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The differences between nurse managers and unit managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a nurse manager and a unit manager. Additionally, a nurse manager has an average salary of $83,684, which is higher than the $60,561 average annual salary of a unit manager.
The top three skills for a nurse manager include patients, home health and CPR. The most important skills for a unit manager are quality care, patients, and federal regulations.
| Nurse Manager | Unit Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $83,684 | $60,561 |
| Hourly rate | $40.23 | $29.12 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 380,264 | 366,932 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
Unit managers are responsible for managing the nursing unit. They primarily supervise the daily care of patients and ensure quality patient care. Usually, they perform tasks like evaluating staff performance, conducting orientation for new staff, and training new members. Also, they manage schedules, minimize expenditures, and enforce health as well as safety regulations. Unit managers are registered nursing professionals with an undergraduate or graduate degree. They are honest, adaptable, and analytical professionals with strong management and leadership skills and relevant experience in nursing and patient assessment.
Nurse managers and unit managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Nurse Manager | Unit Manager | |
| Average salary | $83,684 | $60,561 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $115,000 | Between $38,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | BD | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Finance |
There are a few differences between a nurse manager and a unit manager in terms of educational background:
| Nurse Manager | Unit Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between nurse managers' and unit managers' demographics:
| Nurse Manager | Unit Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.5% Female, 86.5% | Male, 42.4% Female, 57.6% |
| 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 10% |