Medical officer vs clinical director

The differences between medical officers 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 officer and a clinical director. Additionally, a clinical director has an average salary of $96,497, which is higher than the $90,615 average annual salary of a medical officer.

The top three skills for a medical officer include patients, public health and infectious disease. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.

Medical officer vs clinical director overview

	Medical Officer	Clinical Director
Yearly salary	$90,615	$96,497
Hourly rate	$43.56	$46.39
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	103,222	83,232
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a medical officer do?

A Medical Officer delivers health and first-aid provisions for patients as well as prepares and maintains the paper and electronic health care records of clients. They ensure that all related equipment and supplies are suitably maintained at all times.

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 officer vs clinical director salary

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

	Medical Officer	Clinical Director
Average salary	$90,615	$96,497
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $236,000	Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Maine	Rhode Island
Best paying company	FHCB Health System	Sutro Biopharma
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between medical officer and clinical director education

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

	Medical Officer	Clinical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Medicine	Nursing
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Medical officer vs clinical director demographics

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

	Medical Officer	Clinical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 60.9% Female, 39.1%	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 8.0% White, 60.7% 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 officer and clinical director duties and responsibilities

Medical officer example responsibilities.

Lead efforts to support and continually improve the coordination and delivery of oncology services using evidence base guidelines.
Perform emergency and elective surgery for both obstetrics and gynecology cases.
Provide guidance to industry, stakeholders, and other experts within FDA on clinical issues and clinical trial designs.
Enter and scan patient history, current medical conditions, medications, immunizations and labs into the novel EHR system.
Facilitate performance improvement initiatives for CME credit.
Provide physicians with assistance during surgery or complicate medical procedures.

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 officer vs clinical director skills

Common medical officer skills

Patients, 20%
Public Health, 17%
Infectious Disease, 8%
Diagnosis, 7%
Direct Patient Care, 4%
Internal Medicine, 4%

Common clinical director skills

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

Medical Officer vs. similar jobs

Medical Officer related careers

Medical Officer related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Medical Officer
Medical Officer vs Clinical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs