What Can I Do With a Healthcare Administration Degree: Jobs, Duties, & Salaries

Working in healthcare comes with great responsibility, but the reward that comes with this scope of work is immeasurable. While healthcare administrators may not be involved hands-on in working with patients in the way that doctors and nurses are, their work directly affects both medical staff and patients. If you are exploring degree programs in healthcare administration or you’re a recent graduate on the verge of starting work in this field, researching roles and job opportunities in this industry can be of great interest in order to make informed decisions when kick-starting your career.

To help you in the quest of finding the right fit, we have compiled a list of the most common jobs that healthcare administration graduates land. Some of the following may require additional qualifications or a master’s degree in healthcare administration, however, the requirements of these roles are always subject to change depending on various factors such as location, institution, number of applicants, etc. 

What Do Health Administrators Do?

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Healthcare administrators and managers often have to juggle a number of duties in anything that involves the administration and management of a healthcare system, facility, and non-clinical functions within them. Their responsibilities may range depending on the institution and level of experience, however, these are some of the most common ones:

  • Working on ensuring that the delivery of healthcare services is efficient and effective.

  • Setting departmental or individual goals and objectives.

  • Ensuring that the department/staff is updated and compliant with laws and regulations relevant to the healthcare industry.

  • Recruiting, training, and/or supervising staff members.

  • Developing and organizing work schedules for staff.

  • Monitoring departmental/institutional budgets and ensuring that spending is within its limit.

  • Keeping records of departmental or institutional services and equipment.

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Work Settings in Healthcare Administration

Depending on their area of specialization and preference, graduates of healthcare administration programs typically work in any of the following:

  • hospitals

  • group physician practices

  • public and private primary care clinics 

  • dental offices

  • optometrist’s  offices 

  • nursing homes 

  • senior living centers 

  • outpatient care centers/day surgery centers

  • mental health organizations

  • rehabilitation centers

  • ambulance service companies

Jobs in Healthcare Administration

Thanks to the constant demand for healthcare services and consequently the expansion of healthcare facilities due to this cause, there is a variety of healthcare administration roles and career paths to choose from. Below we have listed some common jobs with healthcare administration degree entry requirements, their duties and responsibilities, together with salaries. Salary data is collected from sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Payscale, salary.com, Glassdoor, etc.

Hospital Manager and CEO

Hospital managers and CEOs are some of the most authoritative figures in healthcare environments. They are executives who have final responsibility for staffing decisions and the overall functioning of a hospital. This role is further up the career ladder and requires years of expertise in the healthcare industry, but a degree in healthcare administration is typically the first step and the first educational requirement.

Responsibilities & duties

These managerial roles in healthcare have a wide range of responsibilities that vary depending on the size of the facility. In general, hospital managers and CEOs are typically involved in:

  • Hiring qualitative staff and making efforts to keep employee retention rates high.

  • Ensuring that the hospital is performing well financially.

  • Implementing policies and clinical procedures that will increase the organization’s efficiency.

  • Creating a positive work environment and displaying a strong sense of leadership.

  • Setting work standards and goals and ensuring that they are met.

Salary

According to the BSL, in May 2020, the median annual salary for medical and health services managers was $104,280. Medical and health services managers working in hospitals (state, local, and private) make a median annual salary of $112,870. Hospital Chief Officers, on the other hand, make an annual salary of $153,958 according to Payscale.

Nursing Home Manager

Nursing home managers are professionals who are responsible for the management of daily operations within a nursing home. 

Responsibilities & duties

As a nursing home manager, you will be responsible for:

  • The overall management of the nursing home’s healthcare operations.

  • Ensuring that patients are being offered qualitative healthcare services.

  • Providing support and interacting with residents and their families.

  • Organizing duties and creating staff schedules.

  • Ensuring that the facility and staff are compliant with all laws and regulations pertaining to the healthcare industry.

Salary

Nursing home managers also fall under the category of medical and health services managers. According to the BSL, the overall median annual salary for this job profile was $104,380 in May 2020, whereas the Bureau specifies a median annual wage of $89,880 for managers in nursing and residential care facilities.

Diagnostics Laboratory Manager

The treatment of patients is heavily dependent on the information that doctors and physicians get from medical diagnostic laboratories. Hence, diagnostics laboratory managers are in charge of ensuring that operations within these testing centers run smoothly. 

Responsibilities & duties

As a manager of a diagnostic laboratory within a healthcare institution, your duties and responsibilities will more or less consist of the following:

  • The overall guidance of projects and processes within the laboratory.

  • Reporting findings to doctors and physicians

  • Recruiting new laboratory staff & evaluating the overall performance of staff.

  • Managing and tracking lab finances.

  • Keeping track and placing orders of medical supplies and equipment.

  • Ensuring that all safety measures within the lab are being met.

  • Keeping up to date with testing regulations and updating technicians on them.

Salary

According to salary.com, the median annual salary for a diagnostic laboratory manager in the United States is $107,725, but this can range between $95,489 and $119,731 depending on the level of experience.

Healthcare Marketing Manager

While marketing is not the first thing that comes to mind in regard to the healthcare industry, over the last two decades, healthcare advertising in the United States has nearly doubled. In an industry where over $30 billion a year is spent on marketing, healthcare marketing managers lead growth initiatives and efforts for private clinics, hospitals, insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, etc.

Responsibilities & Duties

The duties of marketing managers will vary depending on the goals of the organization with which they work. Some employers will want to focus on attracting more clients, whereas others will want to promote a new healthcare service or implement a fresh marketing strategy. Whatever the case, healthcare marketing managers’ duties will typically include the following:

  • Implementing marketing strategies that target the client’s goals.

  • Overseeing all marketing activities and projects. 

  • Drafting communication plans for marketing campaigns and PR.

  • Exploring partnerships opportunities that are beneficial to the employer and the overall marketing initiatives.

Salary

According to salary.com, the annual salary range for healthcare sales/marketing managers falls between $109,959 and $141,375. This range depends on a number of factors such as education, certifications, and years of experience, but the overall median salary for this role is $123,459 as of July 2021.

Health Insurance Specialist

Health insurance is an integral part of healthcare plans in the U.S., which is why the role of a health insurance specialist is quite important. They are in charge of overseeing the process of medical insurance claims and maintaining patient records.

Responsibilities & duties

The responsibilities of a health insurance specialist involve:

  • Checking for insurance coverage and pre-approval for some medical procedures.

  • Verifying healthcare records and data.

  • Proofreading billing and medical coding.

  • Keeping up with the latest regulations and processing guidelines in health insurance.

Salary

According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for health insurance specialists is $85,919. This is an accumulation of salaries across the U.S. and may vary depending on experience, level of education, and location.

Medical Equipment Manager

Medical equipment managers are the professionals behind the management of operations. They are the individuals in charge of the equipment that is used in medical institutions.

Responsibilities & duties

In order to ensure patient safety, medical equipment and their lifecycle undergo various management stages. For this reason, the duties and responsibilities of a medical equipment manager include:

  • Ensuring medical equipment meets clinical standards.

  • Drafting a budget for medical equipment and ensuring that all orders and repairments don’t exceed it.

  • Coordinating with architects, engineers, contractors, equipment vendors, and hospital staff during the planning and development phases of a project.

  • Explore opportunities for cost reduction to maximize budget flexibility.

  • Hire contractors for maintenance and repairing of any damaged equipment.

Salary

According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual salary for medical equipment managers in the United States is $52,073.

Wellness Program Administrator

Wellness programs strive for the balance of physical activity, mental well-being, and proper nutrition, in order to promote the most optimal health for us. The administrators of these programs are in charge of the design and planning of activities that will target employees of a company or organization.

Responsibilities & duties

The duties of wellness program administrators can vary depending on the employer’s needs, however, their typical responsibilities include:

  • Assessing the needs of a company or organization in relation to wellness.

  • Developing a program and planning activities that address wellness and health issues.

  • Evaluating the efficiency of these programs through data gathering.

  • Providing group and individual consultations in regard to fitness and wellness.

  • Designing budgets for health and wellness activities.

  • Occasionally leading activity sessions and encouraging participation.

Salary

As of July 2021, the average annual wage for wellness program administrators is $66,062 according to salary.com. The salary range falls between $57,014 and $76,025, depending on credentials and location.


These were some of the exciting careers you can land with a degree in healthcare administration. This first academic step will open many doors for students who prefer a field of work that offers a variety of career paths; a great opportunity to discover the right fit for you.

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