Hospital Administrator
Interest in co-ordinating information to direct, control and evaluate the delivery of health care services within departments and establishments; and in directing health care supervisors and professionals, and in recruiting health care staff
Interest in negotiating with a board of directors and senior managers to maintain and establish standards of health care; and in monitoring the use of diagnostic services, in-patient beds and facilities to ensure effective use of of resources
Interest in developing and implementing plans for new programs, special projects, new material and equipment acquisitions and future staffing levels for the departments and establishments
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation. It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
Health service administrators may have executive responsibilities for an entire organization or be responsible for managing a specific department or program. In general, they:
Although health service administrators work in an office environment, they do not always work standard office hours. Their hours of work often extend beyond an eight hour day to attend meetings or complete major tasks.
The work can be stressful because health service administrators are responsible for the effectiveness of their organizations and, ultimately, the quality of the programs and services provided.
Health service administrators need the following characteristics:
They should enjoy co-ordinating information and directing the work of others, negotiating with members of governing boards and senior managers, and developing and implementing plans.
Educational requirements for health service administrators vary depending on the position and the size and nature of the health service organization concerned. There are no standard education requirements. Employers may promote people from within the organization or hire applicants who have related post-secondary education or certification.
Health service administrators need a combination of education and experience. For example, those who have a background in medicine, pharmacy, nursing or accounting may supplement their training and experience by taking continuing education courses in health service management. Those who have graduate degrees in health management usually start in junior administrative positions to gain on-the-job experience. Therefore, there are a variety of education options for Albertans interested in this field:
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
For a broad list of programs and courses that may be related to this occupation try searching using keywords.
For a list of health leadership related Master's and Certificate programs see the Canadian College of Health Leaders Program Alliances website.
Above-average occupational growth is expected in Alberta for 2016 to 2020. Job openings are a result of employment turnover and newly created positions.
Health service administrators are employed by:
They generally start in junior positions and may advance to positions in larger organizations or to senior management positions.
Health service administrators are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 0311: Managers in health care. In Alberta, 88% of people employed in this classification work in the Health Care and Social Assistance (PDF) industry.
The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
Over 3,200 Albertans are employed in the Managers in health care ccupational group. This group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 3.5% from 2016 to 2020. As a result, 112 new positions are forecast to be created each year, in addition to job openings created by employment turnover. Note: As health service administrators form only a part of this larger occupational group, only some of these newly created positions will be for health service administrators.
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
Salaries for health service administrators vary greatly depending on the size and nature of the health service organization, and the administrator's qualifications and experience.
Health service administrators earn from $30.00 to $120.00 an hour. (2010 estimate)
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $20.67 | $40.47 | $28.11 | $25.00 |
| Overall | $24.46 | $67.38 | $47.68 | $53.38 |
| Top | $26.58 | $89.83 | $67.51 | $69.35 |
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* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL) website: www.cchl-ccls.ca
Canadian Healthcare Association (CHA) website: www.cha.ca
For more information on career planning, education and jobs, visit the Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS) website, call the Alberta Career Information Hotline toll-free at 1-800-661-3753 or 780-422-4266 in Edmonton, or visit an Alberta Works Centre near you.
Updated Mar 20, 2014. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.