Medical and Health Services Managers
Medical and health services managers plan, direct, and coordinate the business activities of healthcare providers.
Is medical and health services managers a good career?
It scores 64/100 and ranks #20 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.
Advantages
- Pays well above the U.S. median wage ($123,860 vs $61,390)
- Faster-than-average projected growth (+23.2% through 2034)
- High volume of openings — about 62,100 a year
Possible tradeoffs
- Typically requires a bachelor's degree
- Often needs prior experience (less than 5 years)
What medical and health services managers earn
Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. medical and health services managers earn between $94,700 and $166,100 a year.
Best-paying states
Best-paying metros
Strongest employment concentration
Live medical and health services managers jobs
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- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- None
- Outlook
- Employment is projected to grow much faster than average through 2034.
Education
Medical and health services managers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation, although requirements may vary. For example, some employers hire candidates with an associate’s degree; others prefer to hire those with a master’s degree. Work experience sometimes may substitute for education.
Common majors for medical and health services managers include healthcare and related fields, such as health administration or nursing, or other relevant fields, such as business. Degrees that focus on both management and healthcare combine business-related topics with those such as medical terminology, hospital organization, and health information systems. For example, a degree in health administration or health information management may include courses in health services management, accounting and budgeting, and health informatics.
Licenses, certifications & registrations
Some medical and health services managers need a state-issued license. For example, all states require licensure for nursing home administrators; requirements vary by state.
Some positions may require candidates to be licensed as a registered nurse or social worker.
Although certification is not required, some managers choose to earn a professional credential.
Advancement
Some health information managers advance by taking on additional responsibilities, such as for an entire hospital’s information systems. Other managers may advance to top executive positions within an organization. Advancement to top level executive positions may require a master’s degree.
Important qualities
Analytical skills. Medical and health services managers review and evaluate healthcare metrics for ways to improve efficiency and meet goals.
Communication skills. Medical and health services managers must convey information to their staff, other healthcare workers, and, sometimes, patients and insurance agents.
Detail oriented. Medical and health services managers must pay attention to detail. They might be required to organize and maintain scheduling and billing information for very large facilities, such as hospitals.
Leadership skills. Medical and health services managers hire, train, and direct staff. They must be able to motivate others and create an environment in which workers can succeed.
Technical skills. Medical and health services managers must stay up to date with advances in healthcare technology, such as the coding and electronic health record (EHR) systems their facility adopts.
Related occupations
How much do medical and health services managers make?
The national median wage is $123,860 a year, with the middle half earning between $94,700 and $166,100 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Is medical and health services managers a good career?
On the Jobs.best index it scores 64 of 100 and ranks #20 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change +23.2% through 2034.
What education do you need to become a medical and health services manager?
The typical entry-level education is bachelor's degree, usually with less than 5 years.
Where do medical and health services managers earn the most?
Among states, New York pays the highest median ($164,120). Local pay for every state and metro is below.