Public health administrator vs unit director

The differences between public health administrators and unit 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 unit director. Additionally, a unit director has an average salary of $74,346, 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 unit director are patients, patient care, and customer service.

Public health administrator vs unit director overview

	Public Health Administrator	Unit Director
Yearly salary	$59,146	$74,346
Hourly rate	$28.44	$35.74
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	105,218	41,585
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a public health administrator do?

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.

What does a unit director do?

A unit director is a management professional who is responsible for directing and managing a group of medical professionals in an organization. This director must manage the daily clinical and administrative duties for those professionals involved in the mental health hospitalization programs. The director must assist in recruiting healthcare professionals to maximize the branch and margin profits of the medical establishment. This director should also attend meetings with the OCFS program to discuss the performance and outcome measures of the program.

Public health administrator vs unit director salary

Public health administrators and unit directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Public Health Administrator	Unit Director
Average salary	$59,146	$74,346
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $86,000	Between $42,000 And $131,000
Highest paying City	Dover, DE	Fairfield, CT
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Connecticut
Best paying company	City of Detroit	Palo Alto Networks
Best paying industry	Government	Manufacturing

Differences between public health administrator and unit director education

There are a few differences between a public health administrator and a unit director in terms of educational background:

	Public Health Administrator	Unit Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Public Health	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Public health administrator vs unit director demographics

Here are the differences between public health administrators' and unit directors' demographics:

	Public Health Administrator	Unit Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 33.1% Female, 66.9%	Male, 46.0% Female, 54.0%
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, 12.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between public health administrator and unit director duties and responsibilities

Public health administrator example responsibilities.

Manage busy immunization clinics overseeing the administration of thousands of immunizations per day.
Prepare and maintain complete and accurate medical documentation as required by the tuberculosis control program for evaluation and statistical purposes.
Design marketing Powerpoint presentations within company target market guidelines.

Unit director example responsibilities.

Prepare and manage payroll and purchasing, which include balancing of accounts within budgetary limits; establish daily interaction with clients.
Manage operational organizing of stock and equipment, order supplies and oversee building maintenance, cleanliness and security.
Provide case management services to residents in the Alzheimer's unit.
Migrate all operations to a new ERP and retail system with a successful implementation.
Develop and implement a program which assure quality of life for mid- stage Alzheimer's residents.
Oversee labor, as well as, payroll, purchases, complete work orders, and operating supplies.

Public health administrator vs unit director skills

Common public health administrator skills

Public Health Programs, 14%
Health Promotion, 14%
Technical Assistance, 11%
Infectious Disease, 9%
Provide Technical Assistance, 7%
Departmental Policies, 5%

Common unit director skills

Patients, 23%
Patient Care, 21%
Customer Service, 14%
Cleanliness, 7%
Staff Development, 6%
Customer Satisfaction, 5%

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Public Health Administrator
Public Health Administrator vs Unit Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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