Senior practice manager vs clinical director

The differences between senior practice 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 senior practice manager and a clinical director. Additionally, a senior practice manager has an average salary of $119,792, which is higher than the $96,497 average annual salary of a clinical director.

The top three skills for a senior practice manager include patients, healthcare and patient care. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.

Senior practice manager vs clinical director overview

	Senior Practice Manager	Clinical Director
Yearly salary	$119,792	$96,497
Hourly rate	$57.59	$46.39
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	112,452	83,232
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a senior practice manager do?

Senior practice managers are responsible for reaching clinical quality standards as well as business and financial goals. They are primarily in charge of the business performance of the clinics in the region, together with the supervision of the professional and clinical performance of the clinical team. Also, they control the clinical practice standards, adherence to policies, coding compliance, and practice procedures. Additionally, they regularly assess the effectiveness and determine opportunities for operational, system, and program improvements.

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.

Senior practice manager vs clinical director salary

Senior practice managers and clinical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Practice Manager	Clinical Director
Average salary	$119,792	$96,497
Salary range	Between $80,000 And $178,000	Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Perkins Coie	Sutro Biopharma
Best paying industry	Professional	Health Care

Differences between senior practice manager and clinical director education

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

	Senior Practice Manager	Clinical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Senior practice manager vs clinical director demographics

Here are the differences between senior practice managers' and clinical directors' demographics:

	Senior Practice Manager	Clinical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 64.6% Female, 35.4%	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.1% White, 61.2% 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 senior practice manager and clinical director duties and responsibilities

Senior practice manager example responsibilities.

Experience in managing implementations of healthcare information and EMR system.
Manage major transformation by creating/designing and implementing new EHR operating system providing communications, training and technical support throughout the process.
Maintain and update HIPAA, OSHA, and local policies and procedures to ensure compliance and staff education.
Prepare analyses and reports while advising clients in obtaining financing through state healthcare agencies, bond markets and private lenders.
Administer SQL database, implement quality assurance and quality control of multiple databases.
Develop CRM strategy and design for overhauling customer service contact center of Japanese automaker.

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.

Senior practice manager vs clinical director skills

Common senior practice manager skills

Patients, 13%
Healthcare, 8%
Patient Care, 8%
Oversight, 5%
Professional Services, 4%
Portfolio, 4%

Common clinical director skills

Patients, 18%
Patient Care, 11%
Physical Therapy, 5%
Social Work, 4%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Clinical Services, 3%

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Senior Practice Manager
Senior Practice Manager vs Clinical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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