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Health Services Administration

Types of Degrees Health Services Administration Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Health Services Administration have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	37
Associate’s Degree	242
Bachelor’s Degree	1,046
Master’s Degree	1,279
Doctor’s Degree	25

What Health Services Administration Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Health Services Administration develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Health Services Administration graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Health Services Administration emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Administration and Management — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Personnel and Human Resources — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Health Services Administration program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Health Services Administration careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Health Services Administration graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.6 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.5 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Health Services Administration professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Google Sheets	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
FileMaker Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
CliniTrend	Analytical or scientific software	—
AcuStaf	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Apache Pig	Data base management system software	—
Medical condition coding software	Medical software	—
GE Healthcare Centricity EMR	Medical software	—
Qlik Tech QlikView	Business intelligence and data analysis software	—
Electronic medical record EMR software	Medical software	—
PCC Pediatric Partner	Medical software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Health Services Administration graduates include:

• Rehabilitation Director
• Clinical Director
• Correctional Therapy Director
• Housing Manager
• Medical Records Administrator
• Medical Information Officer
• Respiratory Therapy Director
• Public Health Director
• Patient Care Coordinator
• Hospital Unit Coordinator
• Client Services Director
• Medical Records Director
• Medical Records Supervisor
• Hospital Supervisor
• Clinical Services Director

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Health Services Administration graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	46.4%
Master’s degree	21.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10.7%
Postsecondary certificate	7.1%
Post-doctoral training	3.6%
First professional degree	3.6%
Some college courses	3.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Health Services Administration?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 80% of Health Services Administration degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,103	80.0%
Men	526	20.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Health Services Administration graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,012	38.5%
Asian	255	9.7%
Hispanic or Latino	555	21.1%
Black or African American	491	18.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	27	1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.1%
Two or More Races	88	3.3%
Race Unknown	94	3.6%
International Students	104	4.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Health Services Administration Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Health Services Administration graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$50,939
4 years	$60,432
5 years	$70,561

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $70,561 — roughly 39% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Health Services Administration Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Health Services Administration. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	4	3
Bachelor’s	14	6
Master’s	28	13
Doctoral (Research)	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Health Services Administration Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Health Services Administration graduates earn a median of $60,432 four years after completion — roughly 59% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Public Health	51.22
Behavioral Aspects of Health	51.2212
Community Health and Preventive Medicine	51.2208
Environmental Health	51.2202
Health/Medical Physics	51.2205
International Public Health/International Health	51.2210
Maternal and Child Health	51.2209
Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene	51.2206
Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality	51.2213
Public Health Education and Promotion	51.2207
Public Health Genetics	51.2214
Public Health, General	51.2201

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.