Why You Should Consider a Degree in Healthcare Administration
Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013It is generally accepted that the world’s aging population is good news for anyone wanting to work in the healthcare industry. Frequently overlooked is the fact that not everyone is capable, or has enough interest, to become a doctor, a registered nurse, or a home-health aide. For career minded people, looking for a career with a great future, healthcare administration could be the future they have been seeking.
What is a Healthcare Administrator?
Healthcare administrators do most of their work in support of the professional medical staff at hospitals and clinics. While the job of the administrator is to manage and run various types of health care facilities, every thing the administrator does is in support of the professional medical staff. The United States Labor Department defines a healthcare administrator as a person who supervises, coordinates, plans and directs the provision of healthcare, wherever it takes place.
Healthcare Administration as a Career Choice
Jobs for healthcare administrators exist in almost every type of environment where people are receiving care. Growth in the healthcare industry is not a matter of potential, as more than 10,000 Americans turn 65 years old, every day of the year.
Anyone with an interest in helping others (who is organized and has good management skills) should think hard about selecting healthcare administration and management as a career. Jobs in healthcare are mentioned in Forbes Magazine as three of the top ten best careers for the future and the federal government reports that growth in healthcare administration has the fastest growing average annual increase among all possible professions. In just the next five years the need for additional healthcare administrators will grow by almost ten percent.
Individuals choosing a career in healthcare administration can expect to be well paid. The average salary in 2012 was nearly $90,000/US. As long as the demand continues to grow, as expected, graduates with good grades and a Bachelors degree can still get into the profession, but the trend is leaning towards the requirement of a Masters degree.
The path that students should take at this time, is to obtain their Bachelors degree in health-sciences, public health, health services administration, public administration or long term care administration. Upon graduation, if no job openings are found, students should continue to work towards their master’s degree. Some universities have an internship requirement as part of the post-graduate studies curriculum.
Graduates can expect to be required to pass state licensing examinations for every state in America. Most states also require healthcare administrators to successfully complete a special state training program.
Regardless of the educational and post-graduate requirements, pursuing a career in healthcare administration is well worth giving serious consideration.





