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The differences between public health administrators 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 public health administrator and a medical director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, which is higher than the $59,146 average annual salary of a public health administrator.
The top three skills for a public health administrator include public health programs, health promotion and technical assistance. The most important skills for a medical director are patients, medical care, and medical services.
| Public Health Administrator | Medical Director | |
| Yearly salary | $59,146 | $230,317 |
| Hourly rate | $28.44 | $110.73 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 105,218 | 75,810 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Public Affairs Managers are responsible for managing the communications strategy and goals of an organization. They represent an organization's work through regular meetings with key stakeholders such as the local government, regulators, and public bodies. Public Affairs Managers also prepare progress reports, monitor governmental proceedings, develop internal forecasts on the effect of public policy, produce press releases, proofread media statements, and write up briefings for senior staff members. Besides that, they also stay updated on media stories daily.
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.
Public health administrators and medical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Health Administrator | Medical Director | |
| Average salary | $59,146 | $230,317 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $86,000 | Between $143,000 And $369,000 |
| Highest paying City | Dover, DE | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | City of Detroit | UnitedHealth Group |
| Best paying industry | Government | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a public health administrator and a medical director in terms of educational background:
| Public Health Administrator | Medical Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Public Health | Medicine |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between public health administrators' and medical directors' demographics:
| Public Health Administrator | Medical Director | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.1% Female, 66.9% | Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.8% 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% |