How to Become a Healthcare Administrator in Alabama

How to Become a Healthcare Administrator in Alabama

If you want to work in a fast-growing industry, then healthcare is what you’re the one searching for.

You don’t even have to get your hands dirty literally, so just choose a position in the administration field.

The healthcare administrator mainly takes care of staffing, efficiency, and finance.

If you want to learn more about this occupation, I prepared this presentation for you, so read on!

Job Description of a Healthcare Administrator in Alabama

Healthcare administrators ensure the facilities employing them run smoothly.

They also trace out improvements when needed.

A better view of their duties is seen right here:

  • Improving efficiency
  • Managing finances and budget
  • Maintaining health records
  • Coordinating staff schedules
  • Overseeing hiring and salaries
  • Addressing the needs of doctors, nurses, and other staff
  • Ensuring the facility is following healthcare laws and regulations

Depending on the setting you’ll be working in, some duties may not apply to you, or you might have additional ones.

Ideal Candidates for a Healthcare Administrator

Nurses are the ideal candidates for this position.

This is because they work closely with the patients and their families, so nurses know their needs.

Furthermore, they’re very familiar with what the hospital needs the most, regarding personnel, materials, meds, and so on.

As far as education goes, the ideal candidate has a master’s degree in healthcare administration.

Before you can earn this degree, you’ll need a high school diploma or its equivalent.

You might also need to undergo some training programs to become a nurse.

With a master’s degree in hand, your career options open widely after being a healthcare admin.

Steps to Become a Healthcare Administrator in Alabama

Here are the main steps to follow to have access to your dream job.

Pursue a BSN Degree From an Accredited Program

Leadership positions in nursing often require a bachelor’s degree.

Nurses can fulfill this educational requirement by earning an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) followed by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

A traditional BSN program typically takes four years to complete, though options like accelerated BSN programs and RN-to-BSN bridge programs can reduce that timeframe.

Build Experience in Nursing or Healthcare Administration

Gaining hands-on clinical experience is key for registered nurses transitioning to administrative roles.

Serving as a nurse team leader, supervisor, or manager can help you develop essential leadership and administrative skills to strengthen your resume.

Explore a Master’s Degree

While a master’s degree isn’t mandatory for healthcare administration roles, it can significantly boost career advancement opportunities and salary prospects.

Earning a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) typically requires 1-3 years, depending on your enrollment status.

Other master’s programs, such as those in public health or dual degrees in nursing and management, can also open doors in healthcare administration.

Pursue Professional Certification

Earning a specialized certification can solidify your expertise in healthcare administration.

Nurses can consider certifications like the Nurse Executive Certification (NE-BC) or Certified Nurse Manager and Leader (CNML).

These credentials usually require several years of leadership experience and successful completion of a certification exam.

Schools for Healthcare Administrators in Alabama

The first thing to know about the training of a healthcare administrator is that it takes between 4 and 8 years to complete.

However, if you’re a dedicated person, the duration of your studies won’t matter as much.

Yale School of Management Executive Education

This Yale School offers an online program that is meant for healthcare administrators.

The point of the program is to help you apply fundamental business principles to healthcare administration.

Like this, you’ll be able to manage better this sector of any facility.

The duration of the program is 9 weeks, out of which 1 is for orientation.

One week represents one module of study.

Students are expected to complete between 5 and 7 hours of self-study at a self-paced, per week, online.

Those who enroll don’t have to have any medical training beforehand.

The practical hours are mixed with real-world applications through modules designed to “unlock” the US healthcare system.

Upon completion of this program, you’ll be issued a digital certificate that will be sent to you.

All you have to do in addition to finishing the program, is to adhere to a few more requirements, which will be explained in the student’s handbook.

School Name Address
Yale School of Management Executive Education online course

Income of a Healthcare Administrator in Alabama

You learned quite a lot about this occupation, but not how much you’ll earn.

Healthcare admins in Alabama earn around $96,165 per year.

If you want to know in which cities healthcare admins have higher salaries, pay attention to this next table!

Annual Salary Range:
$84K
$96K
$10K
10%
50%
90%
Annual Salary by Location:
Location Avg. Annual Salary
Graham $101,711
Meridianville $100,350
Gurley $100,246
Harvest $100,141
Toney $100,037
Trenton $99,932
Hollytree $99,827
Princeton $99,723
Somerville $99,618
Scottsboro $99,513

Regional Salary in Alabama

Region Employed Avg. Annual Salary Avg. Hourly Pay Top 10% Annual Salary Bottom 10% Annual Salary
Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL150$84,200$40.48$132,790$50,690
Auburn-Opelika, AL230$93,250$44.83$132,150$59,990
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL250$96,290$46.29$144,780$57,800
Decatur, AL190$86,820$41.74$125,890$61,160
Dothan, AL380$86,840$41.75$129,090$50,710
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL250$84,690$40.72$123,700$50,930
Gadsden, AL200$85,660$41.18$130,580$50,060
Huntsville, AL810$95,170$45.76$127,000$61,080
Mobile, AL810$96,660$46.47$139,300$59,950
Montgomery, AL690$92,650$44.54$135,350$58,090
Tuscaloosa, AL350$95,420$45.87$144,980$52,420
* Salary information based on the May 2022 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Medical and Health Services Managers, OCC Code 11-9111, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do healthcare administrator in Alabama earn well?

This is a difficult question.

Because salaries are affected by a series of factors.

However, according to the table above, there are many cities where the median salary reaches well over 100K per pear.

Which skills do I need as a healthcare administrator in Alabama?

Below you’ll see a non-exclusive list of skills for this job:

  • Knowledge of healthcare laws and regulations
  • Leadership skills
  • Technological proficiency
  • Problem-solving abilities
  • Communication skills
  • Adaptability
  • Business expertise

Where does a healthcare administrator in Alabama work?

The most common settings where this professional works are:

  • Hospitals
  • Nursing homes
  • Outpatient clinics
  • For the government
  • Physicians’ offices

USA Healthcare Administrator by State


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