Health Services Administration

Average Salary $37k - 161k
Years Higher Education 6 - 9
Job Outlook Excellent

The field of health services administration combines policy, business and science in managing the human and fiscal resources needed to deliver effective public health services. A career in health services management could include: managing the database at a school clinic, developing budgets for a health department, or working to analyze and create better policies for health

If you go into this profession, you can work in a variety of different setting with exposure to different specializations including:

  • Health economics and finance
  • Marketing and communications
  • Organization structure and development
  • Planning
  • Policy formation and analysis

Health services administration professionals may be pulled into a variety of fields to consult on non-profit program initiatives or for international development organizations. Skills that are developed in a health services administration degree can be translated outside of a clinical administrative setting.

Working Conditions | Academic Requirements | Resources

Working Conditions

In today’s managed care environment, the demand is high for public health professionals who specialize in health services administration. Health service administrators play a leadership role in regional, state, national and international agencies and organizations. Many professionals may work in a clinical setting, but there are also opportunities to work in a non-profit or public setting in the domestically or abroad.

Academic Requirements

  • The health services administrative field is constantly changing with advancements in technology and clinical practice. Public health practitioners in this field may take the following courses during their degree or as required continuing education courses:
    • Health care accessibility and delivery
    • Health care financing and costs
    • Quality assurance
    • Health care organizational structure and development
    • Human resources
    • Database management

    You can search for schools in this field on the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health’s (ASPPH) website. SOPHAS is the centralized online application service for students applying to a school or program of public health accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). A complete list of accredited schools and programs can be found on the CEPH website.

Resources

The Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health reviewed this profile.