Program director vs clinical director

The differences between program directors and clinical 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 program director and a clinical director. Additionally, a clinical director has an average salary of $96,497, which is higher than the $80,664 average annual salary of a program director.

The top three skills for a program director include oversight, social work and patients. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.

Program director vs clinical director overview

	Program Director	Clinical Director
Yearly salary	$80,664	$96,497
Hourly rate	$38.78	$46.39
Growth rate	8%	28%
Number of jobs	82,810	83,232
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	40	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a program director do?

Program directors are employees who oversee all aspects of a specific program in the company. They usually work in nonprofit organizations or are assigned to a department doing corporate social responsibility activities. Program directors ensure that the program is in line with the company's goals. They also ensure that the resources assigned to the program are properly managed and that all finances are accounted for. They create strategies to ensure the success of the program and communicate these to everyone involved. They lead the implementation and evaluation of the program.

What does a clinical director do?

A clinical director is a managing professional who manages the work of healthcare providers to ensure quality patient care is achieved. Clinical directors are responsible for organizational tasks such as adjusting staff schedules, explaining insurance benefits to the patients, and managing financial reports. They can work either in small clinics with a smaller workforce or larger hospitals with multiple departments. Clinical directors may also assist in the hiring process of healthcare providers and should establish a positive work environment.

Program director vs clinical director salary

Program directors and clinical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Program Director	Clinical Director
Average salary	$80,664	$96,497
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $129,000	Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Georgia	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Mayo Clinic	Sutro Biopharma
Best paying industry	Technology	Health Care

Differences between program director and clinical director education

There are a few differences between a program director and a clinical director in terms of educational background:

	Program Director	Clinical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	Stanford University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Program director vs clinical director demographics

Here are the differences between program directors' and clinical directors' demographics:

	Program Director	Clinical Director
Average age	40	47
Gender ratio	Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6%	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	14%	12%

Differences between program director and clinical director duties and responsibilities

Program director example responsibilities.

Manage personnel performing SAS programming, technical document preparation and quality assurance.
Manage program budgets and supervise staff to ensure that immunization and registry activities are successfully implement.
Manage direct support professionals serving adult populations for persons with mental health, developmental disabilities and children with autism.
Manage day-to-day oversight and management involving planning, programming, execution, distribution, and analysis for assign organizations budgets.
Implement client ADL, ISP, and behavior plans in a group home.
Organize schedule for swim lessons and kids camp.

Clinical director example responsibilities.

Develop distinctive ambulatory strategies to achieve and sustain competitive healthcare advantage.
Manage and assist with data collection and input for MDS.
Manage quality of documentation through education and electronic review of clinical processes utilizing HCHB EMR.
Manage front office, marketing, and communication -demonstrated/supervise exercises for patients -Developed instructional packets for home exercise programs
Manage projects and ambulatory system initiatives, and collaborate with system leadership teams to ensure EMR alignment with all regulatory requirements.
Experience in GCP, FDA audits, and regulatory guidance review and implementation.

Program director vs clinical director skills

Common program director skills

Oversight, 9%
Social Work, 6%
Patients, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Mental Health, 5%
Program Management, 5%

Common clinical director skills

Patients, 18%
Patient Care, 11%
Physical Therapy, 5%
Social Work, 4%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Clinical Services, 3%

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Program Director vs Clinical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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