4 Health Care Administration Careers

The health care industry’s primary goal of providing the best patient care possible makes it an invaluable field for modern society.

But health care is also a business. Like any business, a health care facility consists of employees who work in accordance with organizational rules and key government regulations. This makes high quality health care administration especially important.

Administrators help maintain a productive work environment, and they also play a role in improving care delivery. An efficiently run facility with a positive company culture can lead to a happier, better-trained staff, which helps them provide the best care possible.

Anyone considering an undergraduate degree in health care management will find that there’s a wide range of health care administration career paths available. What are these careers, and how do they help facilities operate at their best?

A Health Care Management Degree at a Glance

The first step toward a career in health care administration begins by pursuing an undergraduate degree. Popular majors include health management, public health, human resources, nursing or a related field.

Typically, a health care management degree’s curriculum covers fundamental aspects of organizational operation such as finance, human resources, marketing and data analytics. Because these degrees emphasize health care, they also focus on clinical operation topics, such as the following:

Health system organization
Health service research
Health informatics
Health law and policy
Ethics in health care

Exploring these subjects helps aspiring professionals understand the complexities of health care administration. With a health care management degree, graduates can take on a range of administrative and executive roles in different settings, including the following:

Hospitals
Clinics
Long-term care facilities
Public health departments
Government agencies
Insurance companies

Careers in Health Care Administration

Earning an undergraduate degree in health care management can be the first step toward careers in health care management and administration.

1. Medical and Health Services Manager

Medical and health services managers oversee the operational functions of health care facilities, including medical practices, clinics, hospitals and assisted living facilities. They may coordinate medical services through tasks such as staff training, scheduling, creating a facility’s care delivery objectives, ensuring legal compliance and monitoring budgets. They may also oversee entire facilities, or in larger work environments, manage a specific department or group of professionals.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for medical and health services managers was $110,680 as of May 2023.

2. Health Information Manager

Health information managers (HIMs) oversee a health care facility’s patient records. Typical tasks include organizing records into databases, ensuring compliance with patient confidentiality regulations and analyzing insurance provider data to spot payers with a history of audits or denials. Because of the continued integration of tech systems in health care, HIMs also maintain a facility’s electronic medical records and are commonly responsible for electronically stored patient data.

The median annual salary for HIMs was approximately $65,010 as of October 2024, according to Payscale.

3. Hospital Administrator

Hospital administrators oversee the business side of a hospital to ensure optimized patient care. They devise medical services strategies based on a hospital’s budgets, resources and funding. They also develop a hospital’s patient care goals and evaluate the performance of staff to gauge progress.

The median annual salary for hospital administrators as of October 2024 was around $96,860, according to Payscale.

4. Patient Advocate

Also known as health advocates, patient advocates act as liaisons between patients and parties like health care providers and insurance companies. They typically work with patients dealing with chronic or long-term illnesses, guiding them through the health care industry’s complexities and helping them understand available treatment options. People working in this role may also help patients navigate the insurance system by assisting them in making claim denial disputes.

The median annual salary for patient advocates was approximately $51,100 as of September 2024, according to Payscale.

Make an Impact on Health Care

Health care administration roles are important for high-quality patient care. These professionals ensure that the business and operational sides of health care facilities run smoothly, allowing physicians, nurses and other clinical professionals to perform their important roles effectively.

App State Online’s Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management program can help you build the knowledge and skills to take on these important roles. Our curriculum is designed to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of the administrative side of health care, including finance, informatics, systems and health care ethics. Alongside courses in accounting, economics and statistics, health care management students study business communication, marketing and medical terminology to prepare for work in health care.

Learn how App State Online can prepare you for a fulfilling role in a critical field.

Recommended Readings

Health Care Management vs. Health Care Administration

A Look at Health Care Management and Nutrition

Sources:

Indeed, Health Care Management vs. Health Care Administration

Indeed, How to Become a Health Information Manager (With Skills)

Indeed, 6 Reasons to Become a Healthcare Administrator

Indeed, “What Does a Hospital Administrator Do? (Duties and Salary)”

Indeed, “What Does a Patient Advocate Do? (Duties and Salary)”

Payscale, Average Health Information Management (HIM) Manager Salary

Payscale, Average Hospital Administrator Salary