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Job outlook for patient care managers in the United States
Patient care manager job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected patient care manager job growth rate is 28% from 2018-2028.
About 136,200 new jobs for patient care managers are projected over the next decade.
Patient care manager salaries have increased 8% for patient care managers in the last 5 years.
There are over 29,227 patient care managers currently employed in the United States.
There are 123,652 active patient care manager job openings in the US.
The average patient care manager salary is $65,369.
Are patient care manager jobs in demand?
Patient care manager job and salary trends over time
Patient care manager jobs over time
Patient care manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 29,227 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 26,937 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 26,426 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 24,938 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 23,219 | 0.01% |
Average patient care manager salary over time
Patient care manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $65,369 | $31.43 | +3.3% |
| 2025 | $63,300 | $30.43 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | $62,516 | $30.06 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $61,651 | $29.64 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $60,517 | $29.09 | +2.2% |
Patient care manager jobs by state
Most common states for patient care managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 228 | 33% |
| 2 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 425 | 32% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 278 | 29% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 344 | 26% |
| 5 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 229 | 26% |
| 6 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 190 | 25% |
| 7 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 745 | 24% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,309 | 23% |
| 9 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 2,761 | 22% |
| 10 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,115 | 21% |
| 11 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,505 | 21% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,465 | 21% |
| 13 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,261 | 21% |
| 14 | Vermont | 623,657 | 131 | 21% |
| 15 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,986 | 20% |
| 16 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,677 | 20% |
| 17 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,492 | 20% |
| 18 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 839 | 20% |
| 19 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 213 | 20% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 206 | 19% |
Most common cities for patient care managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palo Alto | 11 | 16% | $97,761 |
| 2 | Tallahassee | 7 | 4% | $54,170 |
| 3 | San Leandro | 4 | 4% | $97,951 |
| 4 | Boynton Beach | 3 | 4% | $49,924 |
| 5 | Carlsbad | 3 | 3% | $88,542 |
| 6 | Detroit | 5 | 1% | $72,984 |
| 7 | Washington | 5 | 1% | $69,993 |
| 8 | Atlanta | 4 | 1% | $58,501 |
| 9 | Urban Honolulu | 4 | 1% | $69,066 |
| 10 | Aurora | 3 | 1% | $72,332 |
| 11 | Phoenix | 5 | 0% | $62,931 |
| 12 | San Francisco | 4 | 0% | $98,257 |
| 13 | Boston | 3 | 0% | $89,103 |
| 14 | Indianapolis | 3 | 0% | $69,087 |
Patient Care Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of patient care manager experts
Texas A&M University - Central Texas
Molloy College
Indiana University Northwest
Saginaw Valley State University
The University of Texas at Austin
University of Minnesota
Illinois Wesleyan University
Missouri Baptist University
Eastern Michigan University
Dawn Riess Ph.D., RN, ACUE
Assistant ProfessorTexas A&M University - Central Texas
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research And Clinical Nursing
What general advice would you give to a Patient Care Manager?
Dawn Riess Ph.D., RN, ACUE: Nursing is difficult both physically and emotionally, but it is rewarding. Entry nurses may feel overwhelmed when they first enter the nursing field. I recommend you seek out a mentor and follow up with that person often. Texas Nursing Association (TNA) offers a mentoring program, I recommend you join that organization to help support you as you enter the nursing field. You will have good and bad days when you first begin your career. Having support in the unit you work in is important and usually, the organization has an internship program. You will have a direct impact on people's lives at the worst time in their lives. If someone is stressed, they may take that out on you but do not take it personally.
There are so many different avenues for entry-level nurses. If you don't want to work in the hospital setting, you can go into community health, clinics, outpatient rehab, home health, school nursing, informatics, and more. The flexibility offered in nursing is phenomenal. Your patients may not remember your name, but they will remember how you made them feel. Your impact on patient's lives is limitless. Nurses are present from birth to death and everything in between.
Rose Schecter PhD, RN
Associate Dean: Undergraduate Nursing & Nursing Administrative AffairsMolloy College
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research And Clinical Nursing
What general advice would you give to a Patient Care Manager?
Rose Schecter PhD, RN: New graduates should be open to the opportunities that present that are sought after AND those that just present themselves. Graduates should welcome offers of interviews in areas of nursing that perhaps were not first choices. New graduates should take part in continuing education courses if available to increase their skill set even before starting their first professional job. For example EKG testing and phlebotomy are skills one can learn prior to first positions. They will enhance the new graduate's resume.
Pawn Johnson-Hunter MS, RN, AGPCNP-BC, GERO- BC, CM/DN
Nurse Educator, Nclex Mentor/CoachWhat general advice would you give to a Patient Care Manager?
Pawn Johnson-Hunter MS, RN, AGPCNP-BC, GERO- BC, CM/DN: A few ways to maximize earning potential as a new graduate nurse is through skillful negotiations and previous experience in healthcare, such as degree level, nurse externships, phlebotomy skills, or certifications. Many, if not all, employers appreciate that new graduates are equipped with clinical skills that are strongly recommended for the practice area. While many nurse certifications require experience, some are for entry-level, such as advanced life support (ACLS and PALS) and IV insertion. There are also some specialty practice certifications that new grads can obtain without years of experience; although they may recommend the experience at times, this is optional. All of this demonstrates the applicant's commitment to the profession and interest. Other ways are to work overtime hours, learn about clinical career ladders, or continue formal education.
What will help Patient Care Managers increase their earning potential?
Pawn Johnson-Hunter MS, RN, AGPCNP-BC, GERO- BC, CM/DN: Changes to healthcare and its delivery are unfolding more vastly. Along with a solid clinical background, nurses will need to continue the development of soft skills, including communication, critical thinking, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and leadership, to name a few. Nurses must also maintain their spirit of inquiry through knowledge acquisition. With the shift toward increasing nurse community health services and an increase in the complexities of patient physical and mental health, nurses must continue to educate themselves beyond an employer-required competency level. Nurses are at the forefront of clinical practice, leading the workforce as integral members engaged in the overall health and wellness of the community.
Linda Galocy
Director and Assistant Dean, Clinical Associate ProfessorIndiana University Northwest
Health Information Management Programs
What skills stand out on Patient Care Manager resumes?
Linda Galocy: Revenue Cycle Management, Data Analytics, Information Governance, Privacy and Security of health information.
What soft skills should all Patient Care Managers possess?
Linda Galocy: Writing skills, communication, organization, the ability to multi-task, critical thinking skills.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Patient Care Managers?
Linda Galocy: Technical skills are dependent on the job, but working with multiple types of software at one time is very common in the health information profession. Patient records are electronic. Therefore, the ability to learn and adapt to electronic health record systems is a must. In addition, supportive software is typically used in order to get the work done, such as an encoder, which allows a medical coder to assign codes to a patient record, a release of information system that is utilized for tracking requests for patient records from the time the request is received until it is complete. The ability for
+a health information professional to understand an entire process, such as the revenue cycle. There are many individuals involved in the process of obtaining payment for healthcare services rendered, and it is important for everyone to do their job, do it correctly, and when errors occur, work together to correct those errors.
What skills will help Patient Care Managers earn the most?
Linda Galocy: Look for certifications. Health information professionals have two national certifications, the RHIT, and RHIA depending on the level of education that has been completed by a graduate. In addition, there are other certifications that a professional can obtain depending on their area of expertise. A clinical documentation improvement specialist can obtain a CDIP credential through AHIMA or a CCDS credential through ACDIS. AHIMA also provides certification in healthcare privacy and security, the CHPS, HIMSS offers the CAHIMS and CPHIMS credentials for professionals more focused on healthcare information and management of systems.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Patient Care Manager job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Karen Brown-Fackler: Nurses are in even greater demand than they were before. Job security, pay, and variety of positions have never been better.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Patient Care Manager job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Cara Young Ph.D.: Not a job market expert, but I believe the trend will be for increased hiring of family nurse practitioners to work within urgent care settings doing telemedicine for acute/episodic care. The companies that have been able to pivot to telemed platforms quickly have more patients than they know what to do with and are scrambling to find qualified providers.
What experience really stands out on Patient Care Manager resumes?
Karen Monsen Ph.D. RN, FAMIA, FNAP, FAAN: Hands-on experience means more than training, even though the training is essential. Volunteer to create, from the ground up, something that is innovative or practical. Participate in teams that develop or enhance a tech solution. Provide links to your successful projects. Show that you can do what you're trained to do.
What experience really stands out on Patient Care Manager resumes?
Dr. Brenda S. Lessen Knoll PhD, RN:
Our newer graduates already in the workforce who now have direct COVID experience are including that on their resumes. COVID and PandemicPandemic may very well be keywords that recruiters are looking for to inform employers on not only skills with direct patient care experience with COVID pathologies and PPE, but for experience in screening and policy development. These skills represent epidemiological and public health arenas, where nurses are key players.
For new graduates who have not yet entered the workforce, an internship or additional clinical time spent in a critical care setting would be a valuable addition to anyone's toolkit. Experiences that showcase professional agility will also be important, as nurses are now being required to transition to other units to meet the demands of the increased census and care for patients that may fall outside their established expertise.
Ashley Bell MSN, RN, OCN, CNE
Assistant ProfessorMissouri Baptist University
School of Nursing
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Patient Care Managers?
Ashley Bell MSN, RN, OCN, CNE: Yes, there will be an enduring impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on graduates. We have already seen that our students have reported abbreviated or virtual orientations. The first year of nursing has historically been a time when we see the burnout of young nurses. However, the stressors have tremendously increased due to the pandemic and strain that it has placed on the healthcare system as a whole. Graduates are reporting increased patient loads and a lack of adequate support services to aid in orientation to the competent nurse role. Despite these very real challenges, our graduates have shown extreme resiliency and perseverance, even in these tough times.
What experience really stands out on Patient Care Manager resumes?
Frank Schaller DNP, APRN, FNP-C: A resume should include unique experiences and other leadership/professional development items in order to stand out. It is key to include items that all of the other applicants might not have, such as internships, externships, healthcare-related experience outside of clinical rotations, and membership to and participation in organizations.