Medical care administrator vs nurse manager

The differences between medical care administrators and nurse 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 medical care administrator and a nurse manager. Additionally, a nurse manager has an average salary of $83,684, 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 nurse manager are patients, home health, and CPR.

Medical care administrator vs nurse manager overview

	Medical Care Administrator	Nurse Manager
Yearly salary	$70,177	$83,684
Hourly rate	$33.74	$40.23
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	166,249	380,264
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
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 nurse manager do?

The primary role of nurse managers is to supervise the nursing staff in a clinical or hospital setting. They are the ones who are in charge of patient care, setting work schedules, and making budgetary and management decisions. They are also responsible for making personnel decisions, coordinating meetings, and creating safe environments that promote patient engagement and aid the healthcare team's work. Their role is vital in promoting a culture in which team members contribute to professional growth and patient outcomes.

Medical care administrator vs nurse manager salary

Medical care administrators and nurse managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Care Administrator	Nurse Manager
Average salary	$70,177	$83,684
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $113,000	Between $60,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	Eugene, OR	Las Vegas, NV
Highest paying state	Oregon	Nevada
Best paying company	UCI Health	BD
Best paying industry	Insurance	Health Care

Differences between medical care administrator and nurse manager education

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

	Medical Care Administrator	Nurse Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Medical care administrator vs nurse manager demographics

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

	Medical Care Administrator	Nurse Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 28.2% Female, 71.8%	Male, 13.5% Female, 86.5%
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, 12.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.6% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between medical care administrator and nurse manager 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.

Nurse manager example responsibilities.

Case manage workers compensation cases, administer drug testing, surveillance testing, minor 1st aid and CPR instruction.
Assess and manage various allergic and life threatening reactions of chemotherapy medications.
Manage staff of medical personnel providing care for telemetry, geriatric and general medicine patients.
Involve in utilization review and chart audits for all appropriate documentation for medicaid, Medicare and manage care organizations.
Manage surgical recovery patients including vascular, ENT, GI urological and neurological cases, coronary bypass surgery patients.
Maintain current ACLS and BLS certifications.

Medical care administrator vs nurse manager skills

Common medical care administrator skills

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

Common nurse manager skills

Patients, 22%
Home Health, 8%
CPR, 4%
Customer Service, 4%
Performance Improvement, 3%
Surgery, 3%

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Medical Care Administrator
Medical Care Administrator vs Nurse Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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