When it comes to working for the government, many people do not consider government jobs available in healthcare. Those with backgrounds in healthcare administration, public administration, business, finance, accounting and law have the opportunity to work for a variety of healthcare agencies that work in tandem with different layers of government. Here is an overview of how you can launch a healthcare career within the government.
Education
The type of education you decide to go after will depend on what exactly you would like to do within government-related healthcare management. If you decide that you would like to work as a practitioner for a healthcare agency, you can still become a nurse, doctor, therapist or technician. You will just need to find the appropriate bachelor's degree and master's degree program that will prepare you for those fields. If you would like to take a more administrative route, you can shoot for getting bachelor's and master's degree in healthcare management, public health, public administration, economics or finance. More than likely because federal and state jobs in healthcare are highly coveted because of their lucrative salaries and benefits, your best bet is to always shoot for obtaining an advanced degree.
Types of Government Agencies with Healthcare Careers
There are a wide number of city, state and federal government agencies that employee health professionals. At the federal level, these agencies include the Department of Education, all branches of the United States Military, the Department of Veteran Affairs, Department of Health,, the Centers for Disease Control, etc. If you would like to work at the state or city level, look for jobs with a state or city-based public health department, federally qualified health centers, public school systems and state universities that have large medical systems attached to them.
Types of Healthcare Careers within Government Agencies
For those looking government jobs available in healthcare, there are a multiplicity of careers to consider. These include accountants, healthcare lawyers, program directors, financial analysts, auditors and contract specialists. Also, those who are more or less interested in the more research-oriented side of healthcare should look into becoming an epidemiologists, healthcare practitioner or a medical scientist.
Salaries
Salaries are obviously going to depend on the role that you take, years of experience, geographic location and agency. Obviously salaries are going to be much higher larger metropolitan areas like New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. A good number of federal healthcare jobs are going to be principally located in the greater Washington D.C.-Baltimore metropolitan area. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average healthcare practitioner such as a nurse or therapist will generally start off making anywhere between $50,000 to $60,000. The average administrator working for a government health program or agency will start off making anywhere between $60,000 to $70,000.
Related Resource: Patient Financial Specialist
There are so many different options you can take when looking for a healthcare-related job in government. Just do your best research to find the right education programs to prepare yourself for all the different government jobs available in healthcare.