Top Online Healthcare Management Degree Programs and Industry Salary 2023/2024

Table of Contents

Having Questions? Leave a comment and we will attend to it. Share this post to your friends on social media by using the share buttons below.

An Online Healthcare Management Degree program offers flexibility for students who are also working professionals. Healthcare management is exactly what the name implies. It’s the overall management of a healthcare facility, such as a clinic or hospital. A healthcare manager is in charge of ensuring a healthcare facility is running as it should in terms of budget, the goals of the facility’s practitioners and the needs of the community. A person in charge of healthcare management oversees the day-to-day operations of the facility.

What Will You Learn in a Healthcare Management Program?

Studying healthcare management will require you to master both a detailed and overarching view of the healthcare world. That means you’re going to need to be familiar with handling systems and human interactions swiftly and precisely.

Here’s a look at the courses that you are likely to take as you prepare to qualify for management roles in healthcare settings:

Accounting can help provide a core understanding of accounting practices for the healthcare field. Students can learn both accounting strategies and ethics.
Finance for Healthcare focuses on the specific needs that facilities and institutions have for fund allocation, cost analysis, budgeting, and market evaluation.
Health Information Technology provides a foundation for understanding the platforms that are used to store and access data in healthcare settings.
Health Systems is considered to be the foundational course for a healthcare management degree. This course provides an overview of the workings of the modern healthcare system. Both American and global systems may be covered.
Malpractice Law focuses on the vulnerabilities and liabilities that medical institutions face.
Operations Management helps to prepare future leaders in the healthcare world to make and manage business decisions.
Privacy and Protection in Healthcareintroduces students to the laws and policies in place to protect patients.
Staff Management for Hospitals introduces students to the unique tasks that go along with managing doctors, surgeons, and medical staff.

Unlike with healthcare management associate degree, healthcare management bachelor’s degrees are designed to help students understand the full cycle of managing operations, financing operations, meeting patient needs, and overseeing staff. It can help you truly understand the medical world from the unique perspective of an administrator.

What Healthcare Management Degree Jobs Are Available?

The field of healthcare management is robust. Of course, this degree uniquely prepares graduates for leadership and administrator roles. Here’s a look at popular positions:

A director of assisted living oversees all operations at a long-term care facility.
A health care consultant offers services to facilities for designing and implementing special projects.
A health informaticist can work at the government level to provide the public with relevant health data.
A health care manager at an insurance company helps to make policies based on current healthcare standards and practices.
A hospice director oversees operations at a hospice facility.
A hospital executive can serve as a CEO, CFO, or president to oversee operations.
A physician practice manager or clinic director manages and oversees all practice operations.

All of these high-level roles require healthcare managers to wear many hats. That means that you could be in charge of anything from managing costs for medical supplies to vetting new hires.

Healthcare Management Degree Salary

Healthcare management jobs typically pay very handsomely. That’s because you will be working in high-pressure environments that require highly specialized skills.

Those working as medical and health services managers make a median salary of $104,280 per year. Here’s a look at some specific salary expectations for common healthcare management roles:

Career	Annual Salary
Physician Practice Operations Manager	$99,200
Nursing Home Manager	$89,880
Health Informatics Specialist	$85,350
Healthcare Consultant	$73,230

We all know that hospital executives can make six-figure to seven-figure salaries. It can take years of dedication and work to get to a demanding and esteemed role like that after graduation. However, a degree in healthcare management is one of the first steps to that path.

Professional Organizations for Those with Degrees in Healthcare Management

One of the best things you can do as a healthcare professional is to align yourself with people in the same field. There are several professional organizations that provide excellent opportunities for making connections. Here’s the top three:

The American association of healthcare administrative management offers assistance and collaboration for professionals tasked with management of revenue cycles. The group provides access to events and certification opportunities.

The medical group management association uses data, interpersonal connections, insights, and advocacy to assist professionals who manage medical practices in serving their clients better.

The professional association of health care office management PAHCOM provides robust networking opportunities and resources for better practice management.

Accreditation for an Online Healthcare Management Degree

Should a healthcare management degree be obtained through a school with regional accreditation? While not required, regional accreditation does add weight to a degree due to the fact that a strict evaluation of a school is required before accreditation can be obtained.

Regional accreditation can make your degree more attractive to employers. It can also make it easier to transfer credits or move forward toward an advanced degree.

Those pursuing healthcare management degrees also need to be aware of the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). This is the accrediting body for graduate programs in healthcare management throughout the United States and Canada.

CAHME accreditation is considered crucial because this accreditation confirms that the highest standards are being met for health administration degrees.

Students currently have close to 100 CAHME-accredited programs to choose from throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada.

Financial Aid for a Healthcare Management Degree Online

Keep in mind that only federal accreditation is required for you to obtain federal studnt loans and aids federal student loans and aid. It is also possible to receive financial aid or scholarship opportunities from the school you plan to attend. Things like grants and work-study programs can also help to cover some of the costs of obtaining a healthcare management degree.

Some private organizations offer scholarship opportunities for students seeking healthcare management degrees.

The list of scholarship givers includes the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), Connecticut Women in Healthcare Management, the Institute for Diversity in Health Management, and the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE).

Questions Related to Earning a Healthcare Management Degree Online

Are you starting to see all of the pieces to create a high-paying, esteemed career in healthcare management coming together?

You may still have a few questions about the practical side of making your career happen. Let’s get them answered.

What Kind of Jobs Can You Get with a Healthcare Management Degree?

A healthcare management degree primarily opens up administrator roles. This is the degree for you if you’d like to manage a medical practice or facility.

It’s also a path to many executive positions.

How Much Do You Make with a Degree in Healthcare Management?

Six-figure salaries are typical once you’re managing a hospital or facility.

However, even being in charge of the day-to-day management of a smaller practice can still pay generously.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Healthcare Management Degree?

Most undergraduate healthcare management degree programs take four years to complete. A traditional or online healthcare management master’s degree program in this field typically takes two years to complete.

The actual amount of time it takes you to complete your healthcare management degree will depend on the specific program you choose and your enrollment status. Many students on this path do internships at hospitals or medical facilities.

How Do You Become a Healthcare Manager?

The steps to becoming a healthcare manager are:

Graduate from an accredited program
Build work experience in a healthcare setting
Explore options for certifications or licenses that could expand your qualifications
Work your way up to new roles or take on additional responsibility within an existing role
Apply for and obtain a high-level management role in a healthcare setting

Some graduates may enter into management roles immediately after graduating. Others may start off in support roles before taking on greater responsibility in more high-profile roles.