What Can You Do With an MHA? 15 Healthcare Administration Careers
There are so many jobs available for those who have earned a master’s degree in healthcare administration. A Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) can set you apart from the healthcare employee pack and allow you to apply for senior positions in the healthcare industry. In this article, we will discuss what an MHA is, the jobs you can get with an MHA degree, as well as their salaries and job outlooks.
What Is an MHA?
An MHA (Master of Healthcare Administration) is an advanced degree that you can pursue after earning a bachelor’s degree in a related field. You will typically need to meet a minimum GPA requirement and take an entrance exam in order to enter an MHA program.
If you plan to advance your education and career in healthcare, you can significantly benefit from an MHA. You will learn a variety of crucial skills such as efficiently collecting, maintaining, and analyzing data. An MHA program will also teach you how you can make a positive impact in healthcare organizations and patient outcomes.
What Can You Do With an MHA?
Healthcare is a massive industry. There are so many career opportunities for MHA graduates, including hospitals, schools, retirement facilities, nursing homes, and many more.
Once you earn your MHA, job opportunities may include positions responsible for managing, directing, planning, and coordinating business activities at hospitals, insurance companies, clinics, and doctors’ offices.
So, now that you have an idea of what an MHA is and what skills it teaches you, let’s take a closer look at some of the specific job titles you could land with an MHA degree.
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Hospital administrator
A hospital administrator oversees and manages the organizational side of health services. Their responsibilities are to ensure that a medical facility is employing effective and efficient practices to deliver the best healthcare possible. But managing large organizations requires a robust and multidimensional skillset; therefore, most hospital administrators are required to have a master’s degree that provides the technical knowledge and the leadership skills necessary to run large, multi-faceted healthcare organizations.
Salary and job outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021), there are more than 372,600 people working as medical and health services managers across the country, and the employment of these professionals is expected to grow by 32%, which is a much faster growth rate than the average for all occupations. More than a third of those employers work in hospitals as administrators and managers. According to BLS, the average salary for professionals in this field is $113,730 per year.
However, a survey reported in The New York Times by Compdata Surveys found that $237,000 is an average base pay for hospital administrators, without including bonuses or stock options.
Practice manager
Practice managers oversee the policies and operations of a private medical or wellness practice. Their responsibilities and duties include:
Creating guidelines for the practice
Allocating funding
Leading staff meetings
Facilitating coordination within the medical practice to maximize efficiency and performance
Typically employers require practice managers to have at least a bachelor’s degree before entering the field. But master’s degrees are very common and often preferred by employers.
Salary and job outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, practice managers make an average of $104,280 per year or $50.13 per hour. And the employment of these professionals is expected to grow 32% from 2020 to 2030, which is faster than the average for all occupations.
Clinical director
A clinical director is a detail-oriented health professional who is responsible for dealing with each aspect of clinical operations pertaining to the treatments of patients. Although their role may vary depending on the work setting, their responsibilities typically include creating and managing schedules based on the organization’s needs, overseeing clinical supervisors, and other common administrative tasks. They also devote time and attention to day-to-day patient care activities and patient outcomes.
Salary and job outlook
According to data from the website PayScale, the average annual wage for clinical directors is around $77,400, with top clinical directors earning as much as $123,000. Salaries vary based on years of experience, education, and licensing. Furthermore, candidates who demonstrate strong leadership capabilities and can manage large-scale operations are highly desirable for these positions.
Additionally, BLS reports that the employment of these professionals is expected to grow 32% from 2020 to 2030, which is far higher than the average for all occupations, likely due to an aging population that will increase the demand for healthcare services.
Long-term care administrator
A long-term care administrator, also known as a health service manager, usually works in settings such as assisted-living facilities or nursing homes. These positions come with essential responsibilities, some of which include planning, organizing, and supervising the delivery of care to patients, managing residential patient fees, creating work schedules, communicating with medical staff, providing different community activities and furnished living quarters, planning weekly classes, and ensuring appliances in rooms receive regular maintenance.
Salary and job outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for health administrators in America is $104,280, which could be equated to an average hourly wage of $50.13. And their employment is projected to grow 32% over the next decade, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Admissions coordinator or director
Admission coordinators, also known as directors, oversee the admission process at a medical facility. Managing admissions is a crucial role, especially at large hospitals that receive many patients every day. These professionals work in various industries but are usually found in higher education and healthcare settings. They have different responsibilities and duties within an organization, such as maintaining admission guidelines, marketing programs and facilities, as well as screening applicants. In addition, they are also responsible for resolving any patient dissatisfaction and preparing admissions reports.
Salary and job outlook
If you are still wondering if you should become an admissions coordinator, the data in this section probably will help you decide. First, the salary; admissions coordinators average about $20 an hour, which makes the admissions coordinator’s annual salary around $43,657. The pay can vary depending on the job position; for instance, an admissions coordinator working at a nursing home can earn an average of $71,464 per year.
Secondly, BLS expects employment for admissions coordinators to grow by as much as 11% through 2020. This is faster than the growth rate for all U.S. occupations.
Health services manager
Health services managers take on administrative roles in medical facilities that mainly focus on lower-level decisions. Their main responsibilities are creating staffing schedules and coordinating between medical staff members. They also serve as a liaison between hospital administration and hospital staff, explaining new initiatives to staff and raising staff’s concerns with senior officials.
Salary and job outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021), there are more than 372,600 people working as medical and health services managers across the U.S., and the employment of these professionals is expected to grow by 32%, which is a much faster growth rate than the average for all occupations. More than a third of those employers work in hospitals as administrators and managers. According to BLS, the average wage for professionals in this field is $113,730 per year.
Corporate healthcare manager
A corporate healthcare manager is responsible for creating work schedules for healthcare professionals, coordinating the delivery and quality of services provided, as well as monitoring the capacity and usage of healthcare facilities. They manage the medical staff, communicate with senior officials, and meet with employee representatives to explore healthcare options. Additionally, they usually oversee the budget of the healthcare department and create policies to keep it running efficiently.
Salary and job outlook
According to BLS, medical and health services managers make an average of $104,280 per year or $50.13 per hour. And the employment of these professionals is expected to grow 32% from 2020 to 2030, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.
Healthcare consultant
Healthcare consultants are medical practice experts who advise and counsel senior staff at a facility in order to help improve efficiency and performance. These professionals typically have experience in healthcare administration and use that knowledge to guide policy-makers on the best ways to improve patient care standards as well as profitability.
Salary and job outlook
According to payscale.com, the average annual salary for healthcare consultants is $79,486. But keep in mind that the wage varies depending on the city you work in, education, years of experience, and so on. For instance, an entry-level healthcare consultant with less than one year of experience can earn an average of $66,865 a year. In comparison, an experienced healthcare consultant makes an average of $97,034 per year.
Plus, BLS reports that the employment of healthcare consultants is expected to grow 32% from 2020 to 2030, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.
Health insurance administrator
A health insurance administrator usually works in an office setting. These professionals handle insurance policies and paperwork for individual clients or corporations. They need to have excellent people skills, pay attention to detail, conduct themselves in a professional manner, have excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as organizational and time management skills. Some of their main job responsibilities and duties include, but are not limited to, the following:
Developing risk management policies for individual clients or large corporations
Reviewing and updating insurance policies on a regular basis to ensure accuracy and efficiency
Helping clients determine the right insurance policies for their needs
Guaranteeing insurance certificates are compliant with applicable statutes and regulations
Filing insurance-related paperwork
Salary and job outlook
According to Payscale, the average salary for an insurance administrator is about $43,985. Entry-level positions start at about $33,000, while more experienced insurance administrators can make about $59,000 or more depending on their experience level.
In addition, their employment is projected to grow 32% over the next decade, much faster than the average for all occupations, BLS reports.
Hospital chief executive officer (CEO)
This is one of the most profitable job positions in the healthcare industry. Hospital chief executive officers are leaders in all aspects of the organization. These professionals define the business goals and objectives and lead the organization to fulfill them. Their job includes planning, staffing, and budgeting, as well as creating and implementing policies. Hospital CEOs often lead a team of fellow executives that involve chief operating officers, chief financial officers, chief medical officers, and chief nursing officers, who oversee more specific areas of the hospital.
Salary and job outlook
According to Payscale, hospital chief executives earn an average base salary of $154,229 per year. However, the wage can vary considerably depending on the place where you work, years of experience, and of course, education.
Additionally, the overall employment rate of top executives, which includes hospital CEOs, is expected to grow 8% over the next ten years, BLS reports.
Medical records manager
As their job title states, a medical records manager’s job is to maintain the filing systems of a medical facility. As simple as that sounds, though, it is actually more demanding and complicated than you may think. These professionals have to keep a record of a huge volume of paperwork on a daily basis. Medical records managers are responsible for different record-management tasks such as creating filing systems, ensuring the use and maintenance of systems, as well as reviewing existing systems in order to come up with more efficient methods of managing records. So, medical records managers have to be meticulous and efficient.
Salary and job outlook
According to salary.com, the average American medical records manager earns about $96,082 in a year. However, senior-level workers in high-paying cities like New York, Houston, or Chicago can make more than $100,000 a year.
Between 2020 and 2030, the career is expected to grow 9% and produce 34,300 job opportunities across the U.S., according to BLS.
Nursing director
A nursing director is a management position that involves overseeing the nursing department staff, creating patient care plans, and operating the nursing department within government regulations. A nursing director’s duties and responsibilities include evaluating and directing nursing employees, setting objectives for the nursing department, as well as creating and enforcing compliant healthcare policies.
Salary and job outlook
You might be wondering, “How much does a nursing director make?” Well, since this position is one of great importance to the leadership and operational structure, the median salary for a director of nursing is around $155,182 nationwide, based on the website salary.com. However, individuals can earn more depending on their work setting, where they work geographically, level of education, and years of experience.
Using the data for health and medical services managers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for nursing directors is pretty optimistic. They estimate that positions for these professionals will grow 32% between 2020 and 2030. As demand for healthcare continues to increase, nursing directors will be needed to help orient and educate new employees, ensure high-quality healthcare and optimize operational management.
Pharmaceutical executive
A pharmaceutical executive is a senior employee at a pharmaceutical company who plans and oversees the design and operation of the entire medication-use process throughout the system. This leader usually reports to an executive who can help him execute. Their duties and responsibilities typically include:
Dealing with compliance regulations
Creating and maintaining client relationships
Managing and enforcing patents on pharmaceuticals
Maintaining production levels to meet orders
Salary and job outlook
According to BLS, pharmacists make around $128,710 per year, which equals $61.88 per hour, which is a pretty satisfactory wage. However, the job outlook for these professionals is expected to decline by 2% over the next decade.
Despite the expected decline, more than 11,300 openings are projected each year over the decade due to the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or retire.
Rehabilitation facility administrator
A rehabilitation facility administrator manages the top-level decisions, ensures all the equipment at the facility is safe and operational, handles budgetary allocation, and uses their experience and knowledge to spend funds efficiently in order to improve patient care and boost profitability for the facility. These professionals often work with senior employees who are responsible for staffing and policy.
Salary and job outlook
Rehabilitation facility administrators fall under the broader category of medical and health services managers. And according to BLS, medical and health services managers make an average of $104,280 per year or $50.13 per hour. Furthermore, the employment of these professionals is expected to grow 32% from 2020 to 2030, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.
Urgent care administrator
The importance of urgent care centers and administrators cannot be underestimated. These managers ensure that an urgent care center is efficiently meeting the health needs of its patients. Urgent care administrators oversee the operations of a clinic and make sure that they meet their objectives and goals. In order to do that, they must be very skilled in both health and leadership.
Salary and job outlook
For medical and health services managers, such as urgent care administrators, the average wage was $104,280 in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the highest 10% earning more than $195,630. It’s important to note that salaries for urgent care administrators can vary depending on the size and scope of their facilities, the geographic locations where they work, and the amount of additional education or advanced training they hold.
BLS foresees a 32% increase in the employment of medical and health services managers between 2020 and 2030, with a projected 51,800 new jobs each year.
Conclusion
There are excellent career opportunities for graduates of accredited master’s in healthcare administration programs. Without a doubt, an MHA degree will help you land your dream job and advance in your career, something that could be extremely difficult to do with only a bachelor’s. And one of the biggest perks of earning an MHA? The potential for a pretty high six-digit annual salary that could reach near $200,000.
So, if you are seeking a rewarding career as a healthcare administrator, Pacific College’s Master of Health Administration is an excellent place to start. Our MHA program combines classroom learning with real-work application and touches on the most important subjects to prepare you for the leadership positions that await you. To learn more about this program, please reach out to Pacific College today.