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What is a health facility administrator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Bill McGinley

Health care services range from small clinics and nursing homes to large and state-of-the-art care centers. Every facility has to hire teams of people to do the job needed for the facility to work. The health facility administrator is the first person responsible for the operations of the facility. Depending on the size of the organization, they are responsible for managing the equipment, programs, budgets, and other administrative functions.

Unlike other health care personnel, health facility administrators do not deal with patients personally every day. They instead help form legislation, make appropriate improvements and direct the health-related agencies in a manner that will help the healthcare system improve. The health facility administrator aims to ensure that all patients experience the best level of care by ensuring the facilities are properly prepared, adequately qualified, and supported with all they need by direct oversight of workers or supervisory administrations.

A health facility administrator who has less than one year of experience in the health care industry earns an estimated gross salary of $73,698, while most mid-career professionals in this role earn around $83,726. This is including benefits and overtime pay.

What general advice would you give to a health facility administrator?

Bill McGinleyBill McGinley LinkedIn profile

President & CEO, American College of Health Care Administrators

LTC administrators should have at least a bachelor's degree in business or a healthcare-related field. A well-rounded internship that exposes the future administrator to all aspects of the operation is essential. Needed skills include business, marketing, finance, operations, management and leadership.
Post pandemic opportunities will be nationwide in this field with a greater need in rural areas.
Technology will continue to play a big role in the field. Computerized medical records, census management, and all clinical areas will continue to dominate. Online meetings are liable to continue as well, as employers realize that there is a savings to be gained by not having people travel to meetings and conferences.
ScoreHealth Facility AdministratorUS Average
Salary
4.8

Avg. Salary $60,836

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.1

Growth rate 28%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.2
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 8.24%

Black or African American 8.95%

Hispanic or Latino 14.92%

Unknown 4.28%

White 62.89%

Gender

female 71.12%

male 28.88%

Age - 47
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47
Stress level
7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Health facility administrator career paths

Key steps to become a health facility administrator

  1. Explore health facility administrator education requirements

    Most common health facility administrator degrees

    Bachelor's

    50.1 %

    Associate

    27.5 %

    Master's

    13.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific health facility administrator skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients21.27%
    Public Health11.03%
    Health Care Facilities8.86%
    Home Health6.91%
    Medical Care4.37%
  3. Complete relevant health facility administrator training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New health facility administrators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a health facility administrator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real health facility administrator resumes.
  4. Research health facility administrator duties and responsibilities

    • Achieve and maintain 5-star rating by CMS.
    • Lead staff in the creation of high-performing and culture of superior quality care and collaboration with patients and staff.
    • Hire, manage payroll and provide oversight for research and administrative assistants.
    • Direct and ensure individual residents' healthcare by overseeing outcomes of physician orders, social well-being, rehabilitation and dietary needs.
  5. Prepare your health facility administrator resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your health facility administrator resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a health facility administrator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable health facility administrator resume templates

    Build a professional health facility administrator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your health facility administrator resume.
    Health Facility Administrator Resume
    Health Facility Administrator Resume
    Health Facility Administrator Resume
    Health Facility Administrator Resume
    Health Facility Administrator Resume
    Health Facility Administrator Resume
    Health Facility Administrator Resume
    Health Facility Administrator Resume
    Health Facility Administrator Resume
  6. Apply for health facility administrator jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a health facility administrator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first health facility administrator job

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Average health facility administrator salary

The average health facility administrator salary in the United States is $60,836 per year or $29 per hour. Health facility administrator salaries range between $42,000 and $87,000 per year.

Average health facility administrator salary
$60,836 Yearly
$29.25 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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