How to Become a Health Administrator

Overview & Salaries

Median salary:
$88,850.

Expected growth from 2012-2020:
+73,500

Specialization Options:
Human resources, finance, technical management, operations, and project management.

Recommended Degree:
The right degree for you depends on the size of the medical institution you apply for. Usually a bachelors degree in management or healthcare management is required for most positions. If you are looking to get into a competitive or higher level position, then a masters degree or an MBA may be needed. Learn more by clicking our “Education Required” tab up top.

(all information above provided by the 2012 BLS)

Discover the Best Places to Become a Healthcare Administrator

Presently, New York has the greatest number of employment opportunities for healthcare administrators, with 27,530 jobs and an annual mean wage of $118,020. California is second in the nation, where 26,860 positions are currently filled by health administration professionals, and receive an average yearly salary of $118,040.

With more than 11% of the population working in healthcare nationally, the concentration appears more spread out among outlying metropolitan areas. For example, the percentage of workers skyrockets to 20% in: Duluth, Minnesota-Wisconsin; McAllen-Edinburg-Pharr, Texas; Morgantown, West Virginia; and Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas.

Employment & Salary Information by States for Healthcare Administrators

Use our interactive map below to find out which areas of the United States are currently experiencing the greatest amount of growth and job availability for graduates looking for a career in Healthcare Administration. The associated information has been gathered from the Bureau of Labor statistics, representing data collected in 2012.

Employment and Information Data for Health Administration

Why Health Administration

Administrators are the backbone of any healthcare facility. And as the healthcare industry continues to flourish and healthcare systems become more complex, it is left to the administration to adopt new polices and implement new procedures to ensure patients receive optimum service and treatments.

Perhaps more so than any other industry, healthcare will be greatly affected over the next decade due to an aging baby-boomer population. As more and more Americans live actively deep into their later years, the influx of older seniors from the most populous generation in the country’s history will put great demand on medical services. That is why employment of healthcare administration is predicted to grow at a much faster rate (22%) than the average for all occupations.

Recommended Health Administration Courses

  • Introduction to Health and Disease for Administrators
  • Concepts Organizational Behavior in Healthcare Administration
  • Foundations of Healthcare Services
  • Healthcare Administration and Human Resources Management
  • Introduction to Health Law Policies
  • Leadership and Career Development in Health Care Administration
  • Healthcare Policy & Analysis
  • Strategic Health Care Management and Planning
  • Healthcare Managerial Communications
  • Concepts of Organization Theory and Health Care Management

Degrees for Health Administration Careers

There are many levels to healthcare administration careers and equally as many ways to gain entry. Entry level positions often require a certificate from a secondary institution of learning while the upper echelons of the field demand graduate and doctorate degrees.

Certificate
A certificate in Healthcare Administration can be a springboard for students interested in pursuing a career in the medical industry. Many programs offer courses in the basics of the business operations and functions of the healthcare industry that can be transferable towards an associate’s degree.

Associate’s Degree
An Associate degree in healthcare administration prepares students to function in a front office capacity at many medical facilities and offices. The program is often a stepping stone towards a bachelor’s degree, which readies experienced students to take on managerial roles.

Bachelor’s Degree
A bachelor’s degree in Healthcare administration will ready professionals for the demanding pace of management by offering courses in theory, medical practices, insurance and billing procedures and overall administration as it pertains to healthcare organizations.

Master’s Degree
The MHA is designed to prepare experienced healthcare professional to take on senior management roles in a myriad of organizations from doctor’s offices to hospitals to large non-governmental agencies serving global healthcare issues.