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The differences between public health directors and practice managers 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 director and a practice manager. Additionally, a practice manager has an average salary of $107,374, which is higher than the $85,569 average annual salary of a public health director.
The top three skills for a public health director include community health, public health and public health programs. The most important skills for a practice manager are patients, patient care, and customer service.
| Public Health Director | Practice Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $85,569 | $107,374 |
| Hourly rate | $41.14 | $51.62 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 75,124 | 38,196 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Public affairs specialists, also called media or communication specialists, are responsible for communicating with the public on behalf of an individual, company, government, or politicians. This role will require you to perform various tasks including creating press kit materials, such as images, press releases, and pitch letters for media outlets, maintaining the reputation and identity of the client or employer, and evaluating clients' public opinion through polls, social media listening, and surveys. In addition, public affairs specialists are responsible for evaluating promotional and advertising programs.
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.
Public health directors and practice managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Health Director | Practice Manager | |
| Average salary | $85,569 | $107,374 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $131,000 | Between $65,000 And $175,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Providence, RI |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Jefferson County Health Center | Davis Wright Tremaine |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Technology |
There are a few differences between a public health director and a practice manager in terms of educational background:
| Public Health Director | Practice Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Business |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between public health directors' and practice managers' demographics:
| Public Health Director | Practice Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% | Male, 25.3% Female, 74.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 7.7% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |