Rehab director vs department director

The differences between rehab directors and department 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 rehab director and a department director. Additionally, a department director has an average salary of $97,804, which is higher than the $83,711 average annual salary of a rehab director.

The top three skills for a rehab director include patients, rehabilitation and occupational therapy. The most important skills for a department director are patient care, patients, and healthcare.

Rehab director vs department director overview

	Rehab Director	Department Director
Yearly salary	$83,711	$97,804
Hourly rate	$40.25	$47.02
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	31,936	73,424
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a rehab director do?

A Rehab Director is responsible for coordinating the programs and staff of the rehabilitation services department for a nursing home. They supervise the departmental staff operations and budget development and ensure that services are in compliance with professional and clinical standards, as well as state and federal regulatory requirements.

What does a department director do?

A Department Director spearheads and oversees the operations of a department, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Although their responsibilities vary upon the functions of a department, they typically have the power to decide on projects and programs. Their responsibilities include setting goals, establishing budgets and guidelines, representing the department at meetings and media coverages, liaising with external business partners, managing staff, and monitoring the progress of operations. Moreover, a Department Director leads and encourages staff to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Rehab director vs department director salary

Rehab directors and department directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Rehab Director	Department Director
Average salary	$83,711	$97,804
Salary range	Between $58,000 And $120,000	Between $64,000 And $148,000
Highest paying City	San Leandro, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	Accurate Home Care	Anna Jaques Hospital
Best paying industry	Health Care	Finance

Differences between rehab director and department director education

There are a few differences between a rehab director and a department director in terms of educational background:

	Rehab Director	Department Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Business
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Pennsylvania

Rehab director vs department director demographics

Here are the differences between rehab directors' and department directors' demographics:

	Rehab Director	Department Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 33.1% Female, 66.9%	Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.9% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between rehab director and department director duties and responsibilities

Rehab director example responsibilities.

Manage PPS, MDS input, Medicare caseload, setting planner, managing minutes, and managing insurance approvals authorizations.
Manage budget and labor costs of rehab department in LTC skil nursing facility.
Experience in education and training of other DOR's at sister facility to accomplish clinical and financial goals.
Manage PPS/schedules and ensure sufficient coverage for a mix caseload of MCR, HMO and private pay residents.
Organize, supply, set up, and manage therapy services in a new state of the art SNF.
Lead team of interdisciplinary therapists through the preparation process to successfully obtain CARF accreditation.

Department director example responsibilities.

Manage and direct bureau operations, and provide oversight of criminal investigations of statewide importance.
Establish and develop relationships with ERP and consulting vendors with the goal of maximizing comparative advantage and cost efficient solution development.
Ensure compliance with all CMS regulations.
Provide public education in the areas of fire department capabilities and history as well as CPR classes.
Follow up and coordination of rehabilitation services.
Cross-Train pre-operative and PACU staff to optimize efficiency.

Rehab director vs department director skills

Common rehab director skills

Patients, 20%
Rehabilitation, 13%
Occupational Therapy, 10%
Program Development, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Speech Therapy, 4%

Common department director skills

Patient Care, 15%
Patients, 14%
Healthcare, 13%
Oversight, 8%
Human Resources, 5%
Payroll, 4%

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Rehab Director
Rehab Director vs Department Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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