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The differences between wellness 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 wellness program manager and a medical director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, which is higher than the $71,900 average annual salary of a wellness program manager.
The top three skills for a wellness program manager include health education, community resources and CPR. The most important skills for a medical director are patients, medical care, and medical services.
| Wellness Program Manager | Medical Director | |
| Yearly salary | $71,900 | $230,317 |
| Hourly rate | $34.57 | $110.73 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 101,471 | 75,810 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Wellness program managers control and administer programs and policies that promote health in an organization or community. They are tasked with planning and executing specialized wellness programs to improve their organization's health, wellness, and fitness. They also perform management tasks like tracking and reporting program goals, controlling a budget, and handling staffing needs. A university degree in public health or fitness is necessary for this position.
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.
Wellness program managers and medical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Wellness Program Manager | Medical Director | |
| Average salary | $71,900 | $230,317 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $100,000 | Between $143,000 And $369,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | UnitedHealth Group |
| Best paying industry | - | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a wellness program manager and a medical director in terms of educational background:
| Wellness Program Manager | Medical Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Medicine |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between wellness program managers' and medical directors' demographics:
| Wellness Program Manager | Medical Director | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.1% Female, 68.9% | Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.6% 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% |