Administration Careers for Leaders

Administrators lead business, educational, health care, and non-profit organizations to success. They're often individuals who are dedicated to ensuring employee productivity, budgetary responsibility, and program implementation across a wide range of industries. Whether the organization provides services or develops products, administrators work behind the scenes to keep operations profitable or employees engaged at top performance.

When you enter an administrative career, you'll find a wide range of employers, responsibilities, and professional options. You can become an administration generalist, or work directly for one of the major career fields that rely upon well-trained administrators. These include:

• Medical and health service administrators who work in hospitals, clinics, research labs, or private medical offices to ensure staff efficiency, billing accuracy, technology integration, and patient record security.

• Education administrators who work for school districts or individual schools to offer instructional leadership supervise curriculum development, implement teacher staffing, and oversee community relations.

• Administrative services managers who work for businesses and non-profit organizations to oversee support operations in human resources, payroll, secretarial, travel planning, supply and procurement, facilities, or customer relations.

The Growing Field of Medical and Health Services Administrators
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts an outstanding 16 percent growth in jobs for medical and health services administrators during the 2006-2016 decade. Almost 40 percent of current administrator jobs are with hospitals.

Most health care administrators have earned at least a bachelor's degree. Many applicants move up the ranks from positions in the health care field by combining experience with a master's degree. All states require nursing home administrators to hold at least a bachelor's degree and a license. Post-graduate business or administration training can increase employment options.

The BLS reports that the 2007 median annual wage for medical and health services administrators was $76,990, with top-tier annual wages at $132,580.

Education Administrators Lead the Way in Learning
Many education administrators begin their careers as teachers, earning a bachelor's degree and a post-secondary certificate in classroom teaching. To qualify for administrator roles at a school district or taking a position as school principal, you should pursue a master's degree in education administration. College-level deans and administrators typically hold a PhD in their fields.

Most states, the BLS reports, require school administrators to hold licenses and a post-graduate degree. In 2007, the median annual wage for elementary and secondary education administrators was $80,580, with top wages at $117,740. The median 2007 wage for postsecondary education administrators was $75,780, with the top-end salaries well into six figures.

Administrative Services Managers Hold the Company Fort
Administrative services managers are renowned for their critical thinking skills, along with a keen eye in budgeting and sound communication skills. Some administrators work their way into leadership roles from entry-level positions. Others advance by combining company service with degree work at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels in finance, management, business, accounting, human resources, or technology.

According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for administrative services managers was $70,990, with top annual earnings at $124,520.