Healthcare Administration Career Options
Healthcare administration is a rare career option that offers both great pay and high demand. And with the healthcare industry continuing to expand, the need for administrators will only grow.
A health sciences degree with a concentration on healthcare administration prepares graduates to take on leadership roles in the industry. Graduates have both the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to become decision-makers in the healthcare field.
The degree also opens the door to working in many different healthcare environments. Skilled healthcare administrators are in demand at medical facilities of all kinds. Some of the most common choices are listed below.
Keep in mind that earning a four-year healthcare administration degree also is a stepping stone to earning a master’s degree. That’s a move worth considering, as many of the best positions in the areas listed below often require having a master’s degree.
Hospitals
This is likely the first career option that comes to mind for many in healthcare. Hospital administrators around the country are in demand. The U.S, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) categorizes the job as “medical and health service managers.” The BLS projects a 20% increase in the number of those jobs by 2026. Most of the jobs mentioned in the sections that follow are included in that 20% growth number.
Administrative jobs in hospitals include the executive team that oversees operations, as well as managers of individual departments. It’s a complex profession that requires clinical knowledge, the ability to work with medical professionals, expertise in healthcare finance and regulations, and an understanding of the technology innovations that are revolutionizing the healthcare industry.
Clinic Administrator
An increasing number of clinic administrators are needed as services once provided in hospitals have shifted to clinics. As with a hospital administrator, clinic administrators oversee recruiting and hiring of personnel, finances, building maintenance, and staff schedules. Marketing campaigns and advertisements may also be overseen – or, at the very least, signed off on – by the administrator.
Long-Term Healthcare Facilities
This is a career path that is considered among the fastest growing in healthcare. The population of the United States is getting older, with 14% of the population currently over the age of 65. That number is expected to reach almost 25% of the population by 2060, or more than 98 million people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That means growth in the number of nursing home facilities and growth in the number of the administrators needed to oversee them.
Social and Community Services
Public health care is another growing area of the healthcare industry. An administrator of a community services facility has all the responsibilities of other healthcare managers. They also oversee research into finding the best programs to support underserved populations. These can cover such issues as child advocacy and working with families from disadvantaged neighborhoods and homes. The BLS projects 18% growth in this area by 2026.
Consulting Firms
Some healthcare administrators, particularly those who have accumulated experience, opt to work with firms that consult with medical operations. This can include overseeing a transition within a department or even temporarily taking over executive roles while a job search is made for a new CEO or other members of the executive team. This career path offers variety in both location and job duties, but also requires a great deal of expertise.
Home Health Care
Much like nursing homes, this is an area of healthcare that is rapidly expanding as the country’s population ages. For those who work as aides in the field, the BLS projects 41% growth by 2026. That offers a clear indication of how fast home health care is growing. Administrators manage teams of home health care aides, business operations, and delivery of services to those who cannot function on their own but are not yet to the point of requiring a long-term health facility.
Given the expansion of the healthcare industry – a trend that is expected to continue – a degree in healthcare administration prepares graduates to excel in the field. With the variety of career paths available, it’s a degree program worthy of consideration.