Clinical Coordinator: Salary and Career Facts

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Career Information At a Glance

Clinical coordinators oversee specialized health service units and typically have backgrounds in the type of clinic or unit they supervise, such as an oncology or occupational therapy unit. The following chart gives you an overview about entering this field.

Degree Required Bachelor's degree typically required, with additional degrees (such as master's) dependent on the employer
Certification Optional certification available, may be required
Job Duties Hiring employees, creating schedules, managing staff, tracking budgets, implementing policies and procedures
Job Outlook (2012-2022) 23% (for all medical and health services managers)*
Median Salary (2014) $92,810 (for all medical and health services managers)*

Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

What Is a Clinical Coordinator?

Clinical coordinators, sometimes called clinical managers, are responsible for the day-to-day functioning of a department, program or division in a hospital or other type of healthcare setting. They usually have a degree and several years of experience working in the type of clinic they oversee. There are clinical coordinators who work in radiology, occupational therapy and cardiology departments; wound care centers; residential drug treatment centers; hemodialysis clinics and many other areas.

While tasks do vary, clinical coordinators are usually responsible for hiring and scheduling, assigning patients to staff and providing staff support. They also often compute budgets, implement policies and procedures, evaluate personnel and prepare reports.

Positions can also be found within academic settings. For example, with a background as a radiologic technologist, you could work as a clinical coordinator in a radiologic technology program at a college. Your duties would typically include advising, lecturing and recruiting students. You might also be responsible for developing curriculum, supervising adjunct faculty, handling budget issues, overseeing fieldwork projects or coordinating the clinical component of a program.

What Are the Education and Experience Requirements?

The type of degree you'll need depends on the nature of your work as well as where you'll be employed. To become a clinical coordinator in a surgery department, for example, you will generally need a bachelor's degree in nursing and experience as a medical-surgical nurse. To be a clinical coordinator in a physical therapy department, you need to be a licensed physical therapist, which involves obtaining a doctorate in physical therapy. You'll generally need at least a master's degree for an academic position, though some schools may accept candidates who are still pursuing their master's.

An employer might also request any necessary certifications - for example, you might need to be a Certified Dialysis Nurse (CDN) in order to work in a dialysis clinic. Many clinical coordinator positions also require several years of supervisory experience.

What Salary Might I Expect?

Your salary will vary depending on a number of factors, including your level of education and experience, the types of certifications you hold and where you work. For example, in July 2015, the website found that most clinical nursing coordinators made between approximately $50,138 - $91,917, and most physical therapy directors made between $68,220 - $103,366.


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