Health Care Salaries
Read health care salary data and learn what your earnings will be in a health care management career.
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By Sarah Stevenson
The laws and regulations that affect the business of health care are constantly changing. As a result, competent and highly-trained health care managers are more valuable than ever to hospitals and other medical organizations, who rely on their administrative staff to ensure that their facilities are in compliance with governmental policies and mandates.
In addition, health care managers are critical for effective day-to-day management of information, recordkeeping and patient care delivery. And the health care salaries they command reflect this high level of responsibility.
Breaking Down Health Care Salaries
Health care salaries for administrators and managers vary widely depending on specific job function—a medical office manager or medical coder, for instance, may have a lower starting salary than a medical practice administrator or health information manager. Prospective employees who hold more advanced academic degrees, such as a master's in health services administration or business administration, command higher salaries. A health care manager with several years of on-the-job experience will also earn more pay than those just starting out in the field.
The earnings of health care administrators also vary widely with respect to place of employment. Health care management careers are available in a variety of working environments, from small medical offices with just a few physicians to hospitals, government agencies, colleges and universities. Some of the highest average health care salaries are earned by those who work for medical instrument and equipment manufacturers, management and consulting firms, and professional organizations.
Of course, earning the highest health care salary possible isn't the only consideration when searching for a job in the industry. As a health care manager, you may find your work to be just as worthwhile even if you aren't a top earner—imagine being the director of a non-profit agency that brings health care to children, or the manager of a university clinic delivering care to students. If your career goal is to help bring health care to the public by making sure facilities and organizations are managed effectively, then the job itself is its own reward.
The salary doesn't hurt, though—so check out the following health care salaries to get an idea of the pay ranges available to you in the health administration field.
Health Care Salaries 2010
| Salary by Health Care Administration Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Health Information Technician | $30,610 |
| Medical Office Manager | $43,866 |
| Medical Practice Administrator | $65,500 |
| Clinical Services Director, Home Health Care | $72,212 |
| Hospital Administrator | $73,698 |
| Nursing Home Administrator | $77,182 |
| Health Information Technology Manager | $83,080 |
| Salary by Degree Held / Hospital Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Certificate, Medical Billing and Coding | $31,595 |
| Associate of Science (AS), Business Administration | $46,250 |
| Bachelor of Science (BS/BSc/SB), Health Care Administration | $52,740 |
| Master of Business Administration (MBA) | $78,438 |
| Health Care Salary by Employer Type | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| College or University | $46,000 |
| Non-profit Organization | $55,476 |
| Private Practice/Firm | $58,073 |
| Hospital | $58,501 |
| Federal Government | $72,348 |
Sources: All Allied Health Schools; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009; PayScale.com, 2009
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