Medical administration is a dynamic field that includes a range of disciplines, such as risk management, human relations, business development, and obviously, healthcare. Whether you have an interest in dealing with patients in a face-to-face capacity, or prefer working behind the scenes, there are many rewarding roles to consider.
If you’re looking for a new career or are simply looking to grow professionally and attain new skills, then medical administration might be a great path for you to follow — especially if you’re interested in helping people and making a difference.
We’ve put together the top 15 medical administration roles for you to consider. So, let’s dive in.
1. Medical receptionist
Average annual salary: $31,100
Often, a medical receptionist is the first person a patient comes into contact with within a healthcare setting. As a receptionist, it’s your job to welcome patients, book appointments, input their details into an IT system and direct them where to go.
Customer service is a key aspect of the role, as you’ll be dealing with patients on a face-to-face basis, as well as speaking with them on the phone. A medical receptionist also needs to be empathetic and understanding, due to the diversity of patients they’ll be working with.
To become a medical receptionist, you’ll need your basic high school diploma, as well as an administration certification, knowledge and experience of using medical terminology and experience in following HIPAA regulations. You’ll also need exceptional organization skills, as you’ll spend a lot of time filing away records.
2. Medical secretary
Average annual salary: $41,000
A medical secretary makes sure that frontline staff can dedicate their time solely to patient care. They usually work for a senior member of staff or group of staff, including doctors. While the role combines various skills, it mostly involves transcribing patient notes, arranging meetings, taking minutes and managing diaries.
Medical secretaries can work in various healthcare settings, including hospital departments, specialist clinics and health centers. You could also be based in a non-clinical area, where there would have minimal contact with patients.
The general entry requirements for the role include a typing qualification, as well as a good standard of literacy, numeracy and IT skills. You’ll also need to be able to understand basic medical terminology, meet deadlines and work methodically to be successful in this role.
3. Hospital administrator
Average annual salary: $104,300
A hospital administrator is responsible for setting prices for healthcare services, reviewing financial reports and managing expenditure, and recruiting and evaluating healthcare staff. A hospital administrator acts as a link between healthcare agencies, hospital departments and governing boards, too. To be successful in this role, you’ll need strong written and spoken communication skills, teamwork skills and an awareness of laws and regulations within the health sector.
You’ll also need to obtain a healthcare administration, public health or business management degree. Another route you could take is getting an entry-level position in a healthcare setting and working your way up.
4. Switchboard operator
Average annual salary: $31,400
A switchboard operator, also known as a telephonist, answers phone calls and transfers them to the correct person or department. They are usually based in non-clinical office spaces but can sometimes operate within a hospital or medical center. A medical switchboard operator’s duties include copying and filing, among other administrative tasks.
You don’t need any formal qualifications to become a switchboard operator, but good literacy, numeracy and IT skills would be beneficial.
5. Patient services administration officer
Average annual salary: $40,600
A patient services administration officer is a patient-focused role (hence, the name). The role includes dealing with patient inquiries, as well as queries from staff and referrers. You might also be required to manage appointments. For this role, great customer service and effective communication skills are a must, as you will be working directly with members of the public. You’ll also need to be a great problem-solver and multitasker in order to manage your duties effectively.
6. Clinical data manager
Average annual salary: $74,800
A clinical data manager is responsible for preparing data, as well as creating performance and progress reports. They process and analyze clinical data, like patients’ health statuses and documentation of care delivery, by using statistical tools and share their findings with the appropriate department. To be successful in this role, you’ll need to be detail orientated and organized in order to accurately collect and decipher data.
Clinical data manager at NHS, Clare Keys, says: ‘Being a clinical data manager is quite a complex role, but due to the nature of the work, confidentiality is top of the list. National clinical data is non-identifiable, and a good understanding of legislation is essential. Advanced knowledge of spreadsheets is a must, too. Gaining experience in a variety of IT systems and databases will be highly beneficial if you’re interested in this field.’
7. Personal assistant
Average annual salary: $45,200
Personal assistants usually support medical professionals by managing their schedule, preparing necessary paperwork and resolving any diary conflicts. They’re also responsible for managing communication, whether that’s electronic, on paper, by telephone, or face-to-face, which means you’ll need to be a skilled communicator with excellent interpersonal skills.
To work in this area, you’ll usually need a business administration qualification, and having great time management and organizational skills would be necessary, too.
8. Medical coding and billing manager
Average annual salary: $45,000
If you’re good with numbers, then becoming a medical coding and billing manager might be a good choice for you. They’re responsible for the financial side of medical administration, including payment posting and reimbursement, among other things. All billing processes go through the billing manager, and they develop and implement office financial policies and procedures, as well as managing the medical coding operations in a hospital or clinic.
The entry-level requirements for this role include a post-secondary qualification, like a bachelor’s degree.
9. Ward clerk
Average annual salary: $40,000
Ward clerks are vital in any healthcare setting. They ensure that patients have access to the relevant information needed for their care and that healthcare professionals, in turn, have access to the patient records. Depending on the facility you work in, you could be booking appointments, inputting data, or chasing up reports and results.
It’s a varied role that requires methodical thinking, good literacy, numeracy and IT skills. You’ll also need to be able to follow procedures and be confident working with people from all backgrounds.
10. Human resources manager
Average annual salary: $69,500
Human resources professionals make sure that healthcare staff are supported and able to do their jobs to the best of their ability. Primarily, they oversee recruitment, create new employment policies, and work with health unions to make sure the organization is acting fairly. Meanwhile, HR managers help deal with staff performance and disciplinary issues, such as workplace misconduct.
11. Marketing and communications officer
Average annual salary: $67,700
Do you have marketing experience? If you do, then this is a career you should consider. A marketing and communications officer in the healthcare field is responsible for commissioning, developing and editing informative and medica content for social media, websites and newsletters.
Marketing officers make sure that there is a regular output of helpful and consistent messaging that’s consistent with the company brand. To achieve this, you’d need to liaise with the press officer, as well as other members of the media team.
A marketing qualification is beneficial, as well as experience working in a busy communications department. You’ll need to be able to work under tight deadlines and take initiative to be successful in this role.
12. Quality assurance manager
Average annual salary: $82,500
Quality assurance managers are responsible for making sure patients receive the best care by identifying issues and risks within a medical setting that may affect expected standards. The role involves working with clinicians, doctors, and other groups to set new standards across the board to improve care for patients.
13. Specialized administrator
Average annual salary: $47,600
There are many different sectors to consider when it comes to medical administration. If you’ve worked in a particular field and have specialized knowledge — like urology, for instance — then you could always look into roles that would allow you to utilize your specialization, so make sure to consider your existing skillset as an administrator.
14. Records administrator
Average annual salary: $33,500
As a records administrator, it would be your job to locate, retrieve, track and deliver patients’ case notes and health records. You’ll also be responsible for maintaining patient records and participating in audits of records, too.
Exceptional organization skills, time management and attention to detail are a must for this job role.
15. Intake coordinator
Average annual salary: $42,400
As an intake coordinator, you’d be welcoming patients, completing admissions paperwork, verifying medical insurance coverage and scheduling appointments. The role also involves answering phone and email queries, addressing patient complaints and performing clerical work.
To be accepted into this role, you’ll need a high school diploma or GED and a minimum of two years’ experience in patient intake or a medical administration role. Great customer service skills are a must, as well as excellent interpersonal skills.
Final thoughts
Finding a career that’s right for you doesn’t have to be difficult. Working in a medical administration role can be extremely rewarding, whether you’re working on the frontlines or behind the scenes.
So, if you have the skills, knowledge, motivation and determination to work in healthcare, then it’s definitely worth considering a career in medical administration.
Our advice is to consider your existing skillset to determine if any of these roles are suitable for you. You could even take our CareerHunter test to analyze your interests, skills and abilities to see which is the best route for you to take. If none of the above jobs are quite what you’re looking for, don’t panic! There are so many options out there, you just have to keep looking.
Salary information is based on data compiled and published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and PayScale.