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The differences between nursing home administrators and department 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 nursing home administrator and a department director. Additionally, a department director has an average salary of $97,804, which is higher than the $80,880 average annual salary of a nursing home administrator.
The top three skills for a nursing home administrator include nursing home, long-term care and healthcare. The most important skills for a department director are patient care, patients, and healthcare.
| Nursing Home Administrator | Department Director | |
| Yearly salary | $80,880 | $97,804 |
| Hourly rate | $38.88 | $47.02 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 137,786 | 73,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A nursing home administrator is responsible for managing and running a nursing home facility and supervising staff. Your typical duties will include managing the budget and making critical decisions, overseeing the recruitment, training, and dismissal of staff members, conducting employee performance reviews, and communicating with prospective and existing residents and their families. Additionally, you are expected to advocate for nursing home residents, develop rules, procedures, and policies for the facility, and oversee residents' billings for services. As a nursing home administrator, you are also responsible for conducting safety training for all staff.
A Department Director spearheads and oversees the operations of a department, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Although their responsibilities vary upon the functions of a department, they typically have the power to decide on projects and programs. Their responsibilities include setting goals, establishing budgets and guidelines, representing the department at meetings and media coverages, liaising with external business partners, managing staff, and monitoring the progress of operations. Moreover, a Department Director leads and encourages staff to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Nursing home administrators and department directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Nursing Home Administrator | Department Director | |
| Average salary | $80,880 | $97,804 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $116,000 | Between $64,000 And $148,000 |
| Highest paying City | Wilmington, DE | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Senior Living Properties | Anna Jaques Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Finance |
There are a few differences between a nursing home administrator and a department director in terms of educational background:
| Nursing Home Administrator | Department Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between nursing home administrators' and department directors' demographics:
| Nursing Home Administrator | Department Director | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.1% Female, 60.9% | Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.9% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |