Healthcare Data Analyst Degree Salary

Healthcare data analysts, also known as medical and health service managers, direct, plan and coordinate medical and health services. They may manage data and administrative services in an entire facility, a certain clinical area or department, or a medical practice with a large group of doctors.

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They also are responsible for compiling and organizing healthcare data, analyzing healthcare data to deliver optimal healthcare management and services.  Healthcare data analysts must be able to adapt to changes in healthcare laws that affect data, technology, and regulations. (BLS.gov)

Common duties include:

  • Maintain the security of patient data and records.
  • Ensure that the facility in which you work is up to date with laws and regulations that relate to technology and healthcare records.
  • Manage the finances of the facility, particularly as it relates to the data and technology needs of the organization
  • Prepare and monitor budgets and spending to ensure that technology departments and others are operating within funding limits

As a healthcare data analyst, you also will be responsible for the maintenance and security of all patient records and data. You will need to stay as up to date as possible with evolving healthcare information technology, current or pending laws about healthcare information systems, and trends in managing large amounts of healthcare data.

Health data analysts and health information managers also need to ensure databases are accurate, complete, and accessible only to people who are authorized. They may also oversee the work of medical records and health information technicians.

If you are interested in becoming a healthcare data analyst, you will need to complete a degree program in healthcare informatics or healthcare administration. A master’s degree may be required to earn a higher salary. Below is detailed salary information about this popular and growing healthcare field.

Healthcare Data Analyst Degree Salary

Bureau of Labor Statistics

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median salary for medical and health services managers, which are related to healthcare data analysts, was $99,700 in 2018. The range was between $58,680 and $182,600 for professionals with the most education and experience. Those who work more in the data analyst end and less in the management and administration end will earn towards the lower end of the range. Top industries for salary were: (BLS.gov)

  • Government: $110,600
  • Hospitals: $108,700
  • Outpatient care centers: $92,300
  • Doctors’ offices: $90,900
  • Nursing and residential care facilities: $84,200

Payscale.com

Payscale.com reports the average salary for healthcare data analysts is $62,500 with a range between $46,000 and $81,000. (Payscale.com). The site reports that Kaiser Permanente pays $70,000 for this job, and Leidos pays $73,000.

Popular skills for healthcare data analysts and their corresponding salaries are:

  • Data analysis: $63,800
  • Microsoft Excel: $61,800
  • SAS: $64,220
  • SQL: $65,400
  • SAS: $68,500

Healthcare data analysts will see rising salaries as their level of experience increases, but with more than 20 years of experience, your salary will level off.

  • Less than one year of experience: $59,000
  • One to four years of experience: $61,800
  • Five to nine years of experience: $71,300
  • 10 to 19 years of experience: $69,900
  • 20 years or more of experience: $63,000

Pay for this field also will change based on your city:

  • San Francisco: +26%
  • Phoenix: +18%
  • Denver: +12%
  • Portland: +2%
  • Tulsa: 0%
  • Boston: -2%
  • Indianapolis: -23%

Ziprecruiter.com

The average salary for healthcare data analysts in the US is $77,500 with a range between $23,000 and $133,000. (Ziprecruiter.com). Most in this field earn between $52,500 and $99,000.

Salary.com

Salary.com reports the average salary for healthcare data analysts is $51,600 and $73,341. (Salary.com)

Indeed.com

Indeed.com reports the average salary for data analysts in the US is $70,400. (Indeed.com)

Job Outlook for Healthcare Data Analysts

Employment for healthcare data analysts, as well as medical and health services managers will grow by 18% by 2028, which is much faster than average. As the baby-boom generation gets older and people stay more active as they age, there will be more demand for healthcare services, and professionals who need to manage healthcare data and services. (BLS.gov)

There also will be more need for doctors and other healthcare workers, medical procedures, and healthcare centers. So there will be more need for healthcare data analysts and managers who organize and manage healthcare staff and medical information. There should also be more need for nursing care facility directors as the US population gets older.

SEE ALSO: Data Analyst Degree Options

Employment should grow markedly in the offices of various types of healthcare practitioners. Many healthcare services that once were provided in hospitals are now going to shift to the office setting, especially as medical technology gets better. Demand for healthcare data analysts in medical group practice management settings should increase as these practices get larger.

Also, the widespread use of electronic health records or EHRs is going to create more demand for data analysts with knowledge of healthcare IT and informatics systems. Healthcare data analysts will be necessary to organize, manage, and integrate these vital records in all areas of the healthcare field.

It is reported there currently are 406,100 medical and health services managers working in the US in 2018. They work in the following areas:

  • Hospitals: 33%
  • Doctors’ offices: 11%
  • Nursing and residential care facilities: 10%
  • Government: 8%
  • Outpatient care centers: 7%

Healthcare Analyst Career Options

There is a range of career tracks available for those interested in pursuing the analytical side of the healthcare field, most of which involve specializing in a particular departmental function. From entry-level positions to senior roles, there are many jobs available in the growing world of healthcare analytics.

Oftentimes those who work as healthcare data analysts begin their careers with entry-level positions in the subcategory of the health field where they would like to specialize. Human Resource Data Analysts, for example, frequently start their careers with lower-ranking jobs in HR, acclimating them to the overall responsibilities of their department so that they can provide the analytic information that is most pertinent to their role. Pairing this level of experience with a data analysis degree makes one an attractive prospective employee at a medical facility, as you will have two areas of specialized knowledge that are vital to the day to day workings of a healthcare organization.

When planning a career in healthcare data analysis, it is critical to think through which part of a medical facility’s functions are most hospitable to your skills. By committing to one particular arena of a hospital’s functions, you will be developing an impressively focused track record that will make you eligible for high-ranking analyst roles with elevated responsibilities and a salary to match.

Clinical Analyst

For those who wish to be involved most directly in patient care, a clinical analyst is the career path for you. Clinical analysts work in hospitals and other medical facilities, monitoring the workings of their organization to ensure that it is running with maximum efficiency and making recommendations to improve the patient experience. In this way, clinical analysis is vital to the medical field, and improvements in research technology have made this role only more crucial. Clinical analysts are also sometimes known as clinical systems analysts and clinical data managers.

Budget Analyst

While clinical analysts are focused on improving hospital functions and patient experience, budget analysts are data analysts whose focus is exclusively on managing and allocating funds within a medical organization, providing research that is useful for both short-term and long-term projects. This is, of course, another way of supporting patient experiences and the overall successes of hospitals, as it is imperative that medical organizations set their budgets discerningly to provide maximum support. Those who have experience or skills in accounting are especially suited to this type of role, as it involves many of the same skills.

Human Resource Analyst

Those with a background in HR who would like to apply their expertise within the medical field, a human resource analyst uses their data-processing skills to improve the efficiency of HR processes including hiring, claims disputes, and personnel filing reviews. They are also responsible for maintaining departmental records and ensuring that the management of all hospital employees is running smoothly. Beyond their day-to-day responsibilities, HR managers monitor data over the long term to identify organizational inefficiencies and improve the employee-focused internal functions of their organization.

Healthcare Analyst Salary by State

StateHourly WageAnnual Salary
New York - Healthcare Analyst$35.49$73,814
Massachusetts - Healthcare Analyst$35.19$73,205
New Hampshire - Healthcare Analyst$34.54$71,838
Maryland - Healthcare Analyst$32.87$68,371
Alaska - Healthcare Analyst$32.43$67,450
Nevada - Healthcare Analyst$32.43$67,450
Montana - Healthcare Analyst$32.43$67,450
North Dakota - Healthcare Analyst$32.43$67,450
Wyoming - Healthcare Analyst$32.43$67,450
Idaho - Healthcare Analyst$32.43$67,450
Hawaii - Healthcare Analyst$32.39$67,369
Connecticut - Healthcare Analyst$32.33$67,251
Vermont - Healthcare Analyst$32.31$67,215
Washington - Healthcare Analyst$32.26$67,104
Nebraska - Healthcare Analyst$32.19$66,965
California - Healthcare Analyst$31.89$66,322
Virginia - Healthcare Analyst$31.77$66,079
Rhode Island - Healthcare Analyst$31.52$65,571
Arizona - Healthcare Analyst$30.99$64,461
New Jersey - Healthcare Analyst$30.97$64,408
West Virginia - Healthcare Analyst$30.86$64,181
Colorado - Healthcare Analyst$30.82$64,111
Pennsylvania - Healthcare Analyst$30.68$63,823
Minnesota - Healthcare Analyst$30.67$63,800
South Dakota - Healthcare Analyst$30.65$63,743
South Carolina - Healthcare Analyst$30.60$63,642
Oregon - Healthcare Analyst$30.55$63,542
Tennessee - Healthcare Analyst$30.54$63,529
Delaware - Healthcare Analyst$30.47$63,378
Utah - Healthcare Analyst$30.33$63,083
Kentucky - Healthcare Analyst$30.20$62,820
Ohio - Healthcare Analyst$30.12$62,649
Indiana - Healthcare Analyst$29.97$62,331
Oklahoma - Healthcare Analyst$29.89$62,165
Kansas - Healthcare Analyst$29.80$61,979
Wisconsin - Healthcare Analyst$29.79$61,968
Iowa - Healthcare Analyst$29.70$61,783
Louisiana - Healthcare Analyst$29.68$61,742
Maine - Healthcare Analyst$29.59$61,539
Texas - Healthcare Analyst$29.23$60,808
Georgia - Healthcare Analyst$28.95$60,223
Alabama - Healthcare Analyst$28.94$60,200
Arkansas - Healthcare Analyst$28.86$60,020
New Mexico - Healthcare Analyst$28.74$59,771
Illinois - Healthcare Analyst$28.43$59,142
Michigan - Healthcare Analyst$28.42$59,119
Mississippi - Healthcare Analyst$28.27$58,796
Missouri - Healthcare Analyst$27.82$57,874
Florida - Healthcare Analyst$27.37$56,930
North Carolina - Healthcare Analyst$24.97$51,938

Source: Ziprecruiter.com, January 2020.

Summary

Given the increased demand for healthcare services and improvement in technology, there is little doubt there will be a growing demand for healthcare data analysts for many years to come.

As demand rises, professionals with a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in healthcare informatics, data science, business analytics or healthcare administration can expect to earn salaries above $75,000 with enough experience. If your work is largely in working with data, a salary of $50,000 or $60,000 to start is likely, while those who work in management can eventually earn over $90,000.