Medical director vs department chairperson

The differences between medical directors and department chairpeople 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 department chairperson. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, which is higher than the $98,438 average annual salary of a department chairperson.

The top three skills for a medical director include patients, medical care and medical services. The most important skills for a department chairperson are curriculum development, professional development, and classroom management.

Medical director vs department chairperson overview

	Medical Director	Department Chairperson
Yearly salary	$230,317	$98,438
Hourly rate	$110.73	$47.33
Growth rate	28%	7%
Number of jobs	75,810	33,511
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

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.

What does a department chairperson do?

A Department Chairperson is a faculty member who provides academic and administrative leadership to an academic department. They exercise leadership in recruiting and retaining capable faculty, communicate departmental needs and desires to the Dean and Provost, and coordinate the academic advisement process.

Medical director vs department chairperson salary

Medical directors and department chairpeople have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Director	Department Chairperson
Average salary	$230,317	$98,438
Salary range	Between $143,000 And $369,000	Between $50,000 And $191,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	California
Best paying company	UnitedHealth Group	Marshall University
Best paying industry	Insurance	Finance

Differences between medical director and department chairperson education

There are a few differences between a medical director and a department chairperson in terms of educational background:

	Medical Director	Department Chairperson
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Medicine	Education
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Pennsylvania

Medical director vs department chairperson demographics

Here are the differences between medical directors' and department chairpeople' demographics:

	Medical Director	Department Chairperson
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
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, 12.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 4.2% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	16%

Differences between medical director and department chairperson duties and responsibilities

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.

Department chairperson example responsibilities.

Manage the club's Facebook/Twitter accounts.
Lead meetings with ESL department teachers in which teachers collaborate on unit plan ideas, classroom strategies and student needs.
Manage the development of an alumni newsletter and coordinate with alumni to provide relevant content.
Manage both individual and organizational achievements for the members through involvement with the community, philanthropies, campus involvement, and scholarship
Negotiate and obtain clinical sites for PN and ADN programs.
Develop and deliver dynamic, rigorous lessons for high school economics classes.

Medical director vs department chairperson skills

Common medical director skills

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

Common department chairperson skills

Curriculum Development, 15%
Professional Development, 14%
Classroom Management, 13%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Student Learning, 5%
Colleges, 4%

Medical Director vs. similar jobs

Medical Director related careers

Medical Director related jobs

Medical Director jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Medical Director
Medical Director vs Department Chairperson

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs