Health Care Administration Salary: Your 2026 Earning Guide

Key takeaways

Health care administration focuses on the efficient operation of health care facilities, and jobs in the field come with a variety of salaries. At a glance, here's what you need to know about health care administration careers and their pay:

• Health care administration salaries vary widely depending on the position, with C-level health care administration professionals earning a total median salary of up to $308,000 per year, according to Glassdoor [1].

• Many different positions fall under the umbrella of health care administration, including medical records specialist, medical secretary, clinical manager, nursing home administrator, pharmaceuticals project manager, and health information manager.

• You can enter the health care administration field in a variety of ways, typically after earning a degree and gaining experience. 

Below, you'll learn more about the various positions within health care administration and the salaries you can expect from them. Afterward, if you're interested in developing job-relevant skills, you might consider enrolling Rutgers University's Healthcare Organization Operations Specialization. In as little as two months, you can build key skills, including value-based care, business process improvement, and health information management. 

What is health care administration?

Health care administration oversees the daily operations of a health care facility, either of a department or of the entire facility. Covering a wide variety of job titles and responsibilities, health care administration includes facility management, staffing, financial management, policies, and compliance with federal and state regulations.

In health care administration, you won’t work directly with patients, but you will still provide patient care indirectly by ensuring that health care facilities are safe and the providers are highly trained. There are a variety of jobs that fall under health care administration, including hospital manager, administrative assistant, and medical records manager.

How to become a health care administrator

The exact path to becoming a health care administrator depends on your job title; however, most positions require you to earn a relevant degree and build related experience in the health care field. In some cases, you might consider an advanced degree, Professional Certificate, or a certification. Read more: Guide to Health Care Administration Careers

Health care administration job outlook

As with other health care professions, the job outlook for health care administrators is very positive.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of jobs for medical and health services managers is projected to grow by 23 percent between 2024 and 2034, resulting in approximately 62,100 new job openings a year throughout the decade [2]. Furthermore, this number only includes health care administration positions within a managerial capacity, so the actual number of new jobs for all positions in the field is likely to be even higher.

A few reasons for this positive outlook are an aging population in need of medical care and nursing home facilities, increased demand for medical professionals, and advances in medical and health care technologies. 

Health care administration jobs and salary 

There are a number of jobs that fall under the category of health care administration.

The exact jobs you are eligible for will depend on your level of education, any experience you hold, certifications you’ve gained, and your overall skills. Some positions may only be available in certain health care facilities, so where you live may also be a factor in the jobs you can get within this sprawling field of health care. 

At a glance, here are some of the jobs you can get with a health care administration degree and the average base annual salary for each, according to Glassdoor: 

*Note: All salary data represents the median total salary in the US, which includes base pay plus bonuses, commissions, and other forms of additional compensation as taken from Glassdoor as of June 2026 unless otherwise stated. 

Health care administration salary by education

Education can greatly impact the jobs you are able to get as a health care administrator.

While the most common degree for the majority of jobs within health care administration is a bachelor's degree, some positions may only ask that applicants possess a high school diploma or equivalent. Other jobs, meanwhile, may prefer candidates with at least an associate degree or require that they possess a master's degree and many years of experience to even be considered.

HS diploma or associate degree

There are many entry-level positions within health care administration that only require applicants to possess a high school diploma or equivalent. Possessing an associate degree in health care administration or a related field can also make you a more attractive candidate for these positions.

Here are some of the jobs you might pursue with either a HS diploma or an associate degree:

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree in health care administration or a related subject will prepare you for the majority of positions within the field. While some positions may ask that applicants have at least an associate degree, many employers typically prefer that candidates applying to managerial positions possess a bachelor's degree to even be considered.

At a glance, here are some of the jobs in health care administration that usually require applicants to possess a bachelor's degree:

What is the highest-paying job in health care administration?

Although many factors affect the salary of each job, executive-level jobs typically offer some of the highest salaries. For example, a hospital chief executive officer earns a median total pay of $307,000, and a chief medical information officer makes $308,000 [3, 1].

Master's or doctoral degree

Senior-level positions in health care administration will typically require a master’s degree or doctoral degree, along with quality professional experience. If you’d like to progress into one of these top-level positions, set your career pathway accordingly, gaining the education, professional experience, and any certifications you might need to achieve your goal.

Some senior-level career prospects in health care administration include:

Learn more: A Guide to Online Degrees

Free job search resources

Coursera's Career Resource Hub offers a powerful collection of free job search resources designed to support you whether you're starting out, switching fields, or aiming for a promotion:

• Industry-specific interview prep to ace your toughest questions

• Custom study guides for today's most in-demand skills

• Career quizzes for finding your ideal role (or the skills you'll need to get there)

• Cheat sheets and topic glossaries to support your independent study

• Career path maps to visualize your opportunities

• Career transition guides for making a smooth and successful change

Explore free resources to build health care administration skills

Keep up with trends in the field, learn about emerging technologies, and discover professional paths with Career Chat, our free weekly newsletter. You might also consider the following:

• Watch on YouTube: Careers in AI Healthcare: The Trainer Role Explained

• Take a mini quiz: Career Test: What Career is Right for Me Quiz?

• Learn from an expert: Reimagining Work and Learning with AI: Expert Insights from Dr. Jules White

If you’re ready to begin advancing your skills, consider subscribing to Coursera Plus. With a monthly or annual subscription, you can learn and earn credentials at your own pace from over 350 leading companies and universities and gain access to over 10,000 programs. 

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