Nursing Administration Salary and Careers

Nurse administrators may go by other names in the nursing discipline, including clinical, medical, or healthcare services managers. While their tasks can vary, they typically oversee the operations and delivery of care within healthcare settings. Their jobs can resemble a more specialized version of business administration careers.

To become a nurse administrator, candidates typically need a bachelor’s degree, though a master’s degree can lead to better positions and higher salaries as well. Students who heed career advice in college and take the appropriate career planning steps can improve their nursing salary expectations by building experience via internships and part-time work.

Nurse administrator salaries vary depending on the professional’s location, credentials, employer, and salary negotiations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for nurse administrators and managers was $101,340 in May 2021. This exceeded the median annual salary for healthcare practitioners and technical occupations by more than $25,000.

To access the highest-paying jobs and industries in this field, nurse administrators may need advanced credentials, such as a master’s or doctoral degree or a medical manager or health information management certification.

Source: BLS

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

Within each field, there are states that benefit your career and those that do not. For example, nurse admin salaries tend to be higher in coastal states. Every state has its own internal variations as well, with metropolitan regions typically providing higher wages than rural areas.

Source: BLS

Data sourced from the BLS

In addition to being one of the top-paying jobs for career changers, the nurse administrator profession continues to expand as medical services become more diversified and in-demand from an aging population.

As students prepare for jobs after graduation, new medical technologies and capabilities allow smaller healthcare service providers to take on more responsibility from hospitals. The BLS projects a 32% growth for this field between 2020 and 2030, four times the projected rate for all occupations. In fact, the nurse administrator profession is one of the fastest-growing among all medical fields, trailing nurse practitioners as the fastest in the industry.

According to the BLS, most nurse administrators have a bachelor’s degree at minimum. Professionals with a BSN and nursing experience may enjoy improved prospects and a better chance of landing a job in many healthcare settings. After earning a bachelor’s in nursing, professionals can further develop their qualifications and earning potential with postgraduate certifications.

With an MSN degree, nursing professionals can access some of the most desirable nurse administrator positions available. They also can work as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). There are more than 270,000 ARPN professionals, as per the BLS. After completing an online MSN, graduates can pursue post-graduate certifications to further specialize in their field.

Yes. Nurse administrators typically oversee the daily operations of a healthcare facility. They take care of the administrative duties, handle the staffing and training, and ensure that nurses and other healthcare professionals can work unimpeded.

Registered nurses can become nurse administrators. In fact, their training and experience prepare them well for this type of position. To become a nurse administrator, nurses may need additional administrative training.

The highest-paying nurse position belongs to APRNs or, more specifically, nurse anesthetists. According to the BLS, the median annual salary for APRNs was $123,780 in May 2021. The median annual salary for nurse anesthetists was $195,610 during that same period.

The top 10% of APRNs made over $200,540 in May 2021. Among the top industries for these professionals, the highest-paying were hospitals and outpatient care centers, with median annual wages of $128,190. Physician offices paid $121,280, and health practitioner offices paid $104,790.

The difference between nursing administration and nursing management depends entirely on the employer and the terminology used. In many cases, however, nurse administrators are considered more senior than managers. While nurse managers run specific operations, such as records or budgeting, administrators may oversee the entire operations.

Due to the greater responsibility, nurse administrators may also have stricter job requirements than managers, such as a master’s degree compared to a bachelor’s degree. They might also make more money as well.

The most in-demand type of nurse is a nurse practitioner. The BLS projects 45% growth for the APRN occupational group between 2020 and 2030. For nurse practitioners specifically, the BLS projects a 52% growth throughout the decade. That works out to an addition of nearly 115,000 new nurse practitioner positions during that time.

Not only are nurse practitioners the most in-demand type of nurse, but they are also one of the most in-demand professions in the country. According to the BLS, they sit fourth on the list of fastest-growing occupations.