Healthcare administration salary by percentile
A healthcare administrator at the national median earns $123,860, and the middle half of the 597,080 medical and health services managers earn $94,700 to $166,100.[onet_hsm][oews][oews_api2] The take-home column applies 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer.[irs][ssa]
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $73,390 | $35.28 | $60,460 |
| 25th | $94,700 | $45.53 | $75,451 |
| Median (50th) | $123,860 | $59.55 | $95,924 |
| 75th | $166,100 | $79.86 | $124,795 |
| 90th | $224,340 | $107.86 | $166,336 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
The range is wide: the 90th percentile ($224,340) is about three times the 10th ($73,390), because the occupation runs from a small clinic's office manager to a hospital system director. A $100,000 offer sits at about the 30th percentile nationally.
Healthcare administrator salary: what BLS counts
Healthcare administrator salary and health services manager salary are the same BLS figure. The occupation, medical and health services managers (SOC 11-9111), plans and directs medical services in a whole facility, a department or a practice.[ooh_hsm] O*NET's sample of reported titles includes "Clinical Director", "Healthcare System Director", "Health Information Management Director (HIM Director)", "Medical Records Manager", "Nurse Manager" and "Nursing Director".[sum_hsm]
That mix explains the spread. A medical records or practice manager tends to be near the lower percentiles; a hospital or system director, near the top.
Education and licensing
Medical and health services managers typically need a bachelor's degree, and BLS notes that some employers hire candidates with an associate's degree while others prefer a master's; advancement to top executive jobs may require a master's.[ooh_hsm] BLS lists the typical work experience needed in a related occupation as less than 5 years.[ooh_hsm]
| Item | BLS figure |
|---|---|
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
| Work experience in a related occupation | Less than 5 years |
| Jobs, 2025 | 640,400 |
| Projected growth, 2025–35 | 24% (much faster than average), +155,100 jobs |
| License | All states license nursing home administrators; requirements vary by state |
The OOH job count (640,400) comes from the BLS employment projections and differs from the OEWS wage-survey count used in the percentile section (597,080).[ooh_hsm][oews_api2]
Healthcare administration salary by state
New York pays medical and health services managers the most ($164,120 median), followed by District of Columbia ($155,140) and Hawaii ($147,630); Arkansas is lowest at $94,340.[onet_hsm]
| State | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. New York | $164,120 | $78.90 | $95,660 | $340,990 |
| 2. District of Columbia | $155,140 | $74.59 | $95,860 | $227,270 |
| 3. Hawaii | $147,630 | $70.98 | $80,020 | $219,760 |
| 4. New Jersey | $145,650 | $70.02 | $98,390 | $328,500 |
| 5. Washington | $145,290 | $69.85 | $88,970 | $282,250 |
| 6. Oregon | $141,690 | $68.12 | $92,640 | $295,630 |
| 7. California | $141,480 | $68.02 | $72,800 | $274,660 |
| 8. Colorado | $134,910 | $64.86 | $82,680 | $227,940 |
| 9. Delaware | $134,820 | $64.82 | $89,000 | $298,180 |
| 10. Massachusetts | $134,360 | $64.60 | $84,330 | $296,030 |
| 11. Alaska | $132,240 | $63.58 | $81,940 | $292,300 |
| 12. Georgia | $131,910 | $63.42 | $74,060 | $248,660 |
| 13. Maryland | $131,810 | $63.37 | $77,560 | $242,610 |
| 14. Connecticut | $130,790 | $62.88 | $82,890 | $219,010 |
| 15. New Hampshire | $130,410 | $62.70 | $83,290 | $290,880 |
| 16. Virginia | $129,270 | $62.15 | $80,250 | $213,810 |
| 17. Arizona | $128,850 | $61.95 | $75,490 | $228,340 |
| 18. Vermont | $128,690 | $61.87 | $84,230 | $276,360 |
| 19. Wisconsin | $128,320 | $61.69 | $90,440 | $274,310 |
| 20. New Mexico | $124,300 | $59.76 | $78,520 | $204,420 |
| 21. Minnesota | $122,700 | $58.99 | $80,080 | $196,830 |
| 22. South Dakota | $122,050 | $58.68 | $84,310 | $178,630 |
| 23. Florida | $120,360 | $57.87 | $69,910 | $213,260 |
| 24. Maine | $120,320 | $57.85 | $70,000 | $246,080 |
| 25. Nevada | $119,990 | $57.69 | $75,070 | $183,890 |
| 26. Rhode Island | $119,260 | $57.34 | $77,630 | $196,810 |
| 27. Illinois | $117,850 | $56.66 | $75,920 | $227,180 |
| 28. Idaho | $117,770 | $56.62 | $66,950 | $175,780 |
| 29. Utah | $114,980 | $55.28 | $67,020 | $215,570 |
| 30. North Carolina | $114,410 | $55.00 | $70,680 | $217,420 |
| 31. Texas | $114,150 | $54.88 | $65,520 | $205,600 |
| 32. West Virginia | $112,010 | $53.85 | $77,810 | $209,090 |
| 33. Kansas | $111,030 | $53.38 | $68,980 | $192,970 |
| 34. Wyoming | $108,030 | $51.94 | $68,490 | $171,540 |
| 35. Nebraska | $107,700 | $51.78 | $78,790 | $180,840 |
| 36. Michigan | $107,570 | $51.72 | $66,140 | $192,440 |
| 37. Tennessee | $107,120 | $51.50 | $71,820 | $202,060 |
| 38. Ohio | $106,140 | $51.03 | $66,430 | $199,470 |
| 39. Montana | $105,840 | $50.88 | $65,300 | $193,410 |
| 40. South Carolina | $105,620 | $50.78 | $66,520 | $211,890 |
| 41. North Dakota | $105,170 | $50.56 | $78,150 | $179,740 |
| 42. Louisiana | $104,550 | $50.26 | $66,980 | $205,780 |
| 43. Missouri | $104,370 | $50.18 | $64,620 | $186,430 |
| 44. Indiana | $104,140 | $50.07 | $67,820 | $194,980 |
| 45. Pennsylvania | $103,670 | $49.84 | $64,820 | $171,400 |
| 46. Kentucky | $103,450 | $49.74 | $58,560 | $216,940 |
| 47. Iowa | $101,940 | $49.01 | $75,080 | $171,760 |
| 48. Oklahoma | $101,270 | $48.69 | $64,170 | $172,640 |
| 49. Mississippi | $98,160 | $47.19 | $62,140 | $166,640 |
| 50. Alabama | $97,790 | $47.01 | $64,640 | $159,450 |
| 51. Arkansas | $94,340 | $45.36 | $55,390 | $155,210 |
Highest-paying metro areas for healthcare administrators
The best-paying metro area for medical and health services managers is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, at a $171,210 median.[onet_hsm]
| Metro area | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $171,210 | $82.31 | $88,450 | $288,910 |
| 2. Vallejo, CA | $170,730 | $82.08 | $79,460 | $231,840 |
| 3. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $167,580 | $80.57 | $102,450 | $348,010 |
| 4. Napa, CA | $167,530 | $80.54 | $84,930 | $277,270 |
| 5. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $166,310 | $79.96 | $67,320 | $315,430 |
| 6. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $160,100 | $76.97 | $98,360 | $307,930 |
| 7. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $159,350 | $76.61 | $74,070 | $243,260 |
| 8. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $151,260 | $72.72 | $93,360 | $336,600 |
| 9. Medford, OR | $151,250 | $72.72 | $86,200 | $258,040 |
| 10. Urban Honolulu, HI | $151,180 | $72.68 | $85,760 | $220,010 |
Hospital administrator salary and other management pay
A hospital administrator salary is reported inside this occupation, so the state and metro tables above apply; the figures on this page cover managers in every industry, not hospitals alone.[onet_hsm] Monthly gross pay at the median is $10,322, and take-home pay is about $7,994 a month before state tax.[irs][ssa]
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly gross | Yearly | Take-home/month* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $35.28 | $6,116 | $73,390 | $5,038 |
| 25th | $45.53 | $7,892 | $94,700 | $6,288 |
| Median | $59.55 | $10,322 | $123,860 | $7,994 |
| 75th | $79.86 | $13,842 | $166,100 | $10,400 |
| 90th | $107.86 | $18,695 | $224,340 | $13,861 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax and FICA, no state tax.
Paths into healthcare management
Many managers start in front-office, records or clinical roles. Medical administrative assistants earn $45,930 at the median and medical records specialists $51,140, so a move into management roughly more than doubles pay at the median.[onet_medsec][onet_coder] Those starting points are on medical administrative assistant salary and medical billing and coding salary; laboratory supervisors often come up through the bench, see histotechnologist salary.
Frequently asked questions
How much do healthcare administrators make?
$123,860 a year at the national median for medical and health services managers (BLS, May 2025); the top 10% earn over $224,340.
What is the starting healthcare administration salary?
About $73,390 to $94,700, the 10th to 25th percentile. BLS does not publish pay by years of experience.
Do you need a degree for healthcare administration?
Usually a bachelor's degree; some employers accept an associate's degree, and top executive jobs may require a master's. Nursing home administrators need a state license.
Which state pays healthcare administrators the most?
New York ($164,120), then District of Columbia and Hawaii. Arkansas pays the least.
Sources
- Local Wages: 11-9111.00 Medical and Health Services Managers (state and metro percentiles)
- Summary Report for 11-9111.00 Medical and Health Services Managers (sample job titles)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS national employment and median wage, May 2025, SOC 43-6013, 29-2010 and 11-9111 (BLS Public Data API)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Medical and Health Services Managers
- Local Wages: 43-6013.00 Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (state and metro percentiles)
- Local Wages: 29-2072.00 Medical Records Specialists (state and metro percentiles)
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
- Contribution and Benefit Base ($184,500 for 2026)