Medical and health services managers ensure that health care facilities run smoothly and efficiently. Learn more about this impactful profession.
Medical and health services managers oversee the planning and operations of health care facilities like hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. Rather than providing direct patient care, health care managers ensure that health care facilities operate efficiently so that other health care professionals can do their jobs.
If you’re interested in a career in health care and enjoy leadership roles that require business planning and organization, then a career in medical and health services management might be right for you.
Learn more about what health care managers actually do, how much they make, and the jobs that comprise the field. Find out what you need to do to join the profession yourself, and discover some suggested courses to help you get started.
Medical and health services managers run and operate health care services and facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, and medical departments. While their work often overlaps with that of health care administrators, medical and health services managers are often focused more on the logistical operations of health care systems and managers than overseeing the day-to-day work of health care staff.
Health care managers manage a variety of health care work facilities—from large university hospitals to small local health clinics. As a result, their work environments can span from large, fast-paced hospitals to more personal, slow-paced doctor’s offices.
Health services administration is a management-level position that oversees the day-to-day tasks required to run a health care program. In a health care administration role, you may be responsible for tasks like scheduling or ordering supplies.
Medical and health services managers is an umbrella term referring to a range of managerial and administrative health care positions. As a result, the exact duties you will perform in the field will be heavily dependent on the role that you occupy.
Nonetheless, some common duties that you can expect to perform as a health care manager include:
Planning the organization’s overarching goals
Overseeing facility finances and setting budgets
Ensuring the facility complies with all relevant legal regulations
Designing work schedules for employees
Communicating with medical staff
You can explore many different managerial positions within health care that fall under the category of medical and health services managers. When looking for a job in the field, keep these different titles in mind. Some of the most common job titles within the medical and health services managers field include:
Nursing home manager
Ambulatory care manager
Health information managers
Hospital administrator
Health care human resources managers
Office managers
Medical and health service managers can expect a higher-than-average salary alongside much faster-than-average job growth.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), medical and health services managers in the US make an annual salary of $110,680 as of November 2024, more than two times the national average [1]. Furthermore, the BLS projects that between 2023 and 2033, the number of job openings for medical and health services managers will grow by 29 percent, adding approximately 61,400 job openings each year during the decade [2].
Managing medical and health services is a responsibility that requires the proper education, skills, and work experience. Discover what you need to do to join the profession yourself:
Employers typically require applicants to health care management positions to possess a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as a B.S. in Health Care Management or in Health Care Administration. Other common degrees held by medical and health services managers include degrees in nursing, social services, health information management, and public health. If your health care degree does not include managerial or administrative training, then consider specializing or minoring in a related area such as business administration.
Working in a managerial or administrative capacity within a health care facility requires a unique combination of medical knowledge, leadership abilities, and business acumen. During a bachelor’s degree program and as you gain practical experience, focus on developing some of the following skills:
Communication
Leadership
Teamwork and collaboration
Financial planning and budgeting
Project management
Knowledge of health care systems
Up-to-date knowledge of health care technology
Employers prefer candidates to have relevant work experience. As a result, before you can manage an entire health care facility or even a department, you will likely need to gain prior experience in a related entry-level administrative, managerial, or health care position.
Some common entry-level positions held by professionals in the field include registered nurse (RN), medical records technician, medical assistant, and accounting positions within health care facilities.
While employers often require that applicants possess at least a bachelor’s degree, some prefer – and others might even require – candidates to have a master’s degree in a related field. A graduate degree in a related field could also help you advance your career to more senior positions within health care management, such as executive positions.
Some common master’s degrees for medical and health services managers include:
Master’s in Health Care Management
Master’s in Health Care Administration (MHA)
Master’s in Public Health
Master’s of Business Administration (MBA)
Health care managers ensure that health care facilities run smoothly and efficiently, so physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals can do their jobs. Prepare for this impactful career with an online, flexible course through Coursera.
In the Johns Hopkins Medical Office Manager Professional Certificate, you'll gain the essential skills needed to manage health care practices. Learn how to apply effective HR practices to manage health care organizations, analyze and navigate the health care delivery system, and utilize health care data to support decision-making.
Rutger’s Healthcare Organization Operations Specialization can help you gain a thorough introduction to critical health care administration concepts that will help you better contribute to the effective administration of the health care organization’s operations.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Medical and Health Services Managers: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Pay, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-5.” Accessed November 21, 2024.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Medical and Health Service Managers: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Job Outlook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-6.” Accessed November 21, 2024.
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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.
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