Nursing home administrators: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more

Nursing home administrators manage staff, admissions, finances, and care of the building, as well as care of the residents in nursing homes. All states require licensure for nursing home administrators; licensing requirements vary by state.

Education Required
Medical and health services managers typically need at least a bachelors degree to enter the occupation. However, masters degrees are common and sometimes preferred by employers. Graduate programs often last between 2 and 3 years and may include up to 1 year of supervised administrative experience in a hospital or healthcare consulting setting.
Job Outlook
The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 20% (Much faster than average)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.)
Advancement
Medical and health services managers advance by moving into higher paying positions with more responsibility. Some health information managers, for example, can advance to become responsible for the entire hospitals information systems. Other managers may advance to top executive positions within the organization. Advancement to top level executive positions usually requires a masters degree.
Licenses/Certifications
All states require licensure for nursing home administrators; requirements vary by state. In most states, these administrators must have a bachelors degree, complete a state-approved training program, and pass a national licensing exam. Some states also require applicants to pass a state-specific exam; others may require applicants to have previous work experience in a healthcare facility. Some states also require licensure for administrators in assisted-living facilities. For information on specific state-by-state licensure requirements, visit the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards.
Median pay: How much do Medical and Health Services Managers make?
$96,540 Annual Salary
$46.41 per hour

Careers for Medical and Health Services Managers

  • Clinic directors
  • Clinical managers
  • Clinical services directors
  • Emergency medical service coordinators
  • Health information managers
  • Health services administrators
  • Health services directors
  • Health services managers
  • Healthcare administrators
  • Healthcare executives
  • Healthcare managers
  • Hospice directors
  • Hospice plan administrators
  • Hospital administrators
  • Hospital directors
  • Medical and health information managers
  • Medical directors
  • Medical records administrators
  • Medical services managers
  • Mental health program managers
  • Nursing home managers
  • Nursing service directors
  • Occupational therapy directors
  • Public health administrators
  • Respiratory therapy directors
  • Speech and hearing therapy directors
  • Wellness directors
  • Wellness managers

Similar Careers