Therapy program manager vs nurse manager

The differences between therapy program managers and nurse managers 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 nurse manager. Additionally, a therapy program manager has an average salary of $93,242, which is higher than the $83,684 average annual salary of a nurse manager.

The top three skills for a therapy program manager include patients, customer service and respiratory care. The most important skills for a nurse manager are patients, home health, and CPR.

Therapy program manager vs nurse manager overview

	Therapy Program Manager	Nurse Manager
Yearly salary	$93,242	$83,684
Hourly rate	$44.83	$40.23
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	119,197	380,264
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
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 nurse manager do?

The primary role of nurse managers is to supervise the nursing staff in a clinical or hospital setting. They are the ones who are in charge of patient care, setting work schedules, and making budgetary and management decisions. They are also responsible for making personnel decisions, coordinating meetings, and creating safe environments that promote patient engagement and aid the healthcare team's work. Their role is vital in promoting a culture in which team members contribute to professional growth and patient outcomes.

Therapy program manager vs nurse manager salary

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

	Therapy Program Manager	Nurse Manager
Average salary	$93,242	$83,684
Salary range	Between $68,000 And $126,000	Between $60,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Las Vegas, NV
Highest paying state	California	Nevada
Best paying company	Edwards Lifesciences	BD
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between therapy program manager and nurse manager education

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

	Therapy Program Manager	Nurse Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Occupational Therapy	Nursing
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Therapy program manager vs nurse manager demographics

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

	Therapy Program Manager	Nurse Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1%	Male, 13.5% Female, 86.5%
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, 12.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.6% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between therapy program manager and nurse manager 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 )

Nurse manager example responsibilities.

Case manage workers compensation cases, administer drug testing, surveillance testing, minor 1st aid and CPR instruction.
Assess and manage various allergic and life threatening reactions of chemotherapy medications.
Manage staff of medical personnel providing care for telemetry, geriatric and general medicine patients.
Involve in utilization review and chart audits for all appropriate documentation for medicaid, Medicare and manage care organizations.
Manage surgical recovery patients including vascular, ENT, GI urological and neurological cases, coronary bypass surgery patients.
Maintain current ACLS and BLS certifications.

Therapy program manager vs nurse manager skills

Common therapy program manager skills

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

Common nurse manager skills

Patients, 22%
Home Health, 8%
CPR, 4%
Customer Service, 4%
Performance Improvement, 3%
Surgery, 3%

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Executive Management Industry
Therapy Program Manager
Therapy Program Manager vs Nurse Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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