Medical records administrator vs nursing director

The differences between medical records administrators and nursing 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 records administrator and a nursing director. Additionally, a nursing director has an average salary of $87,643, which is higher than the $80,519 average annual salary of a medical records administrator.

The top three skills for a medical records administrator include patients, medical terminology and HIPAA. The most important skills for a nursing director are patients, term care, and home health.

Medical records administrator vs nursing director overview

	Medical Records Administrator	Nursing Director
Yearly salary	$80,519	$87,643
Hourly rate	$38.71	$42.14
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	103,325	76,956
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Associate Degree, 44%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a medical records administrator do?

Medical records administrators oversee written and electronic medical records and reports. The duties of a medical records administrator are to maintain patient records, collect admission reports, liaise with other medical staff, compile documentation from different medical records, respond to enquiries and records requests from patients and physicians, and create a database for patient records. They are also tasked with ensuring the records comply with all policies protecting patient privacy and confidentiality.

What does a nursing director do?

A nursing director's role is to oversee and evaluate all nurse staff in a hospital or organization, ensuring their efficiency at providing care towards patients. A nursing director's responsibilities mainly revolve around administrative tasks such as coordinating with physicians and other consultants, producing reports, conducting assessments, managing the budget and expenditures, and resolving issues. Furthermore, a nursing director must keep and maintain accurate records, ensuring all procedures adhere to the highest health standards and aligns with the hospital's policies and regulations.

Medical records administrator vs nursing director salary

Medical records administrators and nursing directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Records Administrator	Nursing Director
Average salary	$80,519	$87,643
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $108,000	Between $64,000 And $118,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Delaware	California
Best paying company	Long Island, FQHC, Inc	Oculus
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between medical records administrator and nursing director education

There are a few differences between a medical records administrator and a nursing director in terms of educational background:

	Medical Records Administrator	Nursing Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Associate Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Medical records administrator vs nursing director demographics

Here are the differences between medical records administrators' and nursing directors' demographics:

	Medical Records Administrator	Nursing Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 21.2% Female, 78.8%	Male, 11.6% Female, 88.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 7.5% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between medical records administrator and nursing director duties and responsibilities

Medical records administrator example responsibilities.

Manage medical records in accordance with federal and state HIPAA guidelines, maintaining confidentiality of patient information.
Bill Medicaid and pertinent insurance companies for payment on services.
Respond swiftly to provider questions and ensure claims are processed through MMIS system properly to meet Medicaid eligibility.
Demonstrate knowledge of HIPAA privacy and security regulations by appropriately handling patient information.
Ensure evacuated patients are moved to the appropriate medical treatment facility or warrior transition units.
Interact with patients and associate medical professionals in order to supply and forward correct documentation for clinical visits.

Nursing director example responsibilities.

Manage FTE'S of the units.
Manage FTE numbers by following staffing grids.
Lead in the implementation of whole house telemetry.
Manage and provide inpatient nursing care for all aspects of general surgery.
Manage and coordinate all aspects of nursing and ancillary services for successful operation of the SNF.
Complete comprehensive assessments for all LTC residents which include managing falls, pain, skin integrity, and medications.

Medical records administrator vs nursing director skills

Common medical records administrator skills

Patients, 28%
Medical Terminology, 12%
HIPAA, 7%
Patient Care, 7%
Patient Charts, 7%
Transcription, 4%

Common nursing director skills

Patients, 16%
Term Care, 8%
Home Health, 7%
Resident Care, 6%
Rehabilitation, 5%
Infection Control, 5%

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Medical Records Administrator
Medical Records Administrator vs Nursing Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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