The amount of healthcare administration jobs vary among different cities, with some employing a much larger share of administrators than others. For those entering the field, it is desirable to find a location that already has a high number of healthcare administrators employed, but even more so to find a city whose local job market is still experiencing considerable growth.
Factors Influencing Number of Jobs
What makes some cities better locations to find healthcare administration jobs than others? Urban and metropolitan areas have an advantage in terms of simple numbers and the size of the workforce. Major cities and their suburbs offer residents a lot in terms of hospitals, clinics, medical practices, and so forth, compared to areas that are rural or smaller towns. Size isn’t the only consideration. Cities that are home to colleges and universities also offer more opportunities in healthcare administration. Aging populations also engender a greater need in the field, including the need for administrators for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospices.
Overall Outlook for Healthcare Administration Jobs
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), jobs for healthcare administrators, also called medical and health services managers, are projected to grow 23% from 2012 to 2022. This rate represents incredibly robust growth, spurred in part by the number of baby-boomers who will be entering their senior years during this period and also by population growth. The healthcare field as a whole will be experiencing similar high growth rates; however, non-medical managers and administrators will not see increases at all like this.
In terms of practice areas, the physician’s offices are likely to hire more administrative staff because many services once provided primarily in hospitals will move to the office setting. This change is partially due to advances in medical technology. Meanwhile, demand in large-scale medical group practices is expected to grow as these practices become even larger and more complex to administer. Again, this gives some cities advantages in terms of job openings.
Specific Markets with High Growth Potential
In the San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara, California area, the number of people employed in healthcare administration has nearly doubled since 2005, rising to about 1,500 at present. The average salary in this area is also far above the national average; however, the cost of living in this part of California is also quite high.
The closely situated cities of Atlanta, Sandy Springs, and Marietta, Georgia employ 4,490 people in this position, which is about 1,000 more than in 2005. The area has many large hospitals, several universities, and a growing population to support continuing growth in this and other healthcare fields.
Metropolitan Seattle, Washington is poised for phenomenal growth as well, currently employing 2,120 people, while also paying a much higher than average salary for healthcare administrators. Part of this is attributable to the high percentage of residents with health insurance coverage and who utilize the services provided.
Another fast-growing area is Boston, Cambridge, and Quincy, Massachusetts where jobs in the field have increased by 1,600 positions in the last seven years. The salaries here are also a lot higher than the national average. This is primarily due to the aging population, universities, and advanced healthcare system in place in the state.
In conclusion, jobs in this field are on the rise in many cities across the US for a variety of factors, including age-related demand increases, changing technologies, and increases in healthcare access. Healthcare administration jobs are available in many cities, with qualified applicants increasingly in high demand.
