Medical director vs unit director

The differences between medical directors and unit 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 unit director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, which is higher than the $74,346 average annual salary of a unit director.

The top three skills for a medical director include patients, medical care and medical services. The most important skills for a unit director are patients, patient care, and customer service.

Medical director vs unit director overview

	Medical Director	Unit Director
Yearly salary	$230,317	$74,346
Hourly rate	$110.73	$35.74
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	75,810	41,585
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
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 unit director do?

A unit director is a management professional who is responsible for directing and managing a group of medical professionals in an organization. This director must manage the daily clinical and administrative duties for those professionals involved in the mental health hospitalization programs. The director must assist in recruiting healthcare professionals to maximize the branch and margin profits of the medical establishment. This director should also attend meetings with the OCFS program to discuss the performance and outcome measures of the program.

Medical director vs unit director salary

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

	Medical Director	Unit Director
Average salary	$230,317	$74,346
Salary range	Between $143,000 And $369,000	Between $42,000 And $131,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Fairfield, CT
Highest paying state	Alaska	Connecticut
Best paying company	UnitedHealth Group	Palo Alto Networks
Best paying industry	Insurance	Manufacturing

Differences between medical director and unit director education

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

	Medical Director	Unit Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Medicine	Nursing
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Pennsylvania

Medical director vs unit director demographics

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

	Medical Director	Unit Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%	Male, 46.0% Female, 54.0%
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, 12.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between medical director and unit 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.

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Unit director example responsibilities.

Prepare and manage payroll and purchasing, which include balancing of accounts within budgetary limits; establish daily interaction with clients.
Manage operational organizing of stock and equipment, order supplies and oversee building maintenance, cleanliness and security.
Provide case management services to residents in the Alzheimer's unit.
Migrate all operations to a new ERP and retail system with a successful implementation.
Develop and implement a program which assure quality of life for mid- stage Alzheimer's residents.
Oversee labor, as well as, payroll, purchases, complete work orders, and operating supplies.

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Medical director vs unit director skills

Common medical director skills

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

Common unit director skills

Patients, 23%
Patient Care, 21%
Customer Service, 14%
Cleanliness, 7%
Staff Development, 6%
Customer Satisfaction, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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