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Medical Office Administrator Career Overview

April 14, 2024

Medical administrator talks to a healthcare professional with a tablet

Medical and healthcare facilities need leaders capable of managing departments and the entire facility. Administrators perform a wide range of essential duties in supervising, planning, and directing healthcare services. Explore the exact duties, salary expectations, career outlook, and education requirements of this leadership role in the healthcare industry.

What Is a Medical Office Administrator?

A medical office administrator must plan, coordinate, and supervise healthcare professionals. Administrators are responsible for ensuring that services meet healthcare regulations and laws. The career pathway can also lead to positions as a medical manager or healthcare executive.

Depending on their workplace environment, administrators can oversee both daily tasks and long-term goals. From organizing an annual budget to communicating with physicians about steps taken for individual patients, administrators in healthcare facilities take on many different tasks.

Medical Office Responsibilities for Administrators

The exact duties that medical office administrators perform vary depending on the particular workplace setting. While some administrators oversee an entire facility, others work closely with a particular department. Here are some of the duties expected of administrators in medical offices:

Creating work schedules
Training and supervising medical staff
Attending investor meetings
Organizing records
Preparing budgets
Reviewing medical regulation and law compliance

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Medical Office Administrator Work Environment

About 30 percent of medical administrators work in private, local, or state hospitals. Here are other significant areas of employment:

Outpatient care centers
Physicians’ offices
Residential care facilities
Government facilities

As management professionals in the medical and healthcare industry, administrators in medical offices typically work full time. Some positions require that they be on call or work weekends.

Salary Expectations and Career Outlook for Administrators

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the median annual wage for medical office administrators was $104,830 in May 2022. The salary expectations of these roles vary depending on location, years of experience, and other factors. For example, the lowest 10 percent of administrators earned an annual salary of less than $64,100, while the highest earned more than $209,990.

From 2022 to 2032, the number of administrators in medical settings is expected to increase by 28 percent, according to the BLS.

Steps to Become a Medical Office Administrator

Anyone interested in applying for positions in this career should review the following steps to ensure that they are not only qualified but also have a competitive application. Most positions in this career pathway have minimum requirements in the areas of education, experience, and relevant skills.

Education

Most administrator positions in medical offices require a bachelor’s degree, according to the BLS. Many employers, however, prefer a master’s degree in health administration or a related field. A master’s degree program can also prepare students to gain the experience and relevant skills necessary for a career in healthcare leadership.

Experience

Administrators frequently have practical experience in clinical roles, administrative roles, or both before taking on this leadership position. One example of hands-on experience is working as a registered nurse (RN) in a hospital or other healthcare facility. Because work experience in a related occupation is preferred for many medical administrative positions, candidates should consider first working as an administrative assistant or a medical secretary.

Experience with healthcare technology is essential for administrators. Facilities use software for billing, budgeting, scheduling, and other tasks, so medical office administrators need to be familiar with or be able to quickly learn how to use these tools.

Relevant Skills

In addition to having an understanding of healthcare terms, technology, and clinical best practices, successful administrators should have the following skills:

Leadership. Guiding, training, and hiring medical professionals is a key duty for administrators, so someone in this role must be able to lead in a positive, motivational way.
Attention to detail. Administrators work with budgets, review policies, and monitor compliance. Failure to notice details in any of these areas can cause serious financial, legal, or medical issues, so attention to detail is an essential skill in the role.
Professional communication. Communicating clearly, responsibly, and efficiently can avoid serious issues in training, scheduling, and operating a healthcare facility.
Problem-solving. Situations can arise that do not have an immediately obvious solution, so administrators must find solutions to problems in a timely, data-driven manner.
Technical competencies. Medical administrators need to have a strong command of different types of technology to ensure they accurately record and upkeep data and other medical information.

Learn More About an Online Master of Health Administration Program

If you’re ready to take the next step to pursue a career as a medical office administrator, it is time to explore education options. Tulane University offers an Online Master of Health Administration (MHA) program that combines hands-on residency experience and in-depth classroom learning. Learn more about this top-ranked program from the nation’s first school of public health.