Credentials

• Patient care managers typically are registered nurses who manage the plan of nursing care within an assigned unit such as pediatrics, intensive care or cardiology. Job listings at Indeed.com for patient care managers in 2011 show that employers typically require the RN to have a bachelor of science in nursing, and some prefer a master's degree. Depending on the work setting, patient care managers also can be licensed physical therapists, speech-language pathologists or occupational therapists.
  
  

Average Salary

• The average salary for patient care managers as of April 2011 ranges from about $78,840 to $79,300 per year, finds CBSalary, a calculator associated with CareerBuilder.com. The middle 50 percent salary scale for these professionals is very wide, ranging from $57,200 to $122,638 per year.
  
  

Geography

• Salaries for patient care managers vary significantly with location. Patient care managers in Michigan, for example, have an average salary of $71,845 per year, while those in Washington earn an average yearly pay rate of $90,978. The average salary for patient care managers in Texas is $73,674 per year, in Pennsylvania $74,851, in North Carolina $77,514, in Illinois $83,601, in California $84,304 and in Connecticut $91,123. The top 25 percent of patient care managers in Connecticut earn more than $141,750 per year.
  
  

Salaries for Available Positions

• Patient care managers are needed in many types of employment settings, as illustrated by the Indeed.com listings. Positions are available with children's hospitals, critical care units, emergency rooms, home care agencies, hospices, general hospitals, medical centers, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation centers, surgical services and urgent care. Posted pay rates range from about $53,000 to $93,000 per year.