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The differences between practice 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 practice manager and a medical director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, which is higher than the $107,374 average annual salary of a practice manager.
The top three skills for a practice manager include patients, patient care and customer service. The most important skills for a medical director are patients, medical care, and medical services.
| Practice Manager | Medical Director | |
| Yearly salary | $107,374 | $230,317 |
| Hourly rate | $51.62 | $110.73 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 38,196 | 75,810 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A practice manager is responsible for supervising daily operations, especially on the side of the medical industry. Practice managers monitor staffing needs, train new employees, and evaluate the employees' productivity and performance. They also enforce strict guidelines and procedures, ensuring that the processes adhere to the legal standards and regulatory requirements. Practice managers also maintain budget goals, creating cost estimates and expense reports. A practice manager must have strong communication, analytical, and critical-thinking skills, as well as comprehensive knowledge of the medical industry practices.
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.
Practice managers and medical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Practice Manager | Medical Director | |
| Average salary | $107,374 | $230,317 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $175,000 | Between $143,000 And $369,000 |
| Highest paying City | Providence, RI | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Davis Wright Tremaine | UnitedHealth Group |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a practice manager and a medical director in terms of educational background:
| Practice Manager | Medical Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Business | Medicine |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between practice managers' and medical directors' demographics:
| Practice Manager | Medical Director | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.3% Female, 74.7% | Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.0% 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% |