Nutrition director vs clinical director

The differences between nutrition directors and clinical 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 nutrition director and a clinical director. Additionally, a clinical director has an average salary of $96,497, which is higher than the $80,617 average annual salary of a nutrition director.

The top three skills for a nutrition director include patients, nutrition services and menu planning. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.

Nutrition director vs clinical director overview

	Nutrition Director	Clinical Director
Yearly salary	$80,617	$96,497
Hourly rate	$38.76	$46.39
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	32,743	83,232
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a nutrition director do?

A Nutrition Director directs and supervises all aspects of an organization's nutrition guidelines and initiatives. They also ensure the provision of safe, nutritious food services to members of organizations.

What does a clinical director do?

A clinical director is a managing professional who manages the work of healthcare providers to ensure quality patient care is achieved. Clinical directors are responsible for organizational tasks such as adjusting staff schedules, explaining insurance benefits to the patients, and managing financial reports. They can work either in small clinics with a smaller workforce or larger hospitals with multiple departments. Clinical directors may also assist in the hiring process of healthcare providers and should establish a positive work environment.

Nutrition director vs clinical director salary

Nutrition directors and clinical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Nutrition Director	Clinical Director
Average salary	$80,617	$96,497
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $165,000	Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	Tewksbury, MA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Eagle Pack Pet Food	Sutro Biopharma
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between nutrition director and clinical director education

There are a few differences between a nutrition director and a clinical director in terms of educational background:

	Nutrition Director	Clinical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Dietetics	Nursing
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Nutrition director vs clinical director demographics

Here are the differences between nutrition directors' and clinical directors' demographics:

	Nutrition Director	Clinical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2%	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between nutrition director and clinical director duties and responsibilities

Nutrition director example responsibilities.

Manage the WIC budget and execute budget amendments for the fiscal year.
Manage food allergies and special diets by providing nutritious alternatives and creating student-specific menus.
Ensure all menus meet USDA requirements.
Enter all MDS forms need for facility.
Cater to even the most severe allergies and intolerances.
Develop and revise processes and forms for screening, assessment, MDS reviews and other nutrition interventions.

Clinical director example responsibilities.

Develop distinctive ambulatory strategies to achieve and sustain competitive healthcare advantage.
Manage and assist with data collection and input for MDS.
Manage quality of documentation through education and electronic review of clinical processes utilizing HCHB EMR.
Manage front office, marketing, and communication -demonstrated/supervise exercises for patients -Developed instructional packets for home exercise programs
Manage projects and ambulatory system initiatives, and collaborate with system leadership teams to ensure EMR alignment with all regulatory requirements.
Experience in GCP, FDA audits, and regulatory guidance review and implementation.

Nutrition director vs clinical director skills

Common nutrition director skills

Patients, 22%
Nutrition Services, 8%
Menu Planning, 6%
Food Safety, 5%
Nutrition Education, 5%
Patient Satisfaction, 4%

Common clinical director skills

Patients, 18%
Patient Care, 11%
Physical Therapy, 5%
Social Work, 4%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Clinical Services, 3%

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Nutrition Director
Nutrition Director vs Clinical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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