Patient care manager vs medical director

The differences between patient care managers and medical 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 medical director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, 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 medical director are patients, medical care, and medical services.

Patient care manager vs medical director overview

	Patient Care Manager	Medical Director
Yearly salary	$65,369	$230,317
Hourly rate	$31.43	$110.73
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	123,652	75,810
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
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 medical director do?

A medical director is responsible for handling the overall supervision of different medical departments, managing the coordination between medical teams to ensure smooth operations and achieve high-quality care services for the patients. Medical directors enforce strict guidelines and safety measures for everyone's adherence. They also implement medical care programs, recruit medical staff, inspect the adequacy of medical equipment, respond to patient's inquiries and concerns, and oversee the facilities' procedures. A medical director manages the budget of the department, allocating equal resources to address every need.

Patient care manager vs medical director salary

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

	Patient Care Manager	Medical Director
Average salary	$65,369	$230,317
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $117,000	Between $143,000 And $369,000
Highest paying City	Oakland, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Accenture	UnitedHealth Group
Best paying industry	Health Care	Insurance

Differences between patient care manager and medical director education

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

	Patient Care Manager	Medical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Nursing	Medicine
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Patient care manager vs medical director demographics

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

	Patient Care Manager	Medical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 17.1% Female, 82.9%	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
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, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between patient care manager and medical 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.

Medical director example responsibilities.

Manage OPD for acute injuries.
Manage patients with diabetes, hypertension and other medical problems.
Manage patients living with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other sexually transmit infections.
Manage hypertension and diabetes in elderly patients
Conduct psychiatry evaluations and treatment, manage co-occurring disorders.
Manage budget planning, forecasting and accruals for improve financial management.

Patient care manager vs medical 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 medical director skills

Patients, 12%
Medical Care, 7%
Medical Services, 6%
Utilization Review, 5%
Appeals, 5%
Internal Medicine, 4%

Patient Care Manager vs. similar jobs

Patient Care Manager related careers

Patient Care Manager related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Patient Care Manager
Patient Care Manager vs Medical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs