Healthcare Management Careers.

Overview

Healthcare management focuses on the leadership, administration, and strategic direction of healthcare organizations. Professionals in this field oversee operations, manage staff, develop policies, and ensure that healthcare services are delivered efficiently, safely, and in compliance with regulatory standards. The goal is to improve both organizational performance and patient outcomes while navigating a complex and evolving healthcare landscape.

The field spans hospitals, health systems, insurance companies, biotech and pharmaceutical organizations, and public health agencies. Healthcare managers play a key role in shaping strategy, driving operational improvements, implementing innovative programs, and aligning resources to meet the needs of patients and communities. Strong analytical, leadership, and communication skills are essential for success in this dynamic sector.

Where These Positions Can Be Found

  • Consulting Firms & Research Firms
    • For a broad overview of the consulting field, please visit the consulting section of our website.
    • Note: If you are considering a career in healthcare consulting, it is important to prepare for case interviews as most consulting firms use this technique. Please visit our section on case interviews for tips.

Career Pathways For Healthcare Management Students

Check out our Healthcare Management Career Pathways document to research careers by sector and learn about specific roles & responsibilities.

What Do You Do In These Jobs?

Quality Improvement, Performance Improvement, & Operations — creating more efficient systems & processes that improve health outcomes, patient safety, & satisfaction, improving HEDIS measures)

Project Management — IT, patient-centered medical home implementation, implementing new initiatives, “managing the projects”, working on work streams that involve regulatory processes, management of data, show better outcomes, cost-effectiveness, etc.

Revenue Cycle Management — improving claims processes

Data Analysis — identifying trends in patient & claims data that lead to strategic decision making such as new population health benefits, new pricing

Performance Improvement/LEAN – improving systems

Internal Consulting – identify opportunities to increase membership, add population health consulting to provider partners, analyzing costs/benefits of ideas

Business Analysis/Strategy – researching new revenue streams or new products, performing competitive & market research, etc.

Policy Analysis/Payer Strategy — translating regulations to decision makers, sometimes sits within finance group

Market Access/HEOR – analyzing burden of disease, analyzing reimbursement landscape, helping to determine value of treatment (i.e. why should doctor prescribe this drug over another?)

Regulatory Affairs – ensuring compliance with FDA & other regulatory bodies

Qualitative Research – literature reviews & interviewing KoL (key opinion leaders)/stakeholders such as physicians & payers

Value-Based Pricing – can we show better outcomes, cost-effectiveness; contributing to dossier development & HTA (Health Technology Assessments)

Common Job Titles

  • Quality Improvement Analyst/Specialist/Consultant/Program Manager
  • Population Health Specialist/Consultant/Manager
  • Business Analyst
  • Health Data Analyst
  • Performance Improvement Specialist
  • Practice Manager or Practice Administrator
  • Consultant (Internal)
  • Project Coordinator/Assistant/Manager
  • Application Analyst or Systems Analyst (common for IT related positions)
  • Revenue Cycle Analyst
  • Revenue Cycle Operations Analyst/Specialist

Core Competencies & Skills Needed

Note: Be sure to read job postings to learn more. Competencies and skills will vary by sector​.

  • Interest in solving challenging operational and business problems
  • Ability to analyze, synthesize, and present information clearly and concisely
  • Ability to work both individually and collaboratively
  • Strong interpersonal skills; able to build relationships and influence change
  • Understanding of health policy and quality standards and measures (varies by position)
  • Excellent communications skills (written, oral) and presentation skills
  • Leadership and management acumen (for supervisory positions)
  • Strong project management and operational management skills
  • Knowledge of LEAN and Six Sigma methodologies
  • Tools: Excel (Advanced), SPSS, SAS (sometimes)

Job Outlook

Salary Expectations

Salaries for Healthcare Management positions are based on the industry, experience level, and location. For example, salary ranges for areas like Pharma, Biotech, and other private industries are often quite different from academic institutions (hospitals, universities) and nonprofits.

  • You can view the BUSPH graduate employment data here. Salary information is housed underHealthcare Management.

Resume Template & Sample

  • Follow the Healthcare Management Resume Tips and Template in our resume section to help craft your focused resume and see Healthcare Management Sample Resume for an example resume.

Associations & Organizations

Other Resources

A Guide for the Healthcare Early Careerist – Podcast