What can you do with a healthcare administration degree?

Healthcare administration is one of the fastest-growing employment sectors  in the U.S.,  according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). If careers in healthcare administration interest you, earning a healthcare administration degree can be a good first step. Let’s take a closer look at health administration degrees and careers.

Why get a healthcare administration degree?

A healthcare administration degree can lay the groundwork for several careers in the healthcare field, including practice manager roles, by providing relevant skills and information. This, combined with relevant work experience, can prepare you for a variety of positions that involve managing, directing, and planning and coordinating business activities within a field that affects many people’s lives. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 29 percent from 2023 to 2033 , much faster than the average for all occupations. About 61,400 openings for medical and health services managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

BLS Occupational Employment Projections, 2022-2032 is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.

A healthcare administration degree is great for students interested in business management and healthcare policies. There are many similarities when looking at healthcare management vs. healthcare administration  but they are not the same thing. Healthcare administration tends to emphasize operations and patient experience, while healthcare management handles an organization’s overall financial health and strategic direction.

We’ve established that earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree can prepare you to pursue a role in this field. But what healthcare administration careers are available? Many of the following roles are subsets of the health services management  profession, which accounts for similarities between job outlook, salary and job duties. As of May 2022, medical and health service managers earned  between $64,100 and $209,990  annually, according to BLS. We’ll dive deeper into the different subsets and what their job overview looks like.

Salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of University of Phoenix. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location and other factors specific to the individual. University of Phoenix does not guarantee employment, salary level or career advancement. BLS data is geographically based. Information for a specific state/city can be researched on the BLS website.

Health manager

Overview: Health managers  may also be referred to as medical and health services managers. Their primary duties include overseeing parts of the healthcare system, ranging from specific clinical areas or departments to entire facilities. They develop goals and objectives for the facility and help ensure compliance with laws and regulations. Health managers must also recruit and supervise staff members, creating work schedules that allow the facility to run smoothly.

Education requirements: Health managers usually need a bachelor’s degree  to enter the occupation, typically in health administration. 

Get started on a healthcare administration degree