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Health Administration Salary

Health administration salary varies greatly depending on the exact position, hours worked and degree earned. While some positions may start out at $50,000 per year, others may earn close to $250,000 per year. In order to obtain the highest earning potential, you must accelerate your schooling; first completing a four year Bachelors’ degree, and then go on to spend up to another two years focusing on a Masters’ degree. While the Bachelors’ degree will help you to get an entry level position, the Masters’ degree, in conjunction with experience, will help you achieve your goal of senior level management with the highest earning potential in the hospital administrative field.

Entry-Level Salary

Entry level health administrator salary can vary but it is generally $40,000 to $50,000 a year. Not too shabby for a steady job which is always in high demand. In order to gain employment even in an entry level position, you must have at the minimum a four year Bachelors’ degree in healthcare administration. In addition, your schooling should also include internships where you essentially work for free while in school in exchange for the experience which can be used on a resume; which also increases your starting pay. All entry level jobs will have pay DOE, or Depending on Experience, which is why it is important to take advantage of the knowledge and experience that an internship can offer. Once you have experience, even just a couple years, it is not uncommon for your wages to jump up to $60-$80,000 a year, depending on your employer, your job description and the location. The heath administration salary has the potential to give you substantial raises quickly, whether it is simply a raise or a new job through a promotion.

Middle and Upper Management

Middle management health administration salary can range from $75-$80,000 per year, depending once again on both your degree and your experience. These positions are generally the head managers of specialized departments throughout the hospital; with more responsibility than the assistants to the department heads. This is why many employers require that prospective middle management employees complete not only their Bachelors’ degree, but a Master’s degree as well. The Master’s degree only takes about an extra year and a half to complete, although the increase in salary is well worth the additional time spent on your education.

Once you gain an appropriate amount of experience in middle management with your Master’s degree, you may have the opportunity to advance again to senior or upper health administration salary. This is as high as you can go in health administration salary, generally the head administrator of a hospital, nursing home or surgery center; the person in this position must be fully knowledgeable in all aspects of the healthcare industry, including how to handle employees, ethics and other legal matters. This position also requires the administrator works up to 70 hours a week, although the highest paid hospital administrator can expect to earn anywhere from $150-$250,000 per year, well worth the additional hours worked as well as the additional education.