A degree in health care administration can help graduates find a career suitable for them. Because this degree covers two large areas--health care and business administration--graduates are equipped with an abundance of skills that hospitals, clinics, private doctor's offices and government and military employers are looking for. This means that a degree in health care administration opens up a variety of career choices.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that medical and health service managers earned $80,240 per year in salary as of May 2008. This can go as high as $137,800 or more. A degree in health care administration will provide graduates with an opportunity for a lucrative job that can provide them with enough financial stability to not only pursue life goals such as owning a home, but also many luxuries and extras.
A degree in health care administration is most often used to obtain a job in a hospital or clinical setting. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that a full 38 percent of all health care administrators work in a hospital setting. Large health care facilities such as these require a team of administrators to ensure that quality health care is delivered to patients and that staff is compensated appropriately. General health care administrators may look after an entire hospital, but they usually have a staff of associate or assistant administrators who look after specific departments such as nursing or specific administrative tasks such as payroll.
There are several placements for health care administrators that are not common. Health care administrators are required in the military, for instance, to ensure that military professionals receive the top quality health care they deserve. Health care administrators may also be called upon by the government to perform inspections at hospitals and other facilities around the country. Also, some health care administrators choose to work in the private sector and can quickly become CEO of a pharmaceutical company if their business administration skills are superior.
Not only can a degree in health care administration prepare graduates for a job, but it can also open up opportunities for further education. A Bachelor of Science in health care administration is often not enough for the higher paying positions within a hospital or clinic setting, so many graduates choose to pursue their master of science in health care administration. From there, graduates can go on to get a doctorate in health care administration, which would enable them to get the top jobs in health care administration as well as remain in an educational setting as a health care educator or professor.