Career Progression of Graduates of a Bachelor’s Degree Program in Health Services Administration

April Temple, Ph.D., LNHA, Assistant ProfessorHealth Services Administration ProgramJames Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, Virginia

Jon M. Thompson, Ph.D., Professor & DirectorHealth Services Administration ProgramJames Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VirginiaIntroduction

The demand for health services managers is projected to grow by 22% by 2020 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013). Undergraduate programs in health services administration are a critical source of talent to fill the expanding need for health services managers. While AUPHA has over 45 certified undergraduate programs presently, there is only limited discussion in the literature about the job settings and career tracks of graduates of B.S. degree programs.

PurposeThis research addresses the early career experiences of 2004-2011 graduates of an undergraduate health services administration program. We profile employment by organizational setting and describe the career progression of graduates by examining employment patterns of graduates within the same setting, within the same sector, and across sectors.  

MethodsIn 2012, we surveyed 2004-2011 graduates of our program using an online survey administered by Qualtrics. A total of153 graduates completed the survey, which was a 70% response rate. The survey included questions related to graduates’ demographics, current employment setting and position, career history by setting and position, length of time in positions, annual salary information for all positions, and graduate school attendance and/or completion. We also included questions on perceptions of coursework, overall satisfaction, and overall preparation for career. All study procedures were approved by our university’s IRB.

ResultsFindings show that graduates are presently working in hospitals and health systems (34%), long-term care (11%), consulting (11%), and suppliers (7%), among other settings. More importantly, we profile the career progression of graduates using a three part analytic framework: 1) progression within the same setting; 2) progression within the same sector; and 3) progression across sectors. Graduates reported an average of 1.4 years working in their first position. Sixty-nine percent of respondents had more than one position, and 16% had four positions. The mean current salary was $57,261, with mean salaries among employment sectors ranging from $112,500 in insurance/managed care to $39,667 in associations. Respondents reported salary increases between their first and last positions. Salary change was the highest for respondents whose career progressed across sectors; the mean salary increase for this group was $38,683. Overall, within the reporting period, graduates have demonstrated changes in positions and responsibilities, along with increases in compensation.Table 1. Characteristics of Alumni (n = 153)

Years post-graduation 4Gender Male 25% Female 75%Race/Ethnicity Caucasian 84% African American 5% Hispanic 2% Asian 6% Other 3%Completed/enrolled in graduate courses 32%Completed graduate degree 17%Employment status Employed full-time 90% Employed part-time 3% Not employed, looking for work 1% Not employed, not looking for work 0%

Table 2. Current Salary of Alumni (n = 132) M (SD)

Current annual salary [range: 18,000-160,000] 57,261 (26,460)Current salary by organizational setting Hospital/hospital system (n = 47) 51,095 (19,358) Physician practice/group practice (n = 7) 60,411 (38,361) Ambulatory clinic/surgery center (n = 5) 60,000 (15,716) Long-term care (n = 13) 58,676 (18,066) Consulting firm (n = 16) 59,375 (19,933) Accreditation/licensing organization (n = 9) 58,778 (13,179) Managed care organization/insurer (n = 2) 112,500 (67,175) Public health program/department (n = 1) 41,000 (N/A) Pharmaceutical/medical supplier/IT company (n = 8) 93,583 (13,614) Association (n = 3) 39,667 (8,963) Other (n = 21) 47,633 (22,174)

 Figure 1. Percent Employed by Organizational Setting (n=153)

Examples of Career ProgressionSAME SETTINGSetting Position 1 Position 2 Position 3 Total Years First Salary Last Salary Salary Change

Hospital Manager Performance Improvement

Director Clinical Business Operations 3 $60,000 $70,000 $10,000

Nursing Home AIT Director of Resident Services Assistant Administrator 1.99 $18,000 $57,000 $39,000

Insurer Sales Administration Senior Associate

Sales Administration Analyst Senior Account Manager 5.8 $40,000 $160,000 $120,000

Hospital Management Analyst Project Manager 4 $41,500 $48,500 $7,000

Pharmaceutical Customer Pricing Coordinator Customer Pricing Analyst Projects/Pricing Analyst 3 $31,200 $42,000 $10,800

Consulting Firm Analyst Associate Senior Associate 9 $43,000 $93,000 $50,000

SAME SECTORPosition 1/Setting Position 2/Setting Position 3/Setting Total Years First

SalaryLast Salary

Salary Change

Executive Assistant/Academic Health System Office coordinator/Academic Health System

Manager/Health System 5 $38,000 $49,000 $11,000

Business Office Manager/SNF Interim Administrator/SNF Administrator of Health Services/CCRC

4.5 $40,000 $81,000 $41,000

Patient Services Rep/Hospital Patient Services Supervisor/Hospital

Clinical Operations Manager/Outpatient Center

2.95 $33,000 $52,000 $19,000

Quality Integration and Improvement Metrics Analyst/Hospital

Planning Analyst/Hospital System 1.5 $42,700 $45,000 $2,300

Front Office-Billing/Physical Therapy Center Office Manager/Physical Therapy Center

Office Manager/Physician Practice 7 $20,800 $47,500 $26,700

Health Research Analyst/Information Technology Company

Associate/Consulting Firm Senior Associate/Consulting Firm 6.8 $49,000 $70,000 $21,000

ACROSS SECTORSPosition 1/Setting Position 2/Setting Position 3/Setting Total Years First Salary Last

SalarySalary Change

Patient Financial Representative/Physician Practice

Business Office Representative/Physician Practice

Staff Consultant/Consulting Firm 3 $25,000 $40,000 $15,000

Health Planner/Community Health Organization

Pharmacy Analyst/Hospital Financial Analyst/Hospital 5 $30,000 $69,000 $39,000

Data Analyst/Academic Medical Center

Analyst/Consulting Firm Account Manager/Consulting Firm 5 $40,000 $140,000 $100,000

Financial Analyst/Group Purchasing Organization

Contract Manager/Supply Chain Outsource - Hospital

Senior Analyst/Health System 5 $45,000 $85,000 $40,000

Credentialing Coordinator/Hospital Credentialing Assistant/Insurer Assistant Manager/Practice Mgmt Comp

3 $42,000 $55,000 $13,000

Proposal Analyst/Managed Care Healthcare Rep/Pharmaceutical 6.5 $32,000 $66,000 $34,000

ConclusionsThis research adds to the knowledge base of employment and career progression for baccalaureate graduates of healthcare management programs, which has not been fully addressed in the literature. Graduates of our program have been successful in securing entry-level positions as well as advancing in their careers in three ways: progression within the same setting, progression within the same sector, and progression across sectors. Most interesting is the fact that career progression has occurred in a period of a declining national economy, which supports the view that healthcare management has been a robust source of opportunities.

Contact: April Temple, Ph.D., LNHA. Email: templ2al@jmu.edu