Jobs you can get with a masters in healthcare administration

Where Can You Work With a Master’s in Healthcare Administration?

Table of Contents Show

Healthcare Providers
Insurance Companies
Medical Equipment Suppliers
Government/Policy Organizations

Not everyone in the healthcare field works directly with patients. If you have a master's in healthcare administration, most of your work is going to be in leading healthcare organizations, not in dealing with patients. You're on the business end – the leaders who make sure everything is running smoothly. According to Forbes magazine, a master's in healthcare administration is the eighth most valuable graduate degree to have for getting a job. Where you take your degree depends in part on what you specialized in while doing your graduate work. Generally speaking, however, there are several different areas where you can focus your job search.

Healthcare Providers

One of the most prolific employers of those with a master's in healthcare administration are healthcare providers. Positions can be obtained in hospitals, doctor's offices, mental health clinics, rehabilitation centers, or rest homes, to name a few. Any place that provides health services to patients is a possible candidate. One think to keep in mind about these facilities is that the hours here may be longer. In this area, many buildings are open 24/7, so it's distinctly possible that you will be expected to work long or odd hours and even be called in overnight. Some job titles at these places may include departmental director, patient care administrator, or clinical manager.

Insurance Companies

Allowing the healthcare field to function are the insurance companies. With the tremendous boon of expansion that has taken place in the industry, insurance companies are increasingly adding staff with graduate degrees like a master's in healthcare administration. Job titles like director of marketing and sales, analysts, client managers, and administrators with backgrounds in account, staffing, and communications are in particular demand.

Medical Equipment Suppliers

Healthcare providers would be nowhere without the medical equipment necessary to allow the surgeons and doctors to do their work. Medical equipment suppliers are big business nowadays whether they are providing stethoscopes, gauze, or artificial organs. The emphasis here is less on patient care than it is on sales and distribution, human resource management, accounting practices, and training. Job titles here might include any in the area of upper level management.

Government/Policy Organizations

Once you go into the healthcare field, it's hard not to hear frequent references to the government and policy-making organizations like the Food and Drug Administration or the American Red Cross. Agencies and organizations in this category could include anything from a prison to the Food and Drug Administration. Many are vital to the functioning of the healthcare system and many have ample opportunity for those with a master's in healthcare administration. The types of job titles vary but operations manager and program manager are common.

The healthcare field is full of opportunities for someone with a master's in healthcare administration, most of which are quite lucrative. If you are still unsure of which direction to take your career, you can visit MHA.org where you can find even more information on different avenues to pursue as well as salary projections. Another great resource is the Association of University Programs in Health Administrationwhere you can explore additional career paths and programs.

Posted by in Public Health Articles

There is a growing demand for professionals who hold an MHA degree. As such, finding work once you complete your degree should be easy. It’s going to be up to you to explore your options, but below you can find 15 great ideas of where to work within health administration careers once you have your MHA degree in hand.

Hospital Administrator: Ranked 36th on CNN Money’s Top 100 Jobs, this position is growing in demand on a yearly basis. As the healthcare industry continues to grow, more administrators will be needed in the hospital setting.
Assistant administrator: An assistant administrator within a hospital is an important role. In this career, you will be responsible for supporting the administrator with planning, supervision, and delivery of proper healthcare practices on a daily basis. Salaries for this position depend on location, but are around $90,000 on average.
Database administrator: A database administrator will be responsible for managing the health information database and everyone working within the health information department. It will be your responsibility to ensure information is accurate, the system is operational, and that everything is accessible at all times. This career earns an average salary of $42,000.
Health services manager: In this position, you will help direct, coordinate, and plan healthcare and medical services. You could manage a facility, a department, or even manage a practice. Average annual salary is $84,000, but varies depending on position and location.
Hospital administration practice manager: A practice manager will typically work overseeing the operations of a medical practice under the umbrella of a hospital, such as a clinic or private doctor’s office that is a part of a larger health system. Average salary for this position is $102,000.
Medical Lab Technician: This position is one where you would be in charge of lab work and the operations within the medical lab or hospital lab setting. With a growing demand and a salary that ranges from $45,000 to $65,000, this position can be rewarding in many ways.
Medical records technician: A medical records technician is responsible for overseeing and managing health data. You will be required to ensure that information is accurate, accessible, and secure in paper and electronic form. You must also know coding systems for insurance and billing, as well as database entry. Average salary is $33,000 per year.
Clinical laboratory technologist: A clinical laboratory technologist position will allow you to perform tests on fluids, tissues, and other substances in a medical lab setting. You will perform complex testing procedures and potentially oversee technicians in the lab. Salary averages $46,000 for this career.
Cardiovascular technologist and technician: As a cardiovascular technologist, you will work specifically with cardiac care, including testing, identification, and treatment of various cardiac health issues. With a specialty focus, this position pays about $49,000 on average, but varies based on location and position.
Healthcare technologist and technician: This position is responsible for collecting samples and performing tests on various body tissues, fluids, and other substances. Technicians are responsible for simpler tests like blood or urine samples, while technologists oversee them and perform more complex tests. Average salary is $46,680 per year for this position.
Business Operations Specialist: If you want to stay on the business or computer end of operations, you can find this position very rewarding. Working with business with an MHA degree will earn you a salary in the range of $69,000 on average, with some earning well over $100,000.
Computer systems analyst: Working in healthcare IT is a high demand position. In this career, you will be responsible for studying the database and computer systems to offer recommendations, improvements, and make things run smoothly. Average annual salary is $77,000, with more being paid on average to those who work specifically in healthcare.
Data communications analyst: As an analyst, you will design, evaluate, and test network communication systems to give a healthcare facility the best solutions possible. This career earns about $73,000 annually, with more for healthcare positions because of growing demand.
Network systems administrator: A network systems administrator is responsible for overseeing daily operations of a computer system within a healthcare facility. They will install, organize, and support computer systems and oversee other employees within the healthcare IT department, in some cases. Earnings average about $69,000 annually.
Network systems and data communications analyst: This position will allow you to evaluate, analyze, design, and test network systems and computer operations. Research will be required so that you can ensure that things are efficient and operational to the best capacity within a healthcare setting, whether it is a hospital or a private practice. On average, this career earns around $73,000 annually.

References

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/2010/full_list/index.html
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-and-clinical-laboratory-technologists-and-technicians.htm
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes131199.htm