SOC 11-9111.00Bright outlook

    Medical and Health Services Managers

    Plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.

    Median pay
    $123,860
    Growth
    +24.2%
    Much faster than average
    Openings a year
    62,300
    Typical education
    Bachelor's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $73,390
    Median
    $123,860
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $224,340
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    597,080 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Medical and health services managers direct and coordinate operations in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare organizations. This career offers a median annual pay of $123,860, with opportunities for strong employment growth.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What medical and health services managers do

    Job Zone 4: Considerable preparation

    Plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.

    Most need a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.

    What the work is like

    Professionals in this field direct the daily operations of healthcare facilities, which requires strong enterprising interests and leadership orientation. Day-to-day tasks involve communicating with supervisors, peers, and subordinates, as well as coordinating the work and activities of others. Managers must evaluate information to determine compliance with standards, analyze data, and make decisions to solve complex problems. Working with computers and updating relevant knowledge are also central to the role.

    Success in this career relies on skills like critical thinking, active listening, speaking, and judgment. Managers must manage personnel resources, monitor operations, and use time management to keep facilities running smoothly. Key knowledge areas include administration and management, personnel and human resources, medicine, and law. Because they coach and develop others, these managers must possess high social perceptiveness, cooperation, and dependability. They must also maintain self-control and stress tolerance while navigating a fast-paced healthcare environment.

    How to get there

    To enter this career, individuals typically need a bachelor's degree. Because this occupation requires considerable preparation, most candidates also need several years of related work experience before stepping into a management role. Useful college majors that lead to this career include health and medical administrative services, business administration, registered nursing, public health, and public policy analysis.

    Depending on the state, licensing may be required, as some states list a license for this work. Professionals can also earn voluntary certifications to demonstrate their expertise. Available credentials include the Certified Healthcare Facility Manager from the American Hospital Association, the Approved Clinical Supervisor from the Center for Credentialing & Education, Inc., and the Certified Home Care Manager from the National Board for Home Care and Hospice Certification. Other options include specialized technology and emergency power certifications related to healthcare facilities.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for medical and health services managers is $123,860. Earnings can vary significantly based on experience and facility type, with the lowest 10% earning less than $73,390 and the highest 10% earning more than $224,340.

    With 597,080 people currently employed, this field is expanding rapidly. Employment is projected to grow by 24.2% from 2025 to 2035, which is much faster than average. This growth is expected to result in 62,300 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    17 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    46 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    8 / 100
    Social (S)
    57 / 100
    Enterprising (E) · strongest
    83 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    70 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code ECS. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    91
    Working with Computers
    89
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    89
    Coaching and Developing Others
    88
    Getting Information
    87
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    86
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    86
    Analyzing Data or Information
    84
    Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
    83
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    83
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Critical Thinking
    • Speaking
    • Active Listening
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Management of Personnel Resources
    • Monitoring
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Time Management

    Knowledge

    • Administration and Management
    • English Language
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Personnel and Human Resources
    • Education and Training
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Administrative
    • Medicine and Dentistry
    • Mathematics
    • Law and Government

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension
    • Written Comprehension
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Oral Expression
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Speech Clarity
    • Written Expression
    • Speech Recognition
    • Near Vision

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Leadership Orientation
    • Attention to Detail
    • Integrity
    • Cooperation
    • Adaptability
    • Cautiousness
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Social Orientation
    • Self-Control

    Also called

    Assisted Living Administrator · Assisted Living Manager · Cancer Center Director · Care Coordinator · Client Services Director · Clinic Director · Clinical Director · Clinical Informatics Director · Clinical Manager · Clinical Services Director

    Career pathway

    From your interests to medical and health services managers

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Medical and Health Services Managers$123,860 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Carnegie Mellon University logo
      Carnegie Mellon University

      Pittsburgh, PA · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $97,419
      4 yrs after
      $160,783
      Median debt
      $19,000
    2. 2
      California State University-East Bay

      Hayward, CA · Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $139,123
      4 yrs after
      $150,921
      Median debt
      $18,751
    3. 3
      San Francisco State University

      San Francisco, CA · Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $145,008
      4 yrs after
      $150,102
      Median debt
      $13,331
    4. 4Dominican University of California logo
      Dominican University of California

      San Rafael, CA · Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $128,516
      4 yrs after
      $149,622
      Median debt
      $26,243
    5. 5University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus logo
      University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus

      Ann Arbor, MI · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $96,806
      4 yrs after
      $144,654
      Median debt
      $19,500
    6. 6University of California-Berkeley CAL logo
      University of California-Berkeley CAL

      Berkeley, CA · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $94,811
      4 yrs after
      $144,599
      Median debt
      $10,656
    7. 7Sonoma State University logo
      Sonoma State University

      Rohnert Park, CA · Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $134,423
      4 yrs after
      $143,886
      Median debt
      $12,500
    8. 8Georgetown University-DC logo
      Georgetown University-DC

      Washington, DC · Health and Medical Administrative Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $143,686
      Median debt
      $11,000

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What medical and health services managers may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work. Showing 12 of 34.

    • Arts in Medicine/Health
    • Clinical Nurse Leader
    • Clinical Research Coordinator
    • Clinical, Hospital, and Managed Care Pharmacy
    • Community Health and Preventive Medicine
    • Disease Registry Data Management
    • Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator
    • Health Policy Analysis
    • Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities, Other
    • Health Services Administration
    • Health Unit Manager/Ward Supervisor
    • Health/Health Care Administration/Management

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    52 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about medical and health services managers

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some common job titles for this career?

    People in this field are known by many names, including clinical director, clinic manager, and assisted living administrator. Other common titles include care coordinator, clinical informatics director, and client services director.

    What is the job outlook for medical and health services managers?

    The job outlook is exceptionally strong, with a projected employment growth of 24.2% between 2025 and 2035. This rate of growth is much faster than average and will generate about 62,300 job openings each year.

    Do I need a license to work in this field?

    Licensing requirements depend on where you plan to practice, as some states list a license for this work. It is important to research the specific rules and regulations of the state where you intend to be employed.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.