Careers in healthcare administration are growing at a steady pace. With proper credentials, the field of healthcare administration is quite lucrative. The majority of health administration jobs require a master's degree, but a bachelor's degree can land you an entry-level position in a hospital or clinic. Healthcare administrators are responsible for planning, directing and coordinating either specific departments or a whole medical facility.

There are head directors and assistant administrators in the field of healthcare administration. Healthcare administration careers range from clinical managers, health services managers and health information managers. A healthcare administration job can entail a variety of different functions such as:

1. Managing personnel such as nurses, medical assistants, lab technologists and office staff.

2. Creating budgets and working in the field of finances for nursing homes and other smaller facilities.

3. Securing patient records and maintaining confidentiality according to current legislation. Knowledge of current medical software and technology is important.

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Find out the credentials needed for jobs in healthcare administration

Before sending out resumes, research the type of healthcare administration job you're interested in and make sure you have all the qualifications. While certain jobs require a master's degree, some may take a bachelor's degree along with certain certifications. Other areas, like nursing home administration, require state licensing.

I recommend: Find out about certification and application for certification through the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management, also called AAHAM. Learn about licensing and pre-licensing requirements for nursing home administration from Long Term Care Education.

Review salary information for health care administration jobs

If you have a few healthcare administration job areas you like, take a look at the salaries for different positions within the field. While most administrators jobs pay quite well, there are some that ensure a six-figure salary. A medical office administrator can make between $50,000 and $75,000, while a health services manager can make over $100,000.

I recommend: Look at salaries over the past few years at All Star Directories and find schools offering degrees in those fields. Type in your job description and locale for a general salary range at Vault.

Search for healthcare administration employment

The best way to determine what employers need for health care management jobs is to do a job search. Check your local hospital website for hospital administration employment, and browse online job boards to find jobs in healthcare administration. Pay attention to the qualifications expected of people applying for that position.

I recommend: Browse by job titles at Beyond.com. Search healthcare administration job opportunities at American Medical Jobs, and you can even post your resume.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Get hands-on experience as a medical assistant, CNA or medical office staff while earning your degree or credentials. Many hospital administration jobs and medical office management jobs prefer candidates with medical experience and advanced education.

Healthcare administration careers typically require a college degree. If you are a new graduate, you can find a healthcare administration job by working as an assistant administrator.

Healthcare administration job opportunities vary with the type of college degree you get. Health care management jobs are available to those with a bachelor’s degree, masters and doctorate degrees.

Careers in health care administration are expected to continue to rise in demand as the population ages so it is an excellent field to pursue.

To gain practical experience in this field after you graduate you can take entry level healthcare administration jobs, hospital administration jobs or other more specialized jobs in healthcare administration. By working as an assistant, you gain valuable experience and knowledge of what the healthcare administration job entails. Health administration jobs require experience in human resources, working with staff, managing materials and supplies, financing, government programs, patient care services and marketing.

Start your healthcare administration career on the right track by learning what specific requirements you will need for jobs like hospital administration jobs and medical administration jobs.

1. Explore your career options and identify the requirements for the healthcare job you are interested in.
2. Complete your educational requirements by applying for credit for health care courses related to a health care administration job you are interested in.
3. Talk with healthcare employers to identify job requirements.

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Explore career training options and identify requirements

Many colleges offer degree programs online. Jobs in health care administration are well suited for online degree programs. Make sure the college you choose is accredited to teach your degree program in your state. Online degree programs for healthcare administration jobs and hospital administration employment include bachelors, masters and in some cases, doctorates.

I recommend: The University of Phoenix with brick and mortar campuses as well as distance learning. View courses you’ll need to take for a bachelors degree in health administration.

Complete educational requirements by getting credit for classes you've already taken

Most colleges, online and brick and mortar, offer credit to those who've already taken required courses for health care administration jobs. Each college has a different time requirement, so check with the college to see if you qualify for these credits. Degrees in similar health care jobs may also allow you credits towards a degree.

I recommend: The Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), with contacts and links for accredited degree programs available throughout the United States. Check the complete job description from the Dept. of Labor.

Check with local schools for specific requirements for local health administration jobs

Local colleges have information about the demand for jobs in health care administration in your locale. Some colleges participate with local institutions and offer healthcare administration employment services after successfully completing school and receiving your degree. This is a valuable service because you can get much needed experience locally.

I recommend: Career Infonet for career information for healthcare administration job opportunities. Using the Salary Wizard for current salary information in healthcare administration jobs.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Special financial assistance may be available for minorities and veterans to qualify for health administration careers.
• •  Salary averages can be found for careers in healthcare administration at salary.com.

Health administration jobs, while growing steadily and providing a decent income, do require advanced degrees and/or certification. A master's degree is expected for most hospital administration jobs. There are a variety of master's degrees available for careers in healthcare administration, including Master of Health Administration, Master of Public Health and Master of Business Administration with a focus on healthcare.

Bachelor degrees in healthcare administration can help you get entry-level positions. This degree is necessary to get your foot in the door and help you find jobs in healthcare administration. Once you land a job, you can work on an advanced degree while gaining experience. While it's possible to land a job in healthcare administration with little medical experience, candidates with certain backgrounds have the best chances. Those candidates include:

1. Registered nurses and registered nurses with a BSN degree; this is usually required for a nursing supervisory position and other healthcare administrations related to nursing.

2. Certified medical assistants; they have the experience necessary to manage the aspects of a small practice.

3. Experienced medical office staff; holding these positions allows you to advance to medical office manager, being responsible for billing, patient records and the physician's needs.

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Earn an advanced degree online for a variety of healthcare administration careers

If you currently possess a two-year or four-year degree in an allied health field, there are online degrees available in healthcare administration. An online degree lets you work and gain experience while taking classes. Just make sure any online program is accredited. If you're currently employed, see if your employer offers tuition reimbursement.

I recommend: World Wide Learn gives a listing of universities that offer online degree programs in health care administration and health care management. Classes USA provides a similar listing of universities, but includes doctoral programs, too.

Get certification for health care management jobs

If you have a bachelor degree in healthcare administration but think a certificate can help you when applying for a healthcare administration job, look online for certificate courses to add to your resume. This is also a great option for registered nurses who want to add administrative certification to their credentials.

I recommend: Canyon College offers online certificate programs for both allied health and nursing. Frederick Taylor University offers an online certificate in healthcare administration, aimed at students with no healthcare background.

Look for entry-level medical administration jobs

One way to beef up a resume and get more hands-on experience is to apply for entry-level healthcare administration jobs. The best training for healthcare administration jobs happens in the field, and proving yourself as a medical secretary or head medical assistant can lead to lucrative advancements.

I recommend: AfterCollege is a site that lists internships and entry-level jobs for applicants with an education but little experience. Jobs.com, a company of Monster, lists a slew of entry-level healthcare jobs that are beneficial for healthcare administration experience.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When searching job boards for healthcare administration jobs, see what each job description entails. If you notice a particular degree or certificate mentioned in job ads, consider completing training for that degree or certificate.

Pursuing a career in healthcare administration can provide fulfillment on many levels, but jobs in healthcare administration require knowledge of certain related terms. To perform successfully in their jobs, healthcare administration professionals should have an understanding of key medical-related terminology dealing with healthcare plans and insurance, diagnoses, basic anatomy and more.

This guide gets new healthcare administration professionals started with six relevant terms: Accountable health plan, TRICARE, blended rating, parenteral, ileum and cachexia.

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Accountable health plan (AHP)

An accountable health plan is one of several types of health contracts or plans that shoulders the responsibility for providing medical care and managing payments from patients for services they receive. As a joint regional venture, doctors and other healthcare providers, such as insurance companies, hospitals and HMOs, either own their own AHP, or they can opt to contract with or work for an AHP. Synonyms include community care network, community accountable healthcare network and integrated health delivery system.

I recommend: Mental Help has a comprehensive description of this term. Read more about the accountable health plan for the State of Ohio to learn about the potential benefits of an AHP to employers, employees and providers.

TRICARE

TRICARE is the name of the health care plan designed for active duty and retired U.S. military members and their dependents. Different forms of TRICARE are available, depending on the military member's status. For example, TRICARE for Life aims itself at military retirees 65 or older and their eligible family members. TRICARE Prime is enrollment-based and offers members a primary care manager, much like the primary care provider within a commercial HMO. TRICARE Extra offers reduced fee-per-service care, much like a Preferred Provider Organization.

I recommend: Learn more about TRICARE plans and benefits at Military.com. While at the site, you can also search for the latest news and information about TRICARE issues.

Blended rating

A blended rating is a way to predict how much one group's benefits will cost. Calculations are based on the Managed Care Organization's manual rates and on the particular group's experience. It works well for groups that don't have years of experience with recorded claims.

I recommend: At PSI Medica, you can learn more about a benefit design modeling system that accommodates the blended rating methodology.

Parenteral

Parenteral refers to using an IV catheter to deliver nutrients, fluids and medicine into a vein. Another word for parenteral is hyperalimentation.

I recommend: Learn more about the perenteral method at Healthline.

Ileum

The ileum is the small intestine's third and final section. It's located beyond the other two sections (the duodenum and jejunum) and immediately before the large intestine.

I recommend: Learn more about the ileum and its purpose at the MedFriendly website.

Cachexia

Cachexia is a complex syndrome of malnutrition, ill health and wasting that's common with patients suffering advanced stages of AIDS or cancer. Symptoms include weight loss, anorexia, loss of muscle and fat, chronic nausea and weakness.

I recommend: Learn more about the causes of and treatment options available for cancer cachexia at the Ceatus Media Group website.