Medical manager vs clinical director

The differences between medical managers and clinical 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 manager and a clinical director. Additionally, a medical manager has an average salary of $129,941, which is higher than the $96,497 average annual salary of a clinical director.

The top three skills for a medical manager include healthcare, patients and patient care. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.

Medical manager vs clinical director overview

	Medical Manager	Clinical Director
Yearly salary	$129,941	$96,497
Hourly rate	$62.47	$46.39
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	74,729	83,232
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a medical manager do?

A medical manager is a health care expert primarily in charge of overseeing a particular department or office, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing administrative tasks such as arranging schedules and appointments, handling calls and correspondence, maintaining personal records of patients, updating medical histories, and liaising with insurance companies for updates and verification. There are also instances where they must produce progress reports, delegate tasks, and train new staff, all while adhering to the hospital's policies and regulations.

What does a clinical director do?

A clinical director is a managing professional who manages the work of healthcare providers to ensure quality patient care is achieved. Clinical directors are responsible for organizational tasks such as adjusting staff schedules, explaining insurance benefits to the patients, and managing financial reports. They can work either in small clinics with a smaller workforce or larger hospitals with multiple departments. Clinical directors may also assist in the hiring process of healthcare providers and should establish a positive work environment.

Medical manager vs clinical director salary

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

	Medical Manager	Clinical Director
Average salary	$129,941	$96,497
Salary range	Between $51,000 And $328,000	Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.	Sutro Biopharma
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Health Care

Differences between medical manager and clinical director education

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

	Medical Manager	Clinical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Medical manager vs clinical director demographics

Here are the differences between medical managers' and clinical directors' demographics:

	Medical Manager	Clinical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 26.2% Female, 73.8%	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 8.2% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between medical manager and clinical director duties and responsibilities

Medical manager example responsibilities.

Accomplish patient assessment, vital sign and cardiac monitoring, phlebotomy, post-surgical evaluation, ventilator maintenance and physical therapy.
Assist in discharge planning for post hospitalization patients by arranging for require services at home or rehabilitation facility.
Maintain all personnel, medical records and documents within HIPAA confidentiality standards.
Subject to FDA audits with outstanding results in procedures, qualifications, documentation and credentials.
Recruit, hire, and supervise employees; develop software, write software tests for FDA compliance.
Schedule surgeries with local hospital operating staff and ensure all paperwork are complete and receive before date of surgery.

Clinical director example responsibilities.

Develop distinctive ambulatory strategies to achieve and sustain competitive healthcare advantage.
Manage and assist with data collection and input for MDS.
Manage quality of documentation through education and electronic review of clinical processes utilizing HCHB EMR.
Manage front office, marketing, and communication -demonstrated/supervise exercises for patients -Developed instructional packets for home exercise programs
Manage projects and ambulatory system initiatives, and collaborate with system leadership teams to ensure EMR alignment with all regulatory requirements.
Experience in GCP, FDA audits, and regulatory guidance review and implementation.

Medical manager vs clinical director skills

Common medical manager skills

Healthcare, 19%
Patients, 17%
Patient Care, 9%
Home Health, 5%
Quality Care, 4%
Oversight, 4%

Common clinical director skills

Patients, 18%
Patient Care, 11%
Physical Therapy, 5%
Social Work, 4%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Clinical Services, 3%

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Medical Manager
Medical Manager vs Clinical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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