Hospital Administrator: Duties, Pay, and How to Become One

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

Hospital administrators oversee the day-to-day operations of hospital facilities. Learn more about this impactful career and how you can begin working in this profession.

[Featured Image]:   A hospital administrator, wearing a suit and red tie, is sitting at his desk and consulting with two staff members, one wearing a white coat and the second wearing a green uniform.

Hospital administrators ensure that hospitals operate efficiently and that medical staff are adequately trained and supported. Equipped with a broad range of responsibilities, hospital administrators must be equally well-versed in health care delivery and business management fundamentals

If you’re a practical, project-oriented person looking to start a career in health care but prefer a role that doesn’t include face-to-face patient contact, you might consider a career in hospital administration. 

Discover more about hospital administrators, what they do, how much they earn, and what you need to do to become one. 

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What is a hospital administrator?

A hospital administrator is a professional who oversees a hospital's daily operations by planning, directing, and coordinating health services. While other health care professionals, like physicians and registered nurses (RNs), provide care directly to patients, hospital administrators ensure that the health facility itself functions smoothly and that the medical staff is properly supported and trained. 

What does a hospital administrator do?

Hospital administrators play an essential role in delivering and functioning health services within a hospital. While the exact duties you might perform can vary from role to role, as a hospital administrator, you can expect to engage in some of the following duties:

  • Directing and supervising the work of medical staff

  • Establishing organizational goals

  • Planning and implementing programs, such as human resources (HR) administration

  • Overseeing finances and related operations, such as budget planning, authorizing expenses, and creating financial reports.

  • Communicating with staff, departments, and board members

  • Hiring and training staff

  • Monitoring resource use and allocation

  • Ensuring that facilities are up to standard and meet current regulatory requirements

How much do hospital administrators make? 

Hospital administrators earn much higher than average salaries in the United States. 

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median pay for medical and health services managers—the job category under which hospital administrators fall—was $128,740 [1]. Glassdoor, meanwhile, estimates the estimated total pay—including bonuses, commissions, tips, and profit sharing—for hospital administrators at $109,276 [2]. 

These salaries are higher than the median annual salary in the United States for all professions, which the US BLS noted was $48,060 [1]. However, the exact amount you can expect to earn will likely vary based on your work experience, education level, geographic location, and employer.

Hospital administrator job outlook 

Fortunately, if you feel drawn to this profession, the job outlook for hospital administrators is very positive. 

According to the US BLS, the number of job openings for medical and health services managers is expected to grow by 29 percent between 2023 and 2033, adding approximately 61,400 new jobs annually throughout the decade. This is significantly higher job growth than the average for all occupations in the country, which the US BLS puts at 4 percent [3]. 

An aging baby-boomer population, in particular, has driven an increased need for medical professionals capable of providing health care and managing health systems in the country. 

Related hospital administrator jobs

You can find a variety of administrative and management positions that overlap with the skills and knowledge used in hospital administration. While the scope of these positions may vary considerably, each supports the health systems, facilities, and health care professionals that save lives every day. 

If you’re interested in working in health care in an administrative or managerial capacity, consider one of the following positions similar to hospital administrator: 

1. Health care administrator 

2. Nursing home administrator 

3. Clinical manager

4. Hospital manager

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How to become a hospital administrator

Whether you’re working in a large university hospital or a small local one, overseeing the daily operations of these critical health care facilities is a heavy responsibility, and you usually need to earn a bachelor’s degree to work in this profession. As a result, the path to joining the administrative staff of a hospital is one filled with professional training, education, and real-world work experience. 

If this sounds like the job for you, learn more about the steps you can expect to take as you set out on your own professional journey: 

1. Get qualified. 

To work as a hospital administrator, you need to have a bachelor’s degree in health administration or a related field, such as nursing, health management, public health, or public policy. Due to hospital administrators' financial and business responsibilities, you will also likely benefit from taking relevant business courses to better understand how to manage such a complex health care facility as a hospital. 

2. Consider a specialization. 

Their wide range of responsibilities means that hospital administrators must be familiar with various health care practices, procedures, systems, and standards. At the same time, they’re expected to keep up with important technological and regulatory changes that have the potential to significantly impact their workplace. To prepare for these many responsibilities, you might consider specializing in a relevant field to stand out from the applicant pool. Some of the most common specializations include:

3. Hone your skills. 

Hospital administrators must have a keen understanding of health care systems, regulations, and operations while demonstrating an ability to lead others, communicate effectively with team members, and manage large projects. As you prepare for an administrative career within health care, consider ways to hone relevant technical and personal skills to ensure that you perform to the best of your abilities. 

4. Gain experience.

When it comes to heading the administration of a hospital, employers are rightfully concerned with hiring someone with the experience necessary to ensure they can do the best possible job. As a result, you should seek to gain relevant administrative experience, perhaps by working as an assistant administrator, medical records technician, or clerk within a hospital’s accounting department. 

5. Consider a master’s degree in hospital administration. 

While a bachelor’s degree is an entry-level requirement for most hospital administration jobs, many employers might prefer candidates with a relevant master’s degree. In some cases, they may even require that applicants possess one. 

If you’re considering a career in hospital administration, then you might consider obtaining a relevant master’s degree, such as a Master’s of Health Care Administration (MHA), Master’s of Public Health (MPH), or a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on health care systems.

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Learn more about a career as a hospital administrator. 

A career in hospital administration offers the opportunity to facilitate the operations of the systems and facilities that support health care professionals and ensure patients get the care they need. As you work toward this impactful career, consider taking a flexible online course on Coursera. 

To build the skills needed to manage health care practices, enroll in the Johns Hopkins Medical Office Manager Professional Certificate. Through this beginner-friendly program, you'll learn how to apply effective HR practices and strategies to lead health care organizations, implement quality and safety programs to ensure high-quality health care delivery, and utilize health care data to support decision-making.

Rutgers Healthcare Organization Operations Specialization introduces critical concepts, such as the relationship between health care organizations and health systems, business process management, and quality improvement within health care organizations.

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professional certificate

Johns Hopkins Medical Office Manager

Become a skilled medical office manager. Gain essential skills to manage healthcare practices in 6 months or less. No prior experience or degree needed to start your career as a medical office manager.

4.8

(10 ratings)

1,397 already enrolled

Beginner level

Average time: 6 month(s)

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll build:

Human Resources Concepts, Healthcare Delivery Models, Change Management Planning, Medical Billing, Revenue Cycle Management, Data Analysis, Data Management, Electronic Health Records Applications, Ambulatory Care Delivery, Medical Terminology, Case Management, Healthcare Delivery Process, Human Resources Policies, Human resource management, Change management, Revenue Analysis, Revenue Management, Strategic Leadership, Risk Management, Project Management

Placeholder

specialization

Healthcare Organization Operations

Healthcare Foundations for Administrative Careers. This specialization introduces concepts for healthcare organization administration and operations.

4.6

(454 ratings)

19,175 already enrolled

Beginner level

Average time: 2 month(s)

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll build:

Public Health and Wellness Healthcare Organization Operations, Pharmacy Healthcare Organization Operations, Healthcare Administration, Medical Healthcare Organization Operations, Dental Healthcare Organization Operations

Article sources

1

US BLS. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Medical and Health Services Managers, Pay, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-5.” Accessed February 6, 2025.

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Written by:
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