Health Care Administration Information Summary

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the health care industry is one of the largest sectors of the economy, with close to 14 million jobs in America alone. Health care is also one of the fastest-growing fields, with many new facilities and positions opening in the coming years. Health care administration is the field responsible for managing these facilities and personnel.

Significance

• The health care industry depends on many areas of expertise, each equally important. The specialty within the field that coordinates assets is called health care administration. Professionals in administration work behind the scenes and are not as visible as doctors and nurses, but they play a vital role.

  The administrator fulfills the management portion of medicine, and relies on individuals skilled in business, communication and strategic planning. On a daily basis, he deals with large staffs, budgets and multiple programs; he must be able to deal with many responsibilities at once.

Function

• Administration is connected to nearly every aspect of the medical industry. Many health care facilities are for-profit businesses, and finance and marketing are very important. The function of a health care administrator is to keep centers running smoothly, in order to deliver medical services to the largest number of people possible.

  A health care administrator most often works in hospitals, but her skills are needed in other locations, such as nursing homes, rehab centers and mental health agencies. She manages the financial and organizational assets required to keep these locations operating successfully.

Careers

• Due to the previously mentioned industry growth, the prospects for careers within health care administration are good. An Individual working in health care administration typically starts with a bachelor's degree, and has experience in the finance and administration areas. The most competitive candidates hold specialized graduate degrees in health administration or business.

  Because this profession does not deal directly with medical procedures, specialized medical training and certification are generally not required, though they can be beneficial. The field allows an individual with an interest in medicine to pursue a meaningful career in health, despite not being a doctor himself.

Compensation

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median yearly salary for individuals in health care administration is approximately $80,000. The most well-compensated administrators work in hospitals, while those who work in nursing homes and other facilities receive slightly lower pay.

  Compensation goes beyond yearly pay, however. The BLS states that often a person goes into a health care administration career in order to help people and make a positive difference. On a daily basis, she can make decisions that can literally change people's lives.

Outlook

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected the health care administration field to grow at a significant rate in the next decade. In particular, health care administration is predicted to become increasingly important in nontraditional environments, such as managed care and home health care.

  In general, the need for administrators in health care is expected to shift from being centered on hospitals, and will move toward the management of residential and small office care settings. But hospitals are projected to grow as well, meaning in the future that job opportunities for a health care administrator will expand in the coming years.