Working as a health care administrator earns a comfortable income.
Employees with a bachelor's degree or higher specializing in health care administration have a variety of job choices, all of which can lead to rewarding careers and salaries. The wages a worker in health care administration earns depend upon his exact job position, type of company, his experience level and the location in which he works.
Job Type
Health care administrators may be employed in several capacities, each with widely varying salary averages. For example the salary range of a hospital administrator is incredibly wide at $39,600 to $139,320 per year, according to PayScale as of December 2010. A licensed nursing home administrator earns a narrower salary range of $68,400 to $88,023, while a practice manager earns between $48,000 and $70,969.
Experience
As with most careers, salaries tend to increase along with years of experience for those working in health care administration. PayScale states than a health care administrator with less than one year of experience earns an average of $34,795 a year, while one with five to nine years of experience earns an average of $53,666. A seasoned health care administrator who has been working in the field for over 20 years earns an average of $72,908 per year.
Employer Type
From companies and schools to hospitals and the government, health care administrators can find work in several different industries. A company that employs a health care administrator pays an average of $58,103 per year, while private practice offers less at $50,565. Colleges and universities offer an average salary of $49,000, while schools and school districts offer less at $39,999. The federal government pays a lower average than state and local governments at $51,923 versus $57,000, while hospitals themselves offer administrators $53,723 per year, according to PayScale as of December 2010.
Location
Because cost of living and job demand vary from state do state, health care administration salaries do as well. PayScale lists California as the highest paying state in the U.S. as of December 2010 with an average annual salary of $67,949, with Florida in second at $59,000. New York follows closely with an average salary of $58,336, and Illinois is in fourth at $57,931.
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