What are the highest and lowest health science salaries that I could earn?
When looking at a health science degree salary, the most important determining factor is your level of degree or experience in the field. For example, entry-level jobs for graduates with a health science online associates or bachelors degree range in pay from $30,000 to $50,000 a year. However, higher-level degrees can earn up to 3 times as much.
For example, if you earn an on-campus or online phd in health science, you can earn up to almost $150,000 a year as a healthcare administrator. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics rates the average yearly pay for a health service manager at around $86,000 with top annual wages at $148,000.
For hospital administration positions, salaries vary greatly based on experience in the position, region of employment and choice of employer. While entry level jobs may offer only modest pay and responsibility, once you work your way up to the level of director or head administrator, you can earn as much as $200,000 or $300,000 a year.
Region and employer also play roles in a job’s salary. For example, a job in New York and California can pay on average $20,000 more than the national median health science salary. Employment with insurance companies and research institutes can also increase your pay by more than $40,000 above the national average.
In addition to my health science salary, will I earn benefits?
Benefits at entry-level jobs for new graduates can be fairly minimal. Typical benefits can include optional, self-paid health insurance, dental and vision packages and paid time off for vacation or sick days. However, as you gain experience in the field and advance in position, your options expand to include a rich range of benefits.
Middle level management positions are given a wider selection of benefits, such as quarterly or yearly bonuses, paid health, vision and dental insurance and a 401k. Graduate degrees or years of experience can translate to upper management positions and qualify you for increased benefits. Administrators of high often receive generous healthcare packages, 401k, paid vacations, dental, vision, bonuses and paid travel expenses.
One unique benefit health science graduates can be eligible for is paid or reduced rate tuition. If you find employment at a university hospital, you, and sometimes your children, are often allowed to attend classes at the overseeing school for drastically reduced rates.
In addition, some employers will pay for part or all of their employee’s educational expenses if a secondary degree or certificate is career-related. Some health science degree programs are even designed to quickly facilitate this type of funding for students, granting certificates during the first half of the program.
Will I always earn a salary in my health science job?
The most basic health science jobs tend not to offer a health science degree salary and instead pay employees an hourly wage. For example, patient services, pharmaceutical sales, healthcare recruiters or clerical positions are the first roles a new graduate with a health science degree may work in. These are often paid at an hourly rate, because they are entry-level and have fewer responsibilities. However, 1 large factor in advancing in a health science career is years spent in the field.
As you gain experience in the industry, you will find yourself advancing into management roles, which often earn a yearly health science salary. In general, the higher rank you are, the more likely you will be to earn a salary. In general, by the time you reach the role of department administrator or assistant administrator, you will likely be earning salaried pay.
However, with this increase in pay you will also be required to take on more responsibility and more work. Management tends to work long hours and can be needed to perform duties or provide oversight at odd hours of the day. Weekend work is not out of the ordinary for hospital administration. Sometimes you will need to work outside of the hospital, doing tasks like visiting the community to educate the public or work with the local government.