As the baby boomer population ages, requiring increasing medical and nursing intervention, lucrative jobs in health care administration are expected to explode in the decade ahead at a rate seen in very few other professions.
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With a “perfect storm” of high-paying jobs and lots of them, an outstanding health care administration resume is your ticket to landing the one that’s right for you.
At Resume.io, we have everything you need supercharge your career including 350+ resume examples and guides. This guide will cover all the bases required to create an excellent resume for this profession, including:
- What does a health care administrator do?
- How to write a health care administration resume
- Structure and components of a health care administration resume
- How to customize your resume for each employer
- Professional resume format, design and layout.
What does a health care administrator do?
Health care administrators manage, direct and coordinate health and medical services in all kinds of clinical settings, including hospitals, doctors’ offices, nursing homes and hospices. They are sometimes called health care executives or medical/health services managers (and “healthcare” is often spelled as a single word).
These administrators serve in managerial roles, overseeing all aspects of a facility’s health care delivery to ensure optimal care for patients. They seek to improve the quality and efficiency of medical care, manage the finances, prepare budgets, hire and manage staff, ensure compliance with regulations and more.
Salary and job outlook
Salaries and job outlook for health care administrators are both very good. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical and health services managers earned a median annual salary of $104,830 in 2022. The top 10% earned more than $209,990 a year.
Glassdoor cites a lower figure at $63,887. According to another aggregator of salary info, Payscale, the average is closer to $77,530. Yet another source, Salary.com, says the median pay is $84,980. Obviously, these estimates are gathered according to different criteria and source material, which is why they all differ. But it’s safe to say the pay for health care administration jobs is high.
Even more impressive is the job outlook. The BLS says jobs for medical and health services managers are expected to grow by an astonishing 28% between 2022 and 2032.
How to write a health care administration resume
A health care administrator is a top manager at a facility dedicated to saving lives, so it needs to reflect the highest level of professionalism. Your resume should be one page only, featuring all of the following elements (and very little else):
- The resume header
- The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
- The employment history section
- The resume skills section
- The education section
The resume header is the attractively designed section at the top of your page that lists your name, occupation, address, phone number and email (and perhaps a photo, and possibly a couple of web links, like your LinkedIn page).
The header is the easiest part to write and the hardest part to design. It’s easy to write because you already know your name, address, email, etc. Yet it’s the most challenging part to design because there are so many options. It might include a splash of color, an innovative layout, creative use of typography and other design options.
The good news is, you can rely on Resume.io’s professionally designed resume templates to choose a header and an overall CV design that will work for you. Find a design you like, click on it, and make it yours.
Once you’ve figured out your header, that leaves just four other elements you need on your page. Let’s talk about each of those.
Choosing the best resume format for a health care administrator
Not sure which approach to take? The reverse chronological resume format suits most professionals. This structure places your most recent experience and certificates at the top of the page. As you work your way down the document, you work your way back in time. For more information, read our comprehensive guide on the various resume formats out there.
Looking for some more inspiration? We've got a whole host of related resume samples for you to take a look at below:
Resume summary example
The summary, also known as a profile or personal statement, is your one and only opportunity on a resume to describe yourself in your own words as an ideal job candidate — so it’s vitally important.
You’ll list your past jobs, education and skills below, but here you have a unique opportunity to tell the hiring manager everything s/he needs to know about why you are eminently qualified for the job you’re seeking.
In resume shorthand, you don’t need to include the words “I am” or “I worked,” and in fact the 2-3 sentences in your summary don’t even need to be complete sentences.
For example, a resume summary from Batman might say “Masked crime fighter, virtually unkillable, with vast experience combating evildoers in Gotham City using a large array of weapons, vehicles and personal combat skills.” Notice that not one word in this Batman profile is repeated, and not one word here is weak or boring.
You may not be a Caped Crusader, but as a health care administration professional, you want to present your credentials in the strongest terms possible. Here’s an example:
Passionate and experienced Healthcare Administrator with a proven track record of bringing forth the necessary skills and work ethic to support productivity and efficiency in a busy healthcare environment. Adept in effectively managing day-to-day operations to ensure positive staff morale and patient satisfaction.
Ace the ATS test
ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System, and it’s crucially important that you understand what these resume-filtering programs are all about. Get this wrong, and your resume will be sent to the reject pile by a computer bot; but get it right, and your resume will rise like cream to the top of the heap.
Larger employers use ATS systems by inputting critical job qualifications (described by keywords) that they’re seeking in any job candidate. These keywords are generally similar, if not identical, to the words used in a help-wanted ad that advertises a job.
When the resumes start rolling in, the employer feeds them into the ATS, which instantly searches them for the desired keywords. If your resume contains none of the words that describe what the employer is seeking, it’s likely that your resume will be rejected without any human review.
This is why it’s extremely important to study job listings closely and match the language as much as possible to show that you’re a fit for the job being advertised. This is also why resumes should be dynamic documents that can be adapted to apply for each job that interests you.
Employment history sample
Some experience in this field will be required for any serious candidate, and this will be reflected by your employment history.
If you’ve been a successful health care administrator for years, you know what to do: Simply list your past jobs in reverse chronological order, with bullet points describing your accomplishments.
Be specific, using facts and figures, like the number of doctors you managed or patients your facility served; the budget you managed; percentage growth you achieved, etc.
However, if you have no experience as a health care administrator, that doesn’t mean you can never be one. Remember that all presidents got their first president job with no experience being president. The same goes for all health care administrators. You do, obviously, need relevant experience in the field, but if it was impossible to get any job in the world without experience in that same job, then nobody in the world would have a job.
Entry Level Healthcare Administrator, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles
October 2019 - Present
- Effectively managed a high-volume of communication between providers and patients.
- Acted as a liaison between insurance providers, patients, and other internal members.
- Coordinated projects such as data planning, scheduling, budget tracking, and bill payment.
- Maintained professional communication with individuals across the healthcare field.
Administrative Assistant, Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles
September 2017 - September 2019
- Served as a friendly and helpful first point of contact for all those entering and departing the medical center.
- Maintained knowledge of many procedures and services offered.
- Confirmed appointments prior to arrival and booked follow up appointments.
- Performed all tasks and functions assigned to me to ensure optimal support.
CV skills example
Even “unskilled workers” need skills, and every resume should include a skills section that highlights the candidate’s most noteworthy capabilities.
Some of these will be “ hard skills,” like mastery of job-relevant software or other experience in technical aspects of the job. And some will be “ soft skills,” like communication, problem-solving and attention to detail. Without using resume clichés (like “Team player” or “Results-oriented,”) mention a few of your superpowers, perhaps six to eight, to demonstrate that you have what it takes to get the job done.
- Ability to Multitask
- Effective Time Management
- Administrative Skills
- Medical Terminology
- Project Coordination
- Computer Skills
Health care administration resume education example
You did go to college — otherwise you wouldn’t be here. So list the colleges or universities you attended, mention where they are and the years you attended, and name the degree(s) you received.
Your educational credentials will generally be listed in reverse chronological order, just like your past jobs — i.e., highest degree listed first. If you do have a college degree, it’s generally not considered to mention where you went to high school.
If you have noteworthy academic credentials, like a high GPA or membership in an academic honor society, you can mention these in bullet points under your alma mater(s). You should also list any special certifications you’ve received in your field.
September 2014 - May 2018
Bachelor of Business Administration, UCLA, Los Angeles
September 2010 - May 2014
High School Diploma, Loyola High School, Los Angeles
Resume layout and design
Your resume should look as good it reads, so be certain that you’ve found an attractive, professionally designed framework to build on.
Typically, this involves finding a template like those we offer at Resume.io and simply replacing the existing text with your own. This virtually guarantees a professional look and feel for your resume. We can’t be responsible for what your resume says, but we make sure it at least looks right.
Key takeaways
- A strong resume is key to showcasing your experience and landing your next position in this booming field
- A great health care administration resume example includes a bold header that draws attention to your name and contact information while remaining professional
- The reverse chronological CV format is the best choice for health care administration resume examples, especially if you have some experience to show
- Since a friendly personality is a key trait for health care administrators, make sure to show off your charisma in your resume summary.
- Good resume design is equally as important as resume writing. A template can help you structure your resume in a few clicks.
We have more than two dozen medical resume examples that you can review until you find the one that’s right for you and make it your own or check out our other resume examples.
