Health administration is a growing field, but it’s so diverse and encompasses such a wide variety of jobs that a lot of people who are considering a degree in health administration have questions about what the degree will mean and what their options will be. Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about health administration careers and job opportunities for those considering a career in health admin.
FAQ: What kind of personalities enjoy and excel at health administration careers?
Answer: People who enjoy analyzing situations and analyzing problems enjoy health administration jobs. Those who are good communicators and those who are able to see how to help connect others to make an organization successful work best in health administration positions. The unique combination of people skills and analytical skills make the best health administrators, and if you can combine these approaches, you’ll quickly make your way to the top.
FAQ: What are some possible duties that will be involved with a health admin position?
Answer: Health administrators manage and direct health care. As a health administrator you could be overseeing the business side of a hospital including the finances, admissions, and personnel management. Depending on the size of your organization, you’ll be in charge of every managerial task or you will have a group of assistants that you direct.
FAQ: Is it better to work as a health administrator at a small hospital or a larger facility?
Answer: It really depends on your personality. If you enjoy being more of a generalist and having more control over the organization’s management, a small facility is going to better suit your personality. You could be working on budgets and coordinating with several departments. If you enjoy working as a team and specializing on a specific focus, you’ll thrive in a larger facility where you’ll be in charge of one specific department.
FAQ: What is the outlook for job opportunities?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 282,990 people were employed in health care administration in 2010 and they projected the number to increase by 100,000 by 2018. Health administration is a booming field with a lot of hiring potential. Especially with the recent attention given by Bill Gates and other philanthropists interested in improving health care, health administrators are becoming very sought after in the medical world.
5. FAQ: Where will I work?
Health administrators can work in general hospitals, physician’s offices, nursing homes, home health care operations, and other outpatient care centers. Basically, if health care is being provided at a center, they will be looking for someone in the administration position to manage it.
FAQ: What will I earn as a health administrator?
Payscale.com reports a wide range of income for health administrators. They earn anywhere from $30,000 to $110,000 every year. If you’d like to end up on the heavier side of that scale, consider more education. Master’s degrees are highly sought after in the health admin industry.
If you’re considering health care administration as a career, you have a lot of options, and you’ll have even more as the industry grows in the next few years. Consider your skill set and your personality and whether you’d like to contribute to this growing market.
Natanya Pulley is a full-time writer for higher education blogs and journals nationwide. Several schools offer degrees in the health field, including University of Southern Californiaand Berkeley University
