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The differences between practice managers and practice leaders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a practice manager, becoming a practice leader takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a practice leader has an average salary of $131,194, 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 practice leader are exceptional client, patients, and business development.
| Practice Manager | Practice Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $107,374 | $131,194 |
| Hourly rate | $51.62 | $63.07 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 38,196 | 50,164 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
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 project management specialist is responsible for overseeing different programs and projects within a company, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities typically revolve around identifying project needs, participating in setting goals and objectives, managing schedules and budgets, performing risk and cost assessments, and producing progress reports and presentations for the directors and other executives. Furthermore, a project management specialist may also perform research and analysis to find new business opportunities and liaise with clients to generate sales.
Practice managers and practice leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Practice Manager | Practice Leader | |
| Average salary | $107,374 | $131,194 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $175,000 | Between $92,000 And $185,000 |
| Highest paying City | Providence, RI | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | Davis Wright Tremaine | SAP |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a practice manager and a practice leader in terms of educational background:
| Practice Manager | Practice Leader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between practice managers' and practice leaders' demographics:
| Practice Manager | Practice Leader | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.3% Female, 74.7% | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% |
| 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, 6.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 12.7% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |