9 Careers in Health Information Technology

Data is becoming increasingly available as new technologies emerge in the health care sphere. Because of the abundance of readily digestible information, the number of lucrative careers in health information technology (IT) is on the rise. Jobs are being created that did not exist prior to this recent health care data revolution, and professionals prepared to fill these positions are in demand. 

The MHA@GW program director, Dr. Leonard Friedman, outlined several of these careers in the burgeoning field of health IT in his book, 101 Careers in Healthcare Management. Explore nine health IT career options below.

The director of health IT planning and operations is responsible for IT governance, strategic planning, portfolio operations and ensuring IT priorities are in line with the overall goals of an organization. He or she should have a strong understanding of health care, future trends in the area of technology portfolio management and the role IT plays in advancing an organization’s capabilities. A salary of $120,000 to $180,000 per year is typical for this position but varies depending on size of the health care organization.

Education and training directors supervise corporate teams that develop training materials and provide support for health information systems (HIS). The director is responsible for managing concurrent projects and helping multiple teams handle issues of prioritization, operation and conflict management. Depending on the size and scope of the organization, professionals in this position can earn $60,000 to $90,000 annually.

An electronic medical records director oversees the EMR information system that supports an organization’s business entities. The director uses creative and analytical skills to solve new and complex problems and supervises the EMR training and information systems staff. EMR directors can earn anywhere from $50,000 to $180,000 annually, depending on the location and size of the health care system.

Health information exchange (HIE) integration analysts manage and implement complex HIE projects, analyze client systems to ensure compatibility, provide system support to users, and ensure problem resolution. Analysts plan and schedule projects, allocate resources, report status updates, and manage issues and risks — all while cultivating client relationships. An annual salary of $70,000 to $120,000 is typical for this position.

A health information management exchange specialist collaborates with vendors to ensure successful technological implementations and manages HIE and the planning and implementation of projects. The specialist is responsible for monitoring the accuracy and timeliness of the health exchange project and staying within the project budget. The annual salary range for this position is $64,000 to $90,000. 

Information management specialists compile, maintain, process and report patient information for health care organizations. They must follow medical, legal, ethical and administrative requirements and protect the security of medical records. These specialists develop and maintain data storage and retrieval systems to classify and organize information. The average salary for a professional in this position is approximately $75,000.   

IT auditors inspect information systems and procedures in an organization to ensure they are in accordance with the organization’s guidelines for accuracy, security and efficiency. He or she evaluates the IT infrastructure for potential risks and provides improvements for current risk issues. The median salary range for an IT auditor is $45,000 to $90,000.

A knowledge management specialist supports the health care organization’s strategic initiatives; clinical, program and business priorities; mission and vision; and organizational goals. The specialist designs and develops automated business intelligence solutions and provides internal consultation and project management expertise. He or she must have strong leadership skills to work with key stakeholders, users and project team members. An annual salary of $50,000 to $80,000 is typical for this position. 

A project manager directs the clinical informatics project process, including requests, approvals, reviews, feasibility studies, scoping and project delivery. The manager must lead multidisciplinary teams of stakeholders to ensure projects are completed in a timely manner and stay within the projected budget and scope. Depending on the size and location of the health care system, professionals in this position can earn $50,000 to $95,000 annually. 

Earning a master’s degree in health informatics will prepare you to be successful in any of these nine careers, and several others. If you are interested in advancing your career within the field of health information technology but you don’t want to lose momentum in your current position, consider GW’s online Master of Science in Management of Health Informatics and Analytics, HealthInformatics@GW.

“The key underlying trend in future health care careers is the ability to drive and maintain innovation. Careers in health care and related segments in informatics and analytics will require candidates to be innovative, technologically savvy and be able to bring different perspectives to the table. In order to advance and achieve value, one must develop innovative solutions to existing and anticipated problems, and our HealthInformatics@GW program guides you on a journey to do just that.”

– Sam Hanna, HealthInformatics@GW Program Director

Contact our admissions team at 1-855-674-2849 or via e-mail with any questions.

Friedman, L., Kovner, A. (2013). 101 Careers in Healthcare Management. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Citation for this content: HealthInformatics@GW is the online Master of Science (M.S.) in Management of Health Informatics and Analytics program from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University