Therapy program manager vs nursing director

The differences between therapy program managers and nursing 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 nursing director. Additionally, a therapy program manager has an average salary of $93,242, which is higher than the $87,643 average annual salary of a nursing director.

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

Therapy program manager vs nursing director overview

	Therapy Program Manager	Nursing Director
Yearly salary	$93,242	$87,643
Hourly rate	$44.83	$42.14
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	119,197	76,956
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Associate Degree, 44%
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 nursing director do?

A nursing director's role is to oversee and evaluate all nurse staff in a hospital or organization, ensuring their efficiency at providing care towards patients. A nursing director's responsibilities mainly revolve around administrative tasks such as coordinating with physicians and other consultants, producing reports, conducting assessments, managing the budget and expenditures, and resolving issues. Furthermore, a nursing director must keep and maintain accurate records, ensuring all procedures adhere to the highest health standards and aligns with the hospital's policies and regulations.

Therapy program manager vs nursing director salary

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

	Therapy Program Manager	Nursing Director
Average salary	$93,242	$87,643
Salary range	Between $68,000 And $126,000	Between $64,000 And $118,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Edwards Lifesciences	Oculus
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between therapy program manager and nursing director education

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

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

Therapy program manager vs nursing director demographics

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

	Therapy Program Manager	Nursing Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1%	Male, 11.6% Female, 88.4%
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, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 7.5% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between therapy program manager and nursing 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 )

Nursing director example responsibilities.

Manage FTE'S of the units.
Manage FTE numbers by following staffing grids.
Lead in the implementation of whole house telemetry.
Manage and provide inpatient nursing care for all aspects of general surgery.
Manage and coordinate all aspects of nursing and ancillary services for successful operation of the SNF.
Complete comprehensive assessments for all LTC residents which include managing falls, pain, skin integrity, and medications.

Therapy program manager vs nursing director skills

Common therapy program manager skills

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

Common nursing director skills

Patients, 16%
Term Care, 8%
Home Health, 7%
Resident Care, 6%
Rehabilitation, 5%
Infection Control, 5%

Therapy Program Manager vs. similar jobs

Therapy Program Manager related careers

Therapy Program Manager related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Therapy Program Manager
Therapy Program Manager vs Nursing Director

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs