Unit director vs laboratory director

The differences between unit directors and laboratory 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 unit director and a laboratory director. Additionally, a laboratory director has an average salary of $92,971, which is higher than the $74,346 average annual salary of a unit director.

The top three skills for a unit director include patients, patient care and customer service. The most important skills for a laboratory director are clinical laboratory, patients, and patient care.

Unit director vs laboratory director overview

	Unit Director	Laboratory Director
Yearly salary	$74,346	$92,971
Hourly rate	$35.74	$44.70
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	41,585	59,500
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a unit director do?

A unit director is a management professional who is responsible for directing and managing a group of medical professionals in an organization. This director must manage the daily clinical and administrative duties for those professionals involved in the mental health hospitalization programs. The director must assist in recruiting healthcare professionals to maximize the branch and margin profits of the medical establishment. This director should also attend meetings with the OCFS program to discuss the performance and outcome measures of the program.

What does a laboratory director do?

A Laboratory Director is responsible for the overall operation and administration of the laboratory. They examine data, create reports, manage the staff, and ensure that the lab facility operates in accordance with the regulatory provisions of the government and the organization.

Unit director vs laboratory director salary

Unit directors and laboratory directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Unit Director	Laboratory Director
Average salary	$74,346	$92,971
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $131,000	Between $55,000 And $156,000
Highest paying City	Fairfield, CT	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Delaware
Best paying company	Palo Alto Networks	Reed Smith
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Media

Differences between unit director and laboratory director education

There are a few differences between a unit director and a laboratory director in terms of educational background:

	Unit Director	Laboratory Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Nursing	Biology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Unit director vs laboratory director demographics

Here are the differences between unit directors' and laboratory directors' demographics:

	Unit Director	Laboratory Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 46.0% Female, 54.0%	Male, 55.9% Female, 44.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.1% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between unit director and laboratory director duties and responsibilities

Unit director example responsibilities.

Prepare and manage payroll and purchasing, which include balancing of accounts within budgetary limits; establish daily interaction with clients.
Manage operational organizing of stock and equipment, order supplies and oversee building maintenance, cleanliness and security.
Provide case management services to residents in the Alzheimer's unit.
Migrate all operations to a new ERP and retail system with a successful implementation.
Develop and implement a program which assure quality of life for mid- stage Alzheimer's residents.
Oversee labor, as well as, payroll, purchases, complete work orders, and operating supplies.

Laboratory director example responsibilities.

Perform and manage quality control, maintenance and calibration of all equipment in hematology, coagulation and urinalysis.
Set up forensic DNA laboratory, train laboratory technicians in advance molecular techniques, and manage day-to-day activities of forensic DNA laboratory
Consult patients on various laboratory procedures involve in IVF.
Supervise 8 managers and 130 full-time employees (FTEs).
Focus on sterility, endotoxin, water and bioburden testing.
Restore compliance integrity of lab back to full capacity in time for JCAHO inspection.

Unit director vs laboratory director skills

Common unit director skills

Patients, 23%
Patient Care, 21%
Customer Service, 14%
Cleanliness, 7%
Staff Development, 6%
Customer Satisfaction, 5%

Common laboratory director skills

Clinical Laboratory, 11%
Patients, 10%
Patient Care, 9%
CLIA, 6%
Test Results, 6%
Laboratory Services, 4%

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Unit Director
Unit Director vs Laboratory Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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