How To Become A Trauma Program Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a trauma program manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Daryl Green

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a trauma program manager. For example, did you know that they make an average of $47.35 an hour? That's $98,481 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 28% and produce 136,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

What's a day at work look like for a trauma program manager?

Dr. Daryl Green

Associate Professor of Business, Oklahoma Baptist University

Given the on-going threats of Covid-19, recent graduates can expect varying work days. Some students are working remotely (instead of an office space). Therefore, some recent graduates may still be living with their parents. We are still adjusting to 'The New Normal.' Given this reality, students need to be flexible and adaptable to their employment situation.

ScoreTrauma Program ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.6

Avg. Salary $98,481

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.1

Growth rate 28%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.72%

Asian 7.85%

Black or African American 11.55%

Hispanic or Latino 14.08%

Unknown 4.26%

White 61.55%

Gender

female 73.81%

male 26.19%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a trauma program manager

Explore trauma program manager education requirements

Most common trauma program manager degrees

Bachelor's

52.5 %

Associate

23.7 %

Master's

16.1 %

Start to develop specific trauma program manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	31.75%
Patient Care	16.29%
Injury Prevention	9.06%
Performance Improvement	8.77%
Trauma Program	8.33%

Complete relevant trauma program manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New trauma program managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a trauma program manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real trauma program manager resumes.

Research trauma program manager duties and responsibilities

Achieve employee performance and satisfaction providing supervision supporting excellence in documentation, a collaborative approach with providers and compassion for members.
Assist in establishing trauma resuscitation and treatment protocols and evaluate effectiveness of care and outcomes for trauma patients.
Initiate and conduct the organ donation portion of ICU orientation.
Review all nursing documentation of trauma patients and provide feedback to nurses for improvement of care/documentation as appropriate.

Apply for trauma program manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a trauma program manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do trauma program managers rate their job?

3/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Trauma program manager reviews

3.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019

Pros

It gives me the opportunity to work with people to meet their psychological needs

Cons

Nothing at this time