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The differences between mental health program managers and program 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 mental health program manager and a program director. Additionally, a program director has an average salary of $80,664, which is higher than the $74,778 average annual salary of a mental health program manager.
The top three skills for a mental health program manager include social work, behavioral health and mental health. The most important skills for a program director are oversight, social work, and patients.
| Mental Health Program Manager | Program Director | |
| Yearly salary | $74,778 | $80,664 |
| Hourly rate | $35.95 | $38.78 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 136,598 | 82,810 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 47 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A mental health program manager is in charge of creating and overseeing mental health programs in their organization. They are tasked with following up with patients, designing programs, monitoring program progress, working with other health professionals to ensure patient concerns are addressed, and meeting with patients' families to offer emotional and logistical support. They need to develop strict guidelines to help with mental health, develop policies with other company leaders to ensure patient needs are met, and manage the databases and patient charts.
Program directors are employees who oversee all aspects of a specific program in the company. They usually work in nonprofit organizations or are assigned to a department doing corporate social responsibility activities. Program directors ensure that the program is in line with the company's goals. They also ensure that the resources assigned to the program are properly managed and that all finances are accounted for. They create strategies to ensure the success of the program and communicate these to everyone involved. They lead the implementation and evaluation of the program.
Mental health program managers and program directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mental Health Program Manager | Program Director | |
| Average salary | $74,778 | $80,664 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $111,000 | Between $50,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Georgia |
| Best paying company | Fraser Ltd | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Technology |
There are a few differences between a mental health program manager and a program director in terms of educational background:
| Mental Health Program Manager | Program Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between mental health program managers' and program directors' demographics:
| Mental Health Program Manager | Program Director | |
| Average age | 47 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.6% Female, 71.4% | Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.6% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 14% |