Medical officer vs medical director

The differences between medical officers and medical 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 medical director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, 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 medical director are patients, medical care, and medical services.

Medical officer vs medical director overview

	Medical Officer	Medical Director
Yearly salary	$90,615	$230,317
Hourly rate	$43.56	$110.73
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	103,222	75,810
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
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 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.

Medical officer vs medical director salary

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

	Medical Officer	Medical Director
Average salary	$90,615	$230,317
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $236,000	Between $143,000 And $369,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Maine	Alaska
Best paying company	FHCB Health System	UnitedHealth Group
Best paying industry	Health Care	Insurance

Differences between medical officer and medical director education

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

	Medical Officer	Medical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Medicine	Medicine
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Medical officer vs medical director demographics

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

	Medical Officer	Medical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 60.9% Female, 39.1%	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
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, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between medical officer and medical 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.

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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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Medical officer vs medical director skills

Common medical officer skills

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

Common medical director skills

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

Medical Officer vs. similar jobs

Medical Officer related careers

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What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

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