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The differences between program administrators and program coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a program administrator, becoming a program coordinator takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a program administrator has an average salary of $50,715, which is higher than the $45,068 average annual salary of a program coordinator.
The top three skills for a program administrator include customer service, oversight and patients. The most important skills for a program coordinator are customer service, patients, and social work.
| Program Administrator | Program Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $50,715 | $45,068 |
| Hourly rate | $24.38 | $21.67 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 119,898 | 102,464 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Program administrators are responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating their organization's program or service. Their duties and responsibilities may vary depending on the industry they work at, such as educational, community, and social services. Among these duties are selecting and supervising the staff to manage a certain program or project, managing the program's budget, and evaluating the success of a program. To become successful in this role, a program administrator must have in-depth knowledge of project management disciplines, leadership skills, and decision-making and problem-solving skills.
Program coordinators are mid-level employees who are assigned to work on a program of a specific department. They handle the communications between their department and any other department that they may need to collaborate with. They coordinate action plans and activities to ensure that the departments are aligned. They are present during the planning stage for the program so that they will be familiar with action items. They are directly involved in the implementation by liaising with the involved departments. Program coordinators should have good communication skills, interpersonal skills, and organization skills.
Program administrators and program coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Administrator | Program Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $50,715 | $45,068 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $73,000 | Between $31,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a program administrator and a program coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Program Administrator | Program Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between program administrators' and program coordinators' demographics:
| Program Administrator | Program Coordinator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% | Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 7.1% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |