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What is a practice leader and how to become one
A practice leader manages a team of professionals in a particular field or industry. They set goals, develop strategies, and ensure that their team meets performance standards. Practice leaders may work in industries including healthcare, law, finance, and technology. Their duties include managing budgets, coordinating projects, hiring and training staff, and ensuring compliance. They mentor team members, providing guidance and support to help them succeed. Overall, a practice leader drives the success of a team and organization.
Avg. Salary $131,194
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 16%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.21%
Asian 12.74%
Black or African American 6.71%
Hispanic or Latino 10.07%
Unknown 5.20%
White 65.07%
Genderfemale 26.77%
male 73.23%
Age - 47American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 47Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
What are the pros and cons of being a practice leader?
Pros
Potential for higher salary and career advancement
Ability to make a positive impact on clients and staff
Opportunity for networking with other professionals
Possibility of creating a positive work culture and environment
Satisfaction of seeing the results of your efforts
Cons
Increased responsibility and pressure to perform
Long hours and high workload, especially during peak periods
Potential for conflicts with colleagues or superiors
Difficulty in achieving work-life balance
Limited job security, especially in uncertain economic times
Practice leader career paths
Key steps to become a practice leader
Explore practice leader education requirements
Start to develop specific practice leader skills
Skills Percentages Exceptional Client 9.59% Patients 6.80% Business Development 6.07% Customer Service 4.77% Infrastructure 4.17% Complete relevant practice leader training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New practice leaders learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a practice leader based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real practice leader resumes.Gain additional practice leader certifications
More About CertificationsPractice leader certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific practice leader certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for practice leaders include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Scrum Master (CSM).
Research practice leader duties and responsibilities
- Manage daily operations, set up new offices, supervise staff, implement new EMR and billing systems.
- Save the NetSuite relationship and manage the ERP practice for this firm focuse on telephony, NetSuite ERP and systems integration.
- Present vision, secure executive leadership approval and lead implementation of ITIL base processes.
- Reconcile enterprise project portfolio, recommending high value-add opportunity areas to align with business needs and achieve strategic results.
Get practice leader experience
Generally, it takes 6-8 years to become a practice leader. The most common roles before becoming a practice leader include senior consultant, consultant team lead and senior manager.Prepare your practice leader resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your practice leader resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a practice leader resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable practice leader resume templates
Build a professional practice leader resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your practice leader resume.
Apply for practice leader jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a practice leader job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first practice leader job
Are you a practice leader?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average practice leader salary
The average practice leader salary in the United States is $131,194 per year or $63 per hour. Practice leader salaries range between $92,000 and $185,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do practice leaders rate their job?
Practice leader reviews
You can apply a diverse set of skills and help across many areas
The role is often misunderstood and overlooked in applications for higher-level positions.
Flexibility of who I can interact
At times it becomes difficult to manage the expectations of competing teams
Updated January 8, 2025
