The demand for health informatics professionals is strong. Employment of medical records and health information technicians is expected to increase by 20 percent through 2018, which is faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. The federal government in 2009 invested billions of dollars in health information development and implementation through the American Health Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Health care systems seek health informatics degree holders to fulfill critical roles involving setting policies and making decisions in the field. The demand in this industry is strong because health informatics can deliver new information technologies and systems that lead to higher quality health care at a lower cost.
With the emergence of emphasis on the electronic health record, degree holders in health informatics have multiple career options in managing health information to ensure patient safety and quality. These opportunities are available in many settings, such as nursing homes, hospitals and doctors' offices. In addition, health informatics professionals can work in outpatient care centers, for home health care agencies and for government agencies.
Health informatics professionals can fill entry-level roles in this field by obtaining a two-year associate's degree and becoming registered as a health information technician through the American Health Information Management Association (see Resources). However, individuals can seek advancement in the field by earning a bachelor's degree or master's degree in health informatics or a related field, such as information technology. Advancement to roles such as those of health information manager, director or vice president is possible with a higher health informatics-focused degree.
Median annual wages of medical records and health information technicians at the time of publication were $30,610, according to the BLS. The highest 10 percent of employees in this field earned more than $50,060. However, average health care informatics manager salaries at the time of publication were $68,000, while the figure was $70,000 for health care informatics directors, reports SimplyHired.com. Position advancements in the growing health care informatics field can result in substantial pay increases.