Health Care Administration Careers

With the population of the United States aging, the rising popularity of elective surgery and the growing number of out-patient surgical facilities, there is an increase in the number of jobs in the health care field. More administrators are needed to manage these facilities.

Health Care Administrator's

• Some administrators are responsible for the day-to-day operations of a health care facility, which means they are responsible for ensuring all departments run effeciently; others manage a specific department. In a large medical facility, an adminstrator will often have assistant administrators to help. A few of the different types of administrators are:
  Hospital
  Nursing Home
  Assisted Living
  Doctor's Office or Clinic
  Out-patient or surgical hospital

Statistics and Salaries

• According to the Department of Labor Statistics, there are more than 260,000 jobs available for health care administrators and health care managers. By 2016, the field is expected to grow to more than 300,000 positions. The average expected income is $70,000, but some can pay as much as $100,000.

Minimum Requirements

• The educational requirements for these positions are:
  Entry level for small facility: Bachelor's degree
  CEO or equivalent: Master's degree in most cases
  Department manager: Bachelor's degree; for some positions, a master's degree
  Sometimes relevant work experience will be sufficient

Relevant Skills

• These are some of the skills required to become a hospital administrator:
  Background in finance or business is helpful
  Background in direct patient care is essential for some positions
  Management
  Good human relations skills
  Leadership abilities

Conclusion

• In addition to the required degree or experience, health care administrators need to complete an approved program for state licensing. States also require a certain number of classes every year or two to maintain their administrator's license. Even though the requirements may be high for these positions, if properly prepared, you can expect a long and satisfying career in health care administration.