Medical director vs department director

The differences between medical directors and department 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 director and a department director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, which is higher than the $97,804 average annual salary of a department director.

The top three skills for a medical director include patients, medical care and medical services. The most important skills for a department director are patient care, patients, and healthcare.

Medical director vs department director overview

	Medical Director	Department Director
Yearly salary	$230,317	$97,804
Hourly rate	$110.73	$47.02
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	75,810	73,424
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
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 director do?

A Department Director spearheads and oversees the operations of a department, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Although their responsibilities vary upon the functions of a department, they typically have the power to decide on projects and programs. Their responsibilities include setting goals, establishing budgets and guidelines, representing the department at meetings and media coverages, liaising with external business partners, managing staff, and monitoring the progress of operations. Moreover, a Department Director leads and encourages staff to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Medical director vs department director salary

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

	Medical Director	Department Director
Average salary	$230,317	$97,804
Salary range	Between $143,000 And $369,000	Between $64,000 And $148,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Alaska	New Jersey
Best paying company	UnitedHealth Group	Anna Jaques Hospital
Best paying industry	Insurance	Finance

Differences between medical director and department director education

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

	Medical Director	Department Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Medicine	Business
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Pennsylvania

Medical director vs department director demographics

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

	Medical Director	Department Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%	Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2%
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, 10.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.9% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between medical director and department director 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 director example responsibilities.

Manage and direct bureau operations, and provide oversight of criminal investigations of statewide importance.
Establish and develop relationships with ERP and consulting vendors with the goal of maximizing comparative advantage and cost efficient solution development.
Ensure compliance with all CMS regulations.
Provide public education in the areas of fire department capabilities and history as well as CPR classes.
Follow up and coordination of rehabilitation services.
Cross-Train pre-operative and PACU staff to optimize efficiency.

Medical director vs department director skills

Common medical director skills

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

Common department director skills

Patient Care, 15%
Patients, 14%
Healthcare, 13%
Oversight, 8%
Human Resources, 5%
Payroll, 4%

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Medical Director vs Department Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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