Quality improvement manager vs clinical director

The differences between quality improvement managers 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 quality improvement manager and a clinical director. Additionally, a clinical director has an average salary of $96,497, which is higher than the $78,698 average annual salary of a quality improvement manager.

The top three skills for a quality improvement manager include quality improvement, performance improvement and patients. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.

Quality improvement manager vs clinical director overview

	Quality Improvement Manager	Clinical Director
Yearly salary	$78,698	$96,497
Hourly rate	$37.84	$46.39
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	78,509	83,232
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a quality improvement manager do?

A quality improvement manager has a variety of duties and responsibilities. These include conducting research and creating quality improvement programs, developing standard operating procedures and facility policies, and performing audits to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Additionally, you will be responsible for establishing work plan metrics, analyzing performance metrics, and monitoring various department processes such as care complaints in the healthcare setting. You are also expected to review the latest industry data, clinical quality studies, and best practice interventions.

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.

Quality improvement manager vs clinical director salary

Quality improvement managers and clinical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Quality Improvement Manager	Clinical Director
Average salary	$78,698	$96,497
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $111,000	Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	San Rafael, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Oregon	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Portland General Electric	Sutro Biopharma
Best paying industry	Insurance	Health Care

Differences between quality improvement manager and clinical director education

There are a few differences between a quality improvement manager and a clinical director in terms of educational background:

	Quality Improvement Manager	Clinical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Quality improvement manager vs clinical director demographics

Here are the differences between quality improvement managers' and clinical directors' demographics:

	Quality Improvement Manager	Clinical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1%	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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	12%	12%

Differences between quality improvement manager and clinical director duties and responsibilities

Quality improvement manager example responsibilities.

Manage CAPA, document control, internal audit, complaint handling, and training programs.
Manage 12 FDA and EMA inspections ensuring efficient management of observations, corrective action commitment and completion.
Manage HEDIS medical record review project and validation activities complete by auditors.
Lead and direct the organization's accreditation survey preparation for rehabilitation facilities organizations.
Serve as health plan subject matter expert for HEDIS specifications and NCQA standards and guidelines in preparation for health plan accreditation.
Coordinate annual HEDIS reporting including oversight of vendor data collection, analysis and auditing.

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.

Quality improvement manager vs clinical director skills

Common quality improvement manager skills

Quality Improvement, 7%
Performance Improvement, 6%
Patients, 5%
Oversight, 5%
Process Improvement, 5%
Patient Care, 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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Quality Improvement Manager
Quality Improvement Manager vs Clinical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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