What Does a Health Care Administrator Do? Role, Salary and More

Keeping health care facilities such as hospitals, clinics and nursing homes operating requires coordinated efforts from dedicated professionals. Several factors can affect these organizations’ mission to provide high-quality care and improve patient health, from lapses in regulatory compliance to nurse burnout. At a time when the industry faces a shortage of both physicians and nurses, minimizing the impact of these factors is more crucial than ever.

Health care administrators work behind the scenes to ensure that care delivery is as effective and efficient as possible, overseeing everything from budgeting and staffing to legal compliance and recruiting. For graduates with an educational foundation such as App State Online’s Bachelor of Science (BS) in Health Care Management, it can be a highly rewarding career. Anyone interested in the field should consider the role’s duties and typical career path, along with health care administrator salary information.

The Health Care Administrator Role at a Glance

Health care administrators, sometimes known as health care executives or medical and health services managers, oversee the business and operations of health care facilities. Different types of administrators coordinate daily operations — from human resources (HR) to supply chain management and budgeting — to maintain standards of care and ensure financial health.

Typical Duties

The primary goal of health care administrators is to support patient care. They do this by handling a range of different responsibilities, depending on their department and expertise. These duties include the following:

Setting objectives: Health care administrators identify areas in which facilities can improve efficiency and devise strategies to achieve set goals.
Ensuring compliance: Federal, state and local regulations and laws can change rapidly. Health care administrators track these changes and ensure that facilities adhere to evolving requirements.
Overseeing finance: Health care administrators oversee several areas that affect the bottom line, including department budgets, patient billing and fees.
Workforce management: Health care administrators are responsible for HR departments, recruitment and training, workforce supervision, staff scheduling and staff evaluation.
Recordkeeping: Health care administrators manage vital data, including electronic health records (EHRs), patient outcomes and bed availability.

In addition, some health care administrators write grant proposals to secure funding for projects. They may also represent facilities at functions such as shareholder meetings.

Who Hires Health Care Administrators?

While many health care administrators work in public and private hospitals, they may also work in residential care facilities, clinics, insurance companies and government agencies.

How to Become a Health Care Administrator

While no single path to a career in health care administration exists, the steps below can help interested candidates stand out to employers.

Education Requirements

Most facilities require health care administrators to have at least a bachelor’s degree, ideally in health care management, business or a related field. For senior and management positions, many employers require or prefer applicants with an advanced degree.

Experience Requirements

Before applying for health care administrator roles, individuals usually gain experience in other clinical or administrative roles in health care, such as a medical records specialist, an administrative assistant or a financial clerk. This experience helps future administrators learn how individual facilities and the health system as a whole function, preparing them for roles in which they make strategic decisions and set goals.

Licensing and Certification Requirements

Some health care administrators must be licensed in their intended state of practice, depending on the position. Lead health care administrators working in nursing homes, for example, must generally hold a Resident Care / Assisted Living (RCAL) license from state boards or the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB).

Certification is typically not required for administrative positions. However, it can help individuals demonstrate expertise in specific areas, such as compliance or facility management. This helps applicants stand out to prospective employers. Certifications include the following:

Certified in Healthcare Safety — Long Term Care: Issued by IBFCSM, the CHS-LTC credential demonstrates advanced knowledge of providing safe care environments for patients in long-term care facilities.
Certified Healthcare Technology Manager: Issued by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), the CHTM designation validates advanced expertise with health care technology systems.
Certified Healthcare Financial Professional: Issued by the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), the CHFP credential demonstrates advanced understanding of key health care finance concepts, including payment models, risk mitigation and resource management.

Health Care Administrator Salary and Job Growth

Medical and health services managers, including health care administrators, earned a median annual salary of $117,960 in 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Several factors can affect salaries, including education level, years of experience, work environment and location.

The BLS projects positions for medical and health services managers to increase by 23% between 2024 and 2034, significantly more than the 3% growth projected for the labor market at large.

Lead the Future of Health Care

By helping facilities operate efficiently, health care administrators contribute to optimal care, supportive workplaces and satisfied stakeholders.

App State Online’s BS in Health Care Management program can help you embark on a rewarding career in health care administration. Our program is designed to offer you a foundation in the business of health care, with coursework covering topics such as finance, information systems and HR. It also helps you develop the skills to address challenges currently facing the health care sector, such as workforce shortages and the ongoing opioid crisis. Our 100% online delivery model lets you earn a degree while meeting your professional and family obligations.

Explore what you can do with a health care management degree from App State Online.

Recommended Readings

Health Care Management vs. Health Care Administration

How to Become a Health Care Executive

Understanding Rural Health Disparities and How to Combat Them

Sources:

AAMC, New AAMC Report Shows Continuing Projected Physician Shortage

American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Nursing Shortage Fact Sheet

American Nurses Association, What Is Nurse Burnout? How to Prevent It

CareerOneStop, Certification Finder

Indeed, What Does a Health Administrator Do? (With Salary Info)

National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards, State Requirements