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What is a medical administrator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
Bill McGinley
introduction image

As a Medical Administrator, you will oversee the daily operations of a medical facility and ensure that all processes and services in the facility are efficient. You will set goals, study feedback, gather data, plan and organize projects, and many more.

As a Medical Administrator, you need to have great organizational skills. There will be times when you'll be working on different things at once, and you should stay organized when this time comes. Next is writing skills. This is important because it is vital that you express yourself efficiently and clearly at all times. Lastly is interpersonal skills. You will be working and dealing with different types of people, so you need to learn how to approach each one of them.

You can earn around $44,793 per year on average as a Medical Administrator. You also have the chance to explore other careers when you start as a Medical Administrator. You can be a Certified Nursing Assistant, a Registered Nurse, a Registered Nurse Supervisor, and a Nursing Director. It all depends on the path you plan to pursue.

What general advice would you give to a Medical 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.
ScoreMedical AdministratorUS Average
Salary
2.8

Avg. Salary $35,713

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.2

Growth Rate -8%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.2
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%

Asian 3.77%

Black or African American 9.57%

Hispanic or Latino 11.96%

Unknown 3.77%

White 70.56%

Gender

female 76.99%

male 23.01%

Age - 51
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 - 51
Stress Level
7.2

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
4.7

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
9.3

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Medical Administrator career paths

Key steps to become a medical administrator

  1. Explore medical administrator education requirements

    Most common medical administrator degrees

    Bachelor's

    33.1 %

    Associate

    28.5 %

    Certificate

    10.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific medical administrator skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients28.88%
    Patient Care9.56%
    Medical Terminology7.16%
    HIPAA6.13%
    CPT4.85%
  3. Complete relevant medical administrator training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New medical 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 medical administrator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real medical administrator resumes.
  4. Gain additional medical administrator certifications

    Medical administrator certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific medical administrator certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for medical administrators include Medical Assistant and Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research medical administrator duties and responsibilities

    • Facilitate client relationships and manage surgery schedules, financial consultations, follow up care and ongoing maintenance.
    • Maintain a working knowledge and understanding of CPT and ICD-10 codes.
    • Provide patients with information explaining hospital admission policies, time of admission, and HIPPA privacy guidelines.
    • Receive and fulfill requests for release of information to patients and external providers following HIPPA guidelines
  6. Prepare your medical administrator resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your medical 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 medical 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 Medical Administrator Resume templates

    Build a professional Medical 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 Medical Administrator resume.
    Medical Administrator Resume
    Medical Administrator Resume
    Medical Administrator Resume
    Medical Administrator Resume
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    Medical Administrator Resume
    Medical Administrator Resume
    Medical Administrator Resume
  7. Apply for medical administrator jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a medical 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 Medical Administrator Job

Zippi

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Average medical administrator salary

The average Medical Administrator salary in the United States is $35,713 per year or $17 per hour. Medical administrator salaries range between $28,000 and $45,000 per year.

Average Medical Administrator Salary
$35,713Ā Yearly
$17.17 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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