A medical and health services manager oversees the operations, staff, and services at healthcare facilities. You'll lead teams, manage budgets, and ensure quality care. The work requires a bachelor's degree and strong leadership skills.
Pathly builds you a free, personalized roadmap and helps your counselor champion you along the way.
Medical and health services managers run the day-to-day operations of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and other healthcare settings. You supervise staff, evaluate performance, and coach team members to improve their work. You communicate regularly with supervisors and peers, work with computers to track data and budgets, and review information to ensure the facility meets regulations and standards. You also build relationships with patients, families, and community partners. The role blends people management, problem-solving, and administrative oversight.
Core work activities
Career video courtesy of CareerOneStop.
Medical and Health Services Managers earn a median of $123,860 a year, based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and location.
The outlook is strong. Employment is projected to grow 23 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than average for all occupations, with about 62,100 openings a year.
Top skills
Knowledge areas
You'll need a bachelor's degree to enter this field. Focus on programs in healthcare administration, business administration, or health services management. During your studies, you'll learn about healthcare systems, personnel management, and compliance requirements. Seek internships or entry-level positions in healthcare settings to gain practical experience. Many managers start in coordinator or assistant roles and move up as they develop leadership skills and deepen their knowledge of healthcare operations and regulations.
Most paths to this role start with a bachelor's degree in healthcare administration or a related field. The timeline and specific focus depend on your background and career goals, so if you're exploring options, Pathly can map the medical and health services manager path that fits you and work through it with your counselor to build a plan that fits your situation.
Many medical and health services managers must be licensed, and professional certifications can strengthen your resume.
Common certifications
Licensing is handled at the state level and the requirements vary, so check the licensing board in your state. Pathly shows your state's specific steps inside your roadmap.
You're drawn to leadership, strategy, and getting results through people. You enjoy organizing systems, making decisions, and building strong teams. You're comfortable with responsibility and motivated by making an impact.
Reading about a career is the easy part. Turning it into a plan is where most students get stuck. Pathly takes you from curious to a clear next step, and gives your counselor the insight to champion you along the way.
Start with a quick quiz and assessments that surface your personality, your EQ, and what really motivates you, so your next steps are built around who you actually are.
Your free AI guide weighs this career against your strengths and goals, and surfaces the colleges, trades, and scholarships that match, so you know if it truly fits before you commit.
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Last updated July 1, 2026.
Data sources. Career details from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Salary and outlook figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 wages; 2024–2034 projections), delivered via the CareerOneStop API. Certification, licensing, wage, and outlook data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).