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Health Services Manager: Career Information

From Dawn Rosenberg McKay,
Your Guide to Career Planning.
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Job Description: Health services managers plan, direct, coordinate, and supervise the delivery of healthcare. Generalists manage an entire facility, while specialists manage a department.
Employment Facts: Medical and health services managers held about 248,000 jobs in 2004:
  • 30 percent worked in private hospitals
  • 16 percent worked in physicians' offices or nursing care facilities
  • Others worked in home healthcare services, Federal government healthcare facilities, ambulatory facilities run by state and local governments, outpatient care centers, insurance carriers, and community care facilities for the elderly.
Education: Generalists should have a Master’s degree in health services administration, long-term care administration, health sciences, public health, public administration, or business administration. A bachelor's degree and work experience is sometimes acceptable in smaller facilities in lieu of a master's degree. For clinical department heads sometimes only a degree in the appropriate field and work experience are required.
Other Requirements: Nursing care facility administrators in all states and the District of Columbia must have a bachelor’s degree and pass a licensing examination. They must also complete a state-approved training program and take continuing education courses.
Advancement: A health services manager may advance by moving into a more responsible and higher paying position or by moving to a job in a larger facility.
Job Outlook: Employment of medical and health services managers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2014.
Earnings:

Median Annual Earnings in the Industries Employing the Largest Numbers of Medical and Health Services Managers (U.S., 2004*)

  • Federal Government: $87,200
  • General medical and surgical hospitals: $71,280
  • Home health care services: $60,320
  • Physicians' offices: $61,320
  • Nursing care facilities: $60,940
A Day in a Health Services Manager's Life : A health services manager working in a large facility will have assistant managers who direct activities in clinical areas, including nursing, surgery, therapy, medical records, or health information

A health services manager working in a smaller facility will manage personnel, finance, facility operations, and admissions.

*This is the most recent year for which this information is available.

Information courtesy of Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition, Medical and Health Services Managers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos014.htm (visited February 7, 2006).
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