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Nursing	Medicine
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Medical care administrator vs medical director demographics

Here are the differences between medical care administrators' and medical directors' demographics:

	Medical Care Administrator	Medical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 28.2% Female, 71.8%	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between medical care administrator and medical director duties and responsibilities

Medical care administrator example responsibilities.

Experience with various payer sources to include Medicare, Medicaid, and manage care entities.
Manage medical records in accordance with federal and state HIPAA guidelines, maintaining confidentiality of patient information.
Manage and facilitate manuscript preparation of oncology clinical trials results arising from currently market and pipeline drugs.
Maintain working knowledge of Medicare/ Medicaid, HIPPA and SSI/SSDI.
Prepare radiology films that have to be read for doctor.
Review and send out payroll and memos to all providers on a bi-weekly basis.

Medical director example responsibilities.

Manage OPD for acute injuries.
Manage patients with diabetes, hypertension and other medical problems.
Manage patients living with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other sexually transmit infections.
Manage hypertension and diabetes in elderly patients
Conduct psychiatry evaluations and treatment, manage co-occurring disorders.
Manage budget planning, forecasting and accruals for improve financial management.

Medical care administrator vs medical director skills

Common medical care administrator skills

Patients, 21%
Patient Care, 13%
Home Health, 9%
Financial Management, 3%
Regulatory Compliance, 3%
Quality Care, 3%

Common medical director skills

Patients, 12%
Medical Care, 7%
Medical Services, 6%
Utilization Review, 5%
Appeals, 5%
Internal Medicine, 4%

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Medical Care Administrator
Medical Care Administrator vs Medical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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