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Hospitals and Health Systems
Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, HCA Healthcare
Medical and Health Services Managers
Medical and health services managers run the business side of clinics, hospitals, and other care settings. They balance budgets, staffing, policies, and compliance while still trying to keep care running smoothly, which means the job is always a tradeoff between service quality and financial pressure.
Also known as Healthcare AdministratorPractice ManagerClinic ManagerHealth Services AdministratorHealthcare Operations Manager
Median Salary
$117,960
Mean $137,730
U.S. Workforce
~566K
62.1K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+23.2%
616.2K to 759.1K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ Less than 5 years experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Medical and Health Services Managers sits in the Healthcare category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~566K workers, with a median annual pay of $117,960 and roughly 62.1K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 616.2 K in 2024 to 759.1K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, business, public health, or a related field, and employers typically expect less than 5 years of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Healthcare Administrative Coordinator and can progress toward Director of Healthcare Operations. High-value skills usually include Microsoft Excel, PivotTables & Financial Modeling, Healthcare Compliance, Accreditation & Quality Reporting, and EHR/EMR Systems (Epic, Cerner, MEDITECH), paired with soft skills such as Critical Thinking, Speaking, and Active Listening.
Core Responsibilities
- Build budgets, track spending, and decide where money can be approved or cut.
- Meet with doctors, nurses, community partners, and business staff to solve service problems and plan new programs.
- Write and update office or facility policies so daily work follows the right rules.
- Keep electronic records and reporting systems organized so the team can pull data and performance reports quickly.
Keep exploring: more Healthcare careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Build budgets, track spending, and decide where money can be approved or cut.
02 Meet with doctors, nurses, community partners, and business staff to solve service problems and plan new programs.
03 Write and update office or facility policies so daily work follows the right rules.
04 Keep electronic records and reporting systems organized so the team can pull data and performance reports quickly.
05 Hire, train, and schedule staff, then step in when there are shortages or performance issues.
06 Oversee the day-to-day work of clinical and nonclinical teams and check that standards are being met.
Industries That Hire
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Outpatient Care and Physician Groups
One Medical, Summit Health, ChenMed
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Long-Term Care and Senior Living
Brookdale Senior Living, Genesis HealthCare, Encompass Health
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Health Insurance and Managed Care
UnitedHealth Group, Elevance Health, Cigna
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Public Health and Government Healthcare
Veterans Health Administration, Indian Health Service, NYC Health + Hospitals
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is strong: the median is $117,960 and the mean is $137,730, which is well above many office-based management jobs.
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Demand is solid, with projected employment growth of 23.2% and 62.1 thousand annual openings, so there are regular chances to move into the field.
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The role usually does not require formal on-the-job training, so people who already have healthcare experience can step up without a long apprenticeship.
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The work combines people leadership, budgeting, and problem solving, so it can be a good fit if you want a job with real decision-making authority.
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The skills transfer across hospitals, clinics, insurance, and long-term care, which gives you more than one industry to work in.
Challenges
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You are often responsible for staffing, budgets, and compliance at the same time, and those pressures can land on one manager when the unit is short-handed.
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The job is tied to healthcare rules, reimbursement changes, and accreditation standards that you do not control, so part of the work is constantly reacting to outside policy shifts.
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Even though pay is strong, most workers still need a bachelor's degree and less than 5 years of experience before they are competitive for the role.
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The job can be hard to do remotely because many decisions depend on being present with staff, patients, and facility leaders.
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In smaller organizations, career growth can stall because there are only so many manager and director positions above you.
Career Progression
Healthcare Administrative Coordinator
0-2 years
$45K-$60K
Handles scheduling, records, billing support, and basic office coordination while learning how a healthcare setting runs.
Assistant Practice Manager
2-5 years
$61K-$83K
Helps supervise front-office or unit operations, supports budgets and staffing, and starts handling day-to-day problem solving.
Medical and Health Services Manager THIS ROLE
5-10 years
$84K-$135K
Runs a clinic, department, or service line, balancing budgets, compliance, staffing, and service quality.
Senior Medical and Health Services Manager
10-15 years
$136K-$180K
Leads multiple departments or larger facilities and makes higher-stakes decisions about performance, hiring, and expansion.
Director of Healthcare Operations
15+ years
$181K-$240K
Oversees broad operational strategy for a health system, hospital network, or large medical group.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, business, public health, or a related field
This is the most common entry path, held by 46.43% of workers in the role.
Master's degree such as an MHA, MBA, or MPH
A strong advancement path, held by 21.43% of workers in the role, especially for larger hospitals and higher-level leadership jobs.
Associate's degree with several years of healthcare office or operations experience
An alternative route used by 10.71% of workers, usually after proving they can handle scheduling, billing, and staff coordination.
Post-secondary certificate in healthcare administration or office management
A smaller alternative route, held by 7.14% of workers, and most useful when paired with direct experience in a medical office.
Key Skills
Technical
Microsoft Excel, PivotTables & Financial Modeling 82%
Healthcare Compliance, Accreditation & Quality Reporting 82%
EHR/EMR Systems (Epic, Cerner, MEDITECH) 80%
HRIS, Scheduling & Payroll Systems (Workday, UKG) 80%
Tableau, Power BI & KPI Dashboards 80%
Revenue Cycle, Billing & Claims Management Software 80%
Soft Skills
Critical ThinkingSpeakingActive ListeningComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision MakingManagement of Personnel Resources Job Outlook and Trends
+23.2%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
62.1K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 616.2K to 759.1 K over the next decade, representing 23.2% growth. Around 62.1 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.