What Can You Do With a Health Services Administration Degree?

Healthcare depends on more than the professionals who diagnose illnesses and provide direct patient care. Every appointment scheduled, medical record protected, budget managed and organizational decision made affects how well a health system serves the people who rely on it.

A career in health services administration gives you an opportunity to contribute from the operational side of care. As healthcare organizations in this country respond to an aging population, new technologies and changing regulations, they need professionals who understand both the complexities of healthcare and the administrative systems that keep organizations functioning effectively.

So, what can you do with a health services administration degree? Career possibilities range from entry-level administrative and patient-service positions to management roles overseeing departments, facilities and healthcare operations. This post looks at where health services administration professionals work, how careers can develop and what you might earn as you gain experience.

Exploring Health Services Administration Jobs

Healthcare organizations are complex operations. In addition to providing care, they must manage finances, maintain patient information, meet regulatory requirements, use evolving technologies and coordinate the work of people across departments and specialties. Health services administration professionals help make those systems work.

Medical and health services managers plan, direct and coordinate healthcare services.¹ Depending on the position, responsibilities can include overseeing budgets, monitoring regulatory compliance, supervising staff and implementing technologies such as electronic health records.

There is considerable variety in where that work takes place. Major employers of medical and health services managers include hospitals, physician offices, nursing and residential care facilities and government agencies.¹ Opportunities also extend beyond traditional care settings to organizations such as insurers, pharmaceutical companies and nonprofits.

Job titles vary with an employer’s structure and the professional’s experience and area of expertise. Examples include clinical director, health information manager and nursing director.²

That variety is part of the appeal of the field. Healthcare administration does not limit you to a single role or predetermined career path. You can develop experience in an area that fits your strengths, whether you are drawn to working with patients, managing information, improving organizational operations or eventually leading people and programs.

Health Services Administration Jobs: Entry Level

A career in healthcare administration does not have to begin with a management title. Entry-level positions can give you firsthand knowledge of how healthcare organizations operate and how administrative decisions affect patients, providers and staff.

• Medical records specialists compile, process and maintain patient information while helping ensure that records meet legal and regulatory requirements³ 
• Patient service representatives may help patients understand organizational policies and make healthcare decisions⁴ 
• Medical secretaries and administrative assistants handle responsibilities such as scheduling appointments, billing and maintaining medical charts⁵

These positions can do more than add a first healthcare job to your résumé. They can help you understand the systems, terminology, regulations and day-to-day challenges that shape healthcare delivery. That perspective can become increasingly valuable as you take on greater responsibility.

Your first role can also help you discover what kind of work holds your interest.

• Experience with patient records might lead toward health information management
• Exposure to budgeting or operations could point toward administrative management
• Work involving patients may reveal an interest in improving access, service or organizational processes

What Is a Health Services Administration Salary Like?

There is no single health services administration salary because the field includes positions with widely varied responsibilities and experience requirements. Geography, employer, industry and career stage can all affect earnings.

Indeed reports an average U.S. salary of $103,717 for health services administrators.⁶ ZipRecruiter reports average annual pay of $109,274.⁷ At the beginning of a career, earnings may be considerably lower. PayScale reports average total compensation of $66,002 for healthcare administrators with less than one year of experience.⁸

Those figures are useful reference points, but they should not be treated as guarantees or as interchangeable measures. Salary websites use different methodologies and job-title definitions. A more useful way to think about earning potential is in the context of the role you pursue, the responsibilities you assume and the experience you develop over time.

Average Health Services Manager Salary

For medical and health services managers specifically, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported a median annual salary of $123,860 in May 2025.¹ Pay also varies considerably within the occupation. Managers working in government and hospitals had higher median wages than those working in nursing and residential care facilities.¹

Experience and responsibility can make a substantial difference. The highest-paid 10% of medical and health services managers earned more than $224,340 annually.¹ Senior management positions typically require relevant work experience, and some employers prefer candidates with graduate-level education.¹

Salary, however, is only one reason to consider advancement. Moving into management can also expand the scope of the decisions you make and the problems you are positioned to solve. Instead of supporting one administrative function, you may eventually help shape how an entire department or organization uses its people, resources and systems to serve patients.

Bachelor of Health Services Administration Jobs and Career Paths

A bachelor’s degree is typically required to enter the medical and health services management field, although requirements vary by employer and position.¹ Managers also commonly need administrative or clinical work experience in a hospital or other healthcare facility.¹ Career advancement typically occurs as education and relevant professional experience build on each other.

Study in health services administration can provide knowledge relevant to areas such as healthcare organizations, health information systems, accounting and public health policy. That broad perspective matters because administrative decisions rarely exist in isolation. A budget decision can affect staffing. A technology change can alter workflows. A policy requirement can reshape how an organization collects information or serves patients.

Graduates with a BS in Public Health may pursue positions such as compliance officer, patient navigator, insurance specialist or policy analyst. With additional experience, career possibilities can expand into roles involving finance, operations and organizational leadership.

A bachelor’s degree can also provide preparation for further study if your long-term goals call for more specialized or advanced education. The important point is not that every health services administration career follows the same ladder. It is that knowledge of both public health and healthcare administration can give you multiple directions in which to develop your career.

Build a Fulfilling Career in Healthcare Leadership

Healthcare administration puts you close to decisions that can affect how people experience care. Your role may not involve diagnosing patients or administering treatment, but your work can influence whether systems function efficiently, information reaches the right people and organizations have the resources and processes they need to serve their communities.

Kent State University’s online BS in Public Health offers a health services administration concentration for students interested in that side of healthcare. The broader public health curriculum introduces you to areas including biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, health policy and management and the social and behavioral sciences. That perspective can help you understand healthcare organizations not simply as businesses, but as part of a larger system that influences population health.

The online format also allows you to pursue your education while continuing to manage professional and personal responsibilities. As your career develops, the combination of public health knowledge and administrative preparation can position you to take on greater responsibility and contribute to the organizations and communities you serve.

Explore the admissions requirements to learn more about pursuing your degree. When you’re ready to discuss your goals and the program, schedule a call with an admissions outreach advisor or contact the Kent State team.