Employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 17 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. As the large baby-boom population ages and people remain active later in life, the healthcare industry as a whole should see an increase in the demand for medical services.

This increased demand should create greater needs for physicians and other healthcare workers, medical procedures, and healthcare facilities, and therefore greater needs for managers who organize and manage medical information and healthcare staff. There should be increased demand for nursing care facility administrators as baby boomers age.

Employment is projected to grow in offices of health practitioners. Many services previously provided in hospitals will shift to these settings, especially as medical technologies improve. Demand in medical group practice management is projected to grow as medical group practices become larger and more complex.

In addition, widespread use of electronic health records (EHRs) will continue to create demand for managers with knowledge of health information technology (IT) and informatics systems. Medical and health services managers will be needed to organize, manage, and integrate these records across areas of the healthcare industry.

Job Prospects

Job prospects for medical and health services managers are likely to be favorable. In addition to rising employment demand, the need to replace managers who retire over the next decade will result in some openings. Candidates with a master's degree in health administration or a related field, as well as knowledge of healthcare IT systems, will likely have the best prospects.