Looking to start a new career in healthcare? The field of healthcare administration can be a great starting point if you're looking to build foundational skills and carve the career path that's right for you. Take our quiz and find out if a job in healthcare administration is right for you.
What is a healthcare administrator and what do they do?
A healthcare administrator is focused on the day-to-day operations of hospitals, clinics, medical offices and other types of healthcare organizations. While the duties of healthcare administrators vary depending on specific job title, general responsibilities can include:
- Recruiting, training and supervising staff members
- Creating work schedules
- Preparing and monitoring budgets
- Keeping and organizing facility records
- Communicating with members of medical staff and department heads
What skills do you need to become a healthcare administrator?
As a healthcare administrator, you’re often managing multiple tasks at once, which requires you to be detail-oriented and a good multitasker. Other important skills to have include problem solving, budgeting, goal development, organization and communication.
What jobs are available in healthcare administration?
Healthcare is a growing field, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projecting employment of medical secretaries to grow by 7% from 2022-2032.*
The BLS also reports that the average annual wage for medical secretaries and administrative assistants is $43,380 per year ($20.85 per hour). However, the salary and employment outlook for healthcare administration varies by career and prior experience.
Potential careers in healthcare administration include:
- Medical secretary
- Administrative coordinator
- Patient service representative
- Operations assistant
- Administrative support specialist
Is there a difference between healthcare administration and healthcare management?
Healthcare administration is often confused with healthcare management because both healthcare administrators and managers work in hospitals and clinics and play a role in organizing and managing the healthcare community. However, each role has different responsibilities.
Healthcare management has a “big picture” outlook, overseeing the needs of an entire healthcare organization or facility, whereas healthcare administration is more focused on day-to-day operations including budgeting and staffing. An associate’s degree in healthcare administration will prepare you for entry-level roles, while a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management can open the door to more advanced opportunities.
How can I complete my degree?
Herzing offers degrees in both healthcare management and administration. You can complete your associate degree in healthcare administration in as few as 16 months and your bachelor’s in healthcare administration in as little as 36 months.
If you’re interested in continuing your education, you can work toward your MHA in health administration, or Master of Business Administration, which can qualify you for the highest levels of the profession, including clinical director and other executive roles.
Discover the Herzing University Healthcare Administration program
* Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics 2023 / Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.
