Quality improvement manager vs medical director

The differences between quality improvement managers 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 quality improvement manager and a medical director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, 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 medical director are patients, medical care, and medical services.

Quality improvement manager vs medical director overview

	Quality Improvement Manager	Medical Director
Yearly salary	$78,698	$230,317
Hourly rate	$37.84	$110.73
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	78,509	75,810
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
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 medical director do?

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.

Quality improvement manager vs medical director salary

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

	Quality Improvement Manager	Medical Director
Average salary	$78,698	$230,317
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $111,000	Between $143,000 And $369,000
Highest paying City	San Rafael, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Oregon	Alaska
Best paying company	Portland General Electric	UnitedHealth Group
Best paying industry	Insurance	Insurance

Differences between quality improvement manager and medical director education

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

	Quality Improvement Manager	Medical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Nursing	Medicine
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Quality improvement manager vs medical director demographics

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

	Quality Improvement Manager	Medical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1%	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
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, 11.0% 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%

Differences between quality improvement manager and medical 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.

Medical director example responsibilities.

Manage OPD for acute injuries.
Manage patients with diabetes, hypertension and other medical problems.
Manage patients living with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other sexually transmit infections.
Manage hypertension and diabetes in elderly patients
Conduct psychiatry evaluations and treatment, manage co-occurring disorders.
Manage budget planning, forecasting and accruals for improve financial management.

Quality improvement manager vs medical director skills

Common quality improvement manager skills

Quality Improvement, 7%
Performance Improvement, 6%
Patients, 5%
Oversight, 5%
Process Improvement, 5%
Patient Care, 5%

Common medical director skills

Patients, 12%
Medical Care, 7%
Medical Services, 6%
Utilization Review, 5%
Appeals, 5%
Internal Medicine, 4%

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Quality Improvement Manager
Quality Improvement Manager vs Medical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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