Therapy program manager vs medical director

The differences between therapy program 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 therapy program manager and a medical director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, which is higher than the $93,242 average annual salary of a therapy program manager.

The top three skills for a therapy program manager include patients, customer service and respiratory care. The most important skills for a medical director are patients, medical care, and medical services.

Therapy program manager vs medical director overview

	Therapy Program Manager	Medical Director
Yearly salary	$93,242	$230,317
Hourly rate	$44.83	$110.73
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	119,197	75,810
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a therapy program manager do?

A Therapy Program Manager provides leadership and management of the physical therapy department. They direct and coordinate the policies, objectives, and initiatives of physical therapy programs.

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.

Therapy program manager vs medical director salary

Therapy program managers and medical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Therapy Program Manager	Medical Director
Average salary	$93,242	$230,317
Salary range	Between $68,000 And $126,000	Between $143,000 And $369,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Edwards Lifesciences	UnitedHealth Group
Best paying industry	Health Care	Insurance

Differences between therapy program manager and medical director education

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

	Therapy Program Manager	Medical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Occupational Therapy	Medicine
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Therapy program manager vs medical director demographics

Here are the differences between therapy program managers' and medical directors' demographics:

	Therapy Program Manager	Medical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1%	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.3% 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 therapy program manager and medical director duties and responsibilities

Therapy program manager example responsibilities.

Lead a team of thirty-five (35) FTE.
Manage a staff of 9 therapists in a CCRC setting including a 169 bed SNF.
Achieve employee performance and satisfaction providing supervision supporting excellence in documentation, a collaborative approach with providers and compassion for members.
Initiate department quality and process improvements to meet JACHO, MCR, CMS, CARF and other governing entity requirements.
Provide primary physical therapy treatment to patients on caseload and complete necessary documentation for billing insurance and showing medical necessity.
Consider a``working manager"( PTA )

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.

Therapy program manager vs medical director skills

Common therapy program manager skills

Patients, 25%
Customer Service, 12%
Respiratory Care, 7%
Acute Care, 7%
Respiratory Therapy, 6%
Rehabilitation, 6%

Common medical director skills

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

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Therapy Program Manager
Therapy Program Manager vs Medical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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