Become a Health Care Services Administrator

As a health services administrator (or health care administrator), you'll be responsible for the overall business management of health care facilities such as hospitals or nursing homes.

Health Services Administrator Job Description

Whether you run an entire facility or a specific department, you'll create and implement policy and procedures, hire and supervise staff, control finances, order supplies, and coordinate your plans and activities with those of other health care managers.

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Health Services Administration Courses

While curriculum varies from school to school, your program will likely include a version of the following courses:

• hospital organization and management
• marketing
• accounting and budgeting
• human resources administration
• strategic planning
• health economics
• epidemiology
• health law
• health information systems

Health Services Administrator Salary

According to the latest report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the middle 50 percent of health care administrators earn between $52,530 and $88,210 per year.

Education Requirements for Health Services Administrators

A bachelor's degree in health services administration may prepare you for an entry-level position, but for a wider range of opportunities and a higher salary, you'll need to complete a two-year master's degree program in health administration.

Choosing a Health Services Administrator Degree

Many health care managers specialize in a clinical area, so you may want to consider this possibility when you consider which health care management school to attend.

Graduates with bachelor's degrees in health administration usually begin as administrative assistants, then gain some experience in the field before deciding to pursue a master's degree.

Nursing service administrators usually have years of nursing experience before they earn their master's in health services administration.

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Graduate Study for Health Services Administrators

The health services administration master's degree usually includes a one-year residency in a health care center. Admission to graduate programs in health administration is competitive, so be sure to earn a high undergraduate GPA. New graduates with master's degrees in health services administration may start as department managers.

A lot of schools offer health administration as a master's or doctoral program only, which means that you must get an undergraduate degree before you can actually specialize in the field.

Some programs allow students to specialize in one type of facility, such as hospitals, nursing homes or mental health facilities.

Licensing for Health Services Administrators

If you're planning to become a nursing home administrator, you'll need to be licensed by the Nursing Home Administrators State Board of Examiners, but a license is not required in other areas of medical and health services management.

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