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The differences between medical directors and chief medical officers 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 director and a chief medical officer. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, which is higher than the $228,710 average annual salary of a chief medical officer.
The top three skills for a medical director include patients, medical care and medical services. The most important skills for a chief medical officer are patients, CMO, and oversight.
| Medical Director | Chief Medical Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $230,317 | $228,710 |
| Hourly rate | $110.73 | $109.96 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 75,810 | 109,855 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A Chief Medical Officer monitors the staff and programs of the organization's medical and nursing programs. They work in a healthcare institution, such as a hospital or nursing home.
Medical directors and chief medical officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Director | Chief Medical Officer | |
| Average salary | $230,317 | $228,710 |
| Salary range | Between $143,000 And $369,000 | Between $138,000 And $377,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Portland, OR |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | UnitedHealth Group | UnitedHealth Group |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical director and a chief medical officer in terms of educational background:
| Medical Director | Chief Medical Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Medicine | Medicine |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between medical directors' and chief medical officers' demographics:
| Medical Director | Chief Medical Officer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0% | Male, 64.5% Female, 35.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |