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The differences between nurse managers and nurse administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a nurse manager, becoming a nurse administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a nurse manager has an average salary of $83,684, which is higher than the $72,224 average annual salary of a nurse administrator.
The top three skills for a nurse manager include patients, home health and CPR. The most important skills for a nurse administrator are patients, acute care, and direct patient care.
| Nurse Manager | Nurse Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $83,684 | $72,224 |
| Hourly rate | $40.23 | $34.72 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 380,264 | 619,218 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
The primary role of nurse managers is to supervise the nursing staff in a clinical or hospital setting. They are the ones who are in charge of patient care, setting work schedules, and making budgetary and management decisions. They are also responsible for making personnel decisions, coordinating meetings, and creating safe environments that promote patient engagement and aid the healthcare team's work. Their role is vital in promoting a culture in which team members contribute to professional growth and patient outcomes.
Nurse Administrators are responsible for the coordination of all operational and administrative tasks relating to the nursing team. They are responsible for the retention, hiring, and firing of nursing staff, creating budgets, authorizing spending, ensuring regulatory guidelines compliance, implementing staff mentorship sessions, and accomplishing patient satisfaction, safety, cost savings, and efficiency objectives. Other duties include preparing reports, attending meetings, supervising fundraising projects, and forming partnerships with the academic and medical community.
Nurse managers and nurse administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Nurse Manager | Nurse Administrator | |
| Average salary | $83,684 | $72,224 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $115,000 | Between $48,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | California |
| Best paying company | BD | Community Health Systems |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a nurse manager and a nurse administrator in terms of educational background:
| Nurse Manager | Nurse Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between nurse managers' and nurse administrators' demographics:
| Nurse Manager | Nurse Administrator | |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.5% Female, 86.5% | Male, 16.3% Female, 83.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.6% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 9% |