by our College Data Analytics TeamIt is important that medical records, patient information, and doctors' schedules stay organized and up to date so medical centers can operate effectively. With a degree in Health and Medical Administrative Services, you will be a valued employee who ensures the smooth operation of medical centers.
Students majoring in this field are preparing for a career at the management level of medical clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and other health services. You will take classes in health care law and policy, administration, finance, accounting, human resources, economics, and anatomy and physiology to learn how to manage the administrative tasks necessary in these offices from dealing with insurance companies to handling finances. This major will prepare you with the skills to ensure the smooth operation of clerical and office tasks.
Students have many areas of specialization available in this field. The most popular concentrations are Health Care Management, Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration, Medical Office Management, Health Information Management, Health Information, Medical Office Assistant, Medical Insurance Coding Specialist, Medical Insurance Specialist, and Medical Secretary.
A major in Health & Medical Administrative Services covers Health And Medical Administrative Services. Continue reading for the essential details every health & medical administrative services major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering health & medical administrative services programs.
Across the country, health & medical administrative services is a widely-pursued major, with 90,166 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Health & Medical Administrative Services Schools ranking analyzes these 1,689 schools to determine the best overall colleges for health & medical administrative services students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of health & medical administrative services programs later in this article.
Coursework for Health & Medical Administrative Services develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations health & medical administrative services graduates commonly enter.
Health and Medical Administrative Services professionals work to help run medical centers and oversee services and procedure schedules. This makes strong organizational skills and attention to detail important. You must work to keep patient files organized and information accurate and up to date. Since you will be working closely with patients or other professionals, strong interpersonal and communication skills are also important.
Graduates typically work full time in medical offices, hospitals, and other health service locations. While they normally work standard hours when offices are open, some Health and Medical Administrative Services professionals are required to work longer hours at night and on the weekend during emergencies or for centers that are open 24/7.
The skill set emphasized by a health & medical administrative services program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a health & medical administrative services major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several health & medical administrative services degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 22,648 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 18,857 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 16,785 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 30,506 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 428 |
People currently working in careers related to health & medical administrative services tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 29.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 19.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 16.7% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 13.4% |
| Some college courses | 7.7% |
| Master’s degree | 6.8% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 3.8% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 0.9% |
| Doctoral degree | 0.6% |
| First professional degree | 0.5% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.5% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.2% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in health & medical administrative services careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Health and Medical Administrative Services students work in offices for many types of medical services including hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, doctors' offices, and medical groups. Any center that provides medical services requires a manager to oversee the operation of the center.
With the aging population comes an increase in the demand for medical services.
Studying health & medical administrative services opens doors to many career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to health & medical administrative services.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to health & medical administrative services.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Midwives | 3,466,294 | 7.7% |
| Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars | 2,200,733 | -4.3% |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other | 2,119,723 | 14.6% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 1,904,234 | -0.4% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 1,326,215 | 6.9% |
| Medical Assistants | 1,226,184 | -2.1% |
| Medical Transcriptionists | 994,847 | 0.1% |
| Speech-Language Pathology Assistants | 866,044 | 14.8% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of health & medical administrative services graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $36,041 |
| 4 years | $36,054 |
| 5 years | $40,847 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for health & medical administrative services graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers health & medical administrative services grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Loss Prevention Managers | $165,723 |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $161,927 |
| Administrative Services Managers | $158,084 |
| Facilities Managers | $157,669 |
| Medical Records Specialists | $153,246 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $129,557 |
| Environmental Compliance Inspectors | $119,630 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other | $117,846 |
With 1,689 different health & medical administrative services programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased health & medical administrative services school rankings to help you.
Students interested in health & medical administrative services, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
