What Does a Hospital Administrator Do?
Hospital administration includes a diverse array of job duties to ensure that patients receive quality care while at a medical facility. Here we examine each aspect of a hospital administrator job description in detail, including salary and education.
Hospital Administrator Overview
Hospital administration is responsible for managing the various operations of a hospital. Although hospital administration can be included in the larger field of healthcare administration, there are a variety of different positions, each with specific job duties. For example, the responsibilities and training for a hospital administrator are going to be slightly different than the responsibilities and training for a nursing home administrator. Read on for a detailed hospital administrator job description.
<table border="1"><tr><td> Education Required </td><td> Bachelor's; master's often preferred</td></tr>
<tr><td> Certification </td><td> Optional; American College of Healthcare Executives</td></tr>
<tr><td> Salary </td><td> $87,760*</td></tr>
<tr><td> Job Growth </td><td> 20%**</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Sources: *Payscale.com, **U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatDoesAHospitalAdministratorDoOnADailyBasis">What Does a Hospital Administrator Do on a Daily Basis?</h3><p>A hospital administrator's top priority is to make sure that their hospital or medical facility is operating effectively and safely. They generally need to help plan and coordinate the various health services their facility offers, which requires them to work closely with a range of medical staff. Some examples of their diverse job duties may include:
</p><ul><li>Overseeing the facility's finances
</li><li>Hiring and managing staff
</li><li>Examining and implementing ways to provide quality care
</li><li>Setting facility/department goals
</li><li>Ensuring policies and procedures align with current laws
</li><li>Communicating with management and board of directors
</li><li>Developing schedules and budgets
</li></ul><h3 id="section---WhatKindOfEducationDoHospitalAdministratorsNeed">What Kind of Education Do Hospital Administrators Need?</h3><p>The <a href="https://learn.org/articles/What_Are_the_Requirements_to_be_a_Hospital_Administrator.html">requirements to become a hospital administrator</a> usually include at least a bachelor's degree. The degree can be in a variety of fields, such as public health administration or business administration, but there are bachelor's degree programs available specifically in healthcare administration.
</p><p>Healthcare administration degree programs at the bachelor's level are commonly offered as a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. Many of these programs are available in online formats. Students in these programs may discuss topics in areas like:
</p><ul><li>Healthcare finance
</li><li>Healthcare ethics
</li><li>Epidemiology
</li><li>Healthcare policy
</li></ul><p>It is becoming more common for healthcare administrators to have a master's degree. Often a master's degree is preferred by an employer. At the master's level, students can commonly pursue a Master of Science (MS) in Healthcare Administration or a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA). Several of these degree programs can also be found online. Topics in these programs may include:
</p><ul><li>Healthcare economics
</li><li>Healthcare informatics
</li><li>Healthcare quality management
</li><li>Healthcare operations management
</li></ul><h3 id="section---AreThereOtherRequirementsForBecomingAHospitalAdministrator">Are There Other Requirements for Becoming a Hospital Administrator?</h3><p>Most healthcare administrators will have had some prior work experience in the field of healthcare. This experience may be in an administrative or clinical role, but generally, employers like to see some experience in a medical facility.
</p><p>Some healthcare administrators may pursue optional professional certification. A variety of professional organizations offer different kinds of certification, including the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). ACHE offers a board certification in healthcare management as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) to demonstrate expertise in the field.
</p><h3 id="section---HowMuchDoHospitalAdministratorsMake">How Much Do Hospital Administrators Make?</h3><p>The <i>U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> (BLS) reported that medical and health services managers made a median salary of $99,730 in 2018. Those that worked in hospitals, at the state, federal, or private levels, made a median salary of $108,730 the same year.
</p><p>Another website, <i>PayScale.com</i> reported that the median salary for a hospital administrator in August 2019 was $87,760. The website reported that hospital administrators with more years of work experience were expected to make a higher annual salary. For example, hospital administrators with 20 years or more of experience made an annual salary of $123,000.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatIsTheJobOutlookForHospitalAdministrators">What is the Job Outlook for Hospital Administrators?</h3><p>The BLS reported a job outlook of 20% for medical and health services managers from 2016 to 2026. This outlook is much faster than the national average and could be contributed to the growing need for healthcare services.</p>