If you want to advance in your career as a health administrator, one of your choices is to get your masters in health administration (MHA). This advanced degree prepares you for a career running a hospital, heading a non-profit healthcare organization, starting your own consulting company, or otherwise leading a medical company. One of the biggest advantages to getting your MHA degree is that you’ll be qualified for jobs that pay more. How much you’ll earn depends on what career path you choose. Here are some of the jobs you can choose, along with the average salaries that you can expect:

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO): $180,000
• Chief Operating Officer (COO): $128,380
• Practice Administrator: $80,000
• Hospital Administrator: $77,195
• Healthcare Consultant: $70,839

With an MHA degree, your pay rate also depends on the type of employer. According to Payscale.com, the average salaries for the following types of employers, when you have an MHA degree, are as follows:

• Foundations: $79,000
• Federal Government: $74,865
• Private Practices: $73,470
• Hospitals: $72,691
• State and Local Government: $67,404
• Non-Profit Organizations: $64,963
• Colleges and Universities: $51,250

Of course, your salary with an MHA degree isn’t the only consideration when it comes to choosing a job, even in terms of finances. Healthcare administrators are typically eligible for a number of bonuses throughout the year, and the average bonuses expected for different types of administrators are as follows:

• CEO: $22,500
• COO: $19,000
• Vice President of Operations: $15,000
• Executive Director: $9,500
• Private Practice Administrator: $5,087
• Healthcare Consultant: $4,045
• Hospital Administrator: $2,300

Vacation weeks are also a consideration, and most administrators can expect two and a half to three and a half weeks of paid vacation. You also need to review benefits packages offered to you. Works with higher degrees are typically not only offered better salaries, but also better benefits, which include your health insurance, life insurance, retirement plans, and more. Depending on the type of employer that hires you, you could also receive profit sharing options with the company.

Getting your MHA isn’t the only way to increase your salary, but it is one of the most sure-fire things you can do to be offered that bigger paycheck. In addition, you can make more money by being flexible about where you live, reaching goals set by the company (especially relating to the company’s budget), going through extra training or certification programs, registering with national organizations, and simply gaining experience in your field. If you’re loyal to a single employer, you’ll also likely get a higher salary over time, as compared to someone who bounces around from employer to employer.

Luckily, getting your MHA doesn’t take long, and many employers will actually allow you to go back to school on their dime. As part of tuition reimbursement programs, you can get an advanced degree without spending any of your own money, which makes your degree even more valuable. Although MHA programs are a lot of work, most people find them to be well worth the effort.

A Master of Health Administration degree is a professional degree that will prepare students for careers in healthcare administration. Holders of this degree will be prepared to become involved in the management of health services organizations, hospitals, and more. Below is a carefully compiled list of some of the best schools offering MHA programs online.

Online MHA MHA - Gerontology MHA - Health Education MHA - Health Informatics	University of Phoenix — The Master of Health Administration (MHA) program offered by the University of Phoenix is an advanced accredited degree program suited for professionals looking to gain knowledge and credentials needed to advance in today's healthcare industry. The flexible online coursework includes finance, economics, makreting, quality improvement, and more.
Online MHA Master of Public Health	Walden University — Walden offers an online MHA degree program that is sure to prepare students for a fruitful career as a health administrator. Jobs in a wide variety of healthcare settings will become available to graduates of this program, including insurance, offices, hospitals, supplies, policy, and more.
Online MHA	Ohio University — The online Master of Health Administration degree offered by Ohio University includes coursework in health system structures, managed care, health policy, marketing, strategic planning, finance, and more.
MS - Health Admin Master of Public Health MPH - Health Mgmt MS in Gerontology	Capella University — Available for study entirely online, Capella's master's degree in healthcare administration program covers multiple graduate-level areas of study pertaining to healthcare, including quality improvement, law, finance, policy, and much more. Gradutate of this program will be well prepared to advance their healthcare careers.
MBA - Healthcare Mgmt	Northeastern University — The MBA program at Northeastern University offers a specialization in healthcare management that is ideal for anyone seeking to advance a career in health administration. This online program is flexible and details how business intersects with healthcare issues.
MS - Healthcare Mgmt MBA - Healthcare Mgmt MPH - Development MPH - Health Education	Kaplan University — For anyone in the healthcare industry seeking an MS, Kaplan University offers an online Master of Science in healthcare management that is perfectly suited for individuals pursuing upper-level management positions in hospitals, outpatient centers, doctors' offices, and more.
MBA in Healthcare	George Washington University — The online MBA Healthcare program at GWU comes from a top-notch university and cn be completed within two years. The program comprises 24 core and 12 elective courses. Anyone completing the program is well-suited to manage the business operations of a healthcare practice.
MS - Health Admin MS - Health Informatics MS - Health Ethics	St. Joseph's University — St. Joseph's University confers an MS in healthcare administration that also is offered in two specializations: the ethics specialization provides a background in moral philosophy and covers subjects such as euthanasia, abortion, and artificially prolonging life; the informatics specialization focuses on health information technologies and record keeping.
MS - Health Admin MSM - Health Admin MS - Health Informatics	University of Maryland University College — The health administration master's degree programs from the University of Maryland University College are designed for mid-career professionals looking for increased responsibility within their healthcare careers. UMUC offers three specializations: MS in healthcare administration, MS in healthcare administration informatics, and MS in management - healthcare administration.
MS in Health Comm.	Boston University — The MS in health communication online degree from Boston University is geared toward the aspiring healthcare administrator who wants to specialize in marketing communications and public relations for a healthcare organization.
MBA in Healthcare Mgmt	American InterContinental University — AIU's MBA in healthcare management degree program prepares individuals for upper management positions within a variety of healthcare settings, including (but not limited to) private care facilities, hospices, hospitals, nursing clinics, insurance companies, and more. The degree is also available in a part-time option.
MBA - Healthcare Mgmt	Bellevue University — The Bellevue University master's degree in Healthcare Administration is a 39 credit hour program that includes a 4 credit Capstone Research Project. The school is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The curriculum is offered entirely online, and applicants must have an accredited bachelor's degree.
MS in Health Admin	New England College — The master's degree in healthcare administration offered by New England College is a graduate-level program that is geared toward current healthcare professionals with bachelor's degrees looking to undertake more managerial responsibilities in the workplace.
MBA in Health Admin Accelerated MBA	Benedictine University — The MBA in Health Administration program at Benedictine University is a highly regarded educational track for students interested in healthcare management. The 96 unit credit curriculum features courses in Organizational Behavior, Business Statistics, and Health Behavior. The program offers an accelerated track for dedicated students.
MBA in Healthcare Mgmt	Colorado Technical University — The online MBA in healthcare management degree program from Colorado Tech covers a wide variety of coursework, including finance, management concepts, risk assessment, and resource allocation. Graduates of this program typically pursue careers in social service, mental health center, home health care, or health & safety management, to name a few.
MBA in Healthcare Mgmt BBA/MBA - Health Mgmt	Jones International University — JIU's MBA in healthcare management degree program focuses on the subjects of telemedicine, emerging technology, strategic management, and more. Because this is a business degree at its core, graduates of this program will be well prepared to enter numerous business fields.
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