A Look at Health Administration Careers

There are few career paths that offer quite the same range of opportunities as health administration. Health administrators are required in virtually every kind of medical and clinical setting imaginable. As well as working within hospitals in order to ensure that patient care is the highest quality and most efficient that it can be, health administration workers are also found in prisons, rehab facilities, and assisted living complexes.

The sheer diversity of potential career paths that one can pursue once they earn their health administration degree is a major selling point for many applicants. Before signing up to any course, it’s important to research what is involved, for example health administration advising on coursework and preparation to make sure you feel confident enough to tackle it, but rest assured that the hard work will be well worth it on this career path. Not only are the range of jobs available to health administration graduates considerably more diverse than other fields, the level of job security afforded to health administrators is much greater than most other professions.

In this article we take a look at the current state of health administration careers as well as a few specific examples of popular career choices.

Choosing a Career

For those with a passion for health administration and the oversight and planning that health administrators are involved in, having to choose one particular career to focus on can be a very difficult decision. Some people prefer jobs which put them in close contact with patients, for example nursing home management, or working on a psychiatric rehabilitation ward.

On the other hand, some people would rather work in a way that is somewhat removed from the front lines of healthcare. For these individuals, a role in the management of a hospital or diagnostics laboratory might be a better career choice, and can be discussed at a career center for healthcare.

The many careers available are leading to an increasing number of individuals to pursue an online masters in health administration, such as that offered by Maryville University. An online MHA degree costs considerably less than a traditional campus college degree and can be studied at a flexible pace.

To be considered for medical school in the US, you must first pass the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test). Are you an aspiring medical professional who didnt get the MCAT score you needed for your dream college? Its never too late to turn things around. To learn more about your specific MCAT score and whether you should consider a retake, the MCAT retake calculator by Jack Westin can be a useful tool.

Beyond the Hospital

Many people picture health administrators as working exclusively in hospitals, however this is not the case. In fact, the majority of health administration jobs are taken outside of hospitals (it is estimated that around 30% of health administrators work in hospitals) and while much of the work might seem very hands-off to outside observers, health administrators are responsible for making key decisions that will affect the provision of healthcare. Some may even want to start their own Home Healthcare Business with their knowledge and experience and if you find that you need a company that has experience in merger & acquisition, Stoneridge Partners is the best solution.

Many of the skills which students learn when studying for a health administration degree are transferable to other fields, many of them also within healthcare and are found in both the private and public sector. This means that once an individual has qualified as a health administrator and gained some experience professionally, they are able to choose from a number of different fields to continue their professional work in.

Salary

Careers in health administration begin at around $65,000, with the annual salaries for some of the higher paying jobs standing at around $450,000. Pay grows linearly to experience, which means the longer that you work in the field, the higher the salary you can command.

Earning a health administration degree is an excellent first step towards a long term and fulfilling career. Those who want to make a difference to other people’s lives and enjoy challenging yet rewarding work should consider a career in health administration.