Patient care manager vs clinical director

The differences between patient care managers 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 patient care manager and a clinical director. Additionally, a clinical director has an average salary of $96,497, which is higher than the $65,369 average annual salary of a patient care manager.

The top three skills for a patient care manager include home health, patients and quality care. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.

Patient care manager vs clinical director overview

	Patient Care Manager	Clinical Director
Yearly salary	$65,369	$96,497
Hourly rate	$31.43	$46.39
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	123,652	83,232
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a patient care manager do?

Patient care managers are executives who are in charge of supervising a clinical team. The managers take responsibility for directing patient care within an organization. Also called health care managers, they protect every patient's safety and health in a clinical setting. They interact with the healthcare team members to maintain open communication. It is also part of their duties to supervise the daily operations in the clinical care units. Managing clinical budgets and maintaining quality health services are also their responsibilities.

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.

Patient care manager vs clinical director salary

Patient care managers and clinical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Care Manager	Clinical Director
Average salary	$65,369	$96,497
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $117,000	Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	Oakland, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Accenture	Sutro Biopharma
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between patient care manager and clinical director education

There are a few differences between a patient care manager and a clinical director in terms of educational background:

	Patient Care Manager	Clinical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Patient care manager vs clinical director demographics

Here are the differences between patient care managers' and clinical directors' demographics:

	Patient Care Manager	Clinical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 17.1% Female, 82.9%	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 7.4% White, 61.1% 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 patient care manager and clinical director duties and responsibilities

Patient care manager example responsibilities.

Manage complicated cases involving serious injuries, medical evacuations, cruise ship disembarkation, and repatriation of remains with compassion.
Direct oversight of all case management and education relate to chronic disease and primary care management.
Utilize resources such as financial and pharmacy assistance for uninsure patients to receive professional medical care upon discharge.
Prevent unnecessary hospital admissions using keen assessment skills and redirecting to PCP's office when appropriate.
Ensure compliance both with HIPAA and CMS, to include all audits and enrollments via Medicare.
Plant and maintain flower beds such as mulching, fertilizing, watering, mowing, and pruning.

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.

Patient care manager vs clinical director skills

Common patient care manager skills

Home Health, 15%
Patients, 12%
Quality Care, 8%
Social Work, 7%
Community Resources, 4%
Substance Abuse, 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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Patient Care Manager
Patient Care Manager vs Clinical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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