In examining the average salary in a health informatics career, the first step is knowing just what health informatics is. Healthcare Informatics is an interesting, rewarding, and lucrative field that combines the knowledge and skills of information technology and healthcare through the integration of information science, computer technology, and medicine. It might be considered a kind of copy editor for the healthcare industry. Computerized hardware, specialized software, and communication devices are integrated to collect, analyze, and transmit medical processes. In the high tech world in which we live today, it is a vital part of the healthcare industry.
Healthcare Informatics professionals are in high demand and salaries in this field have increased over the years. Since March, 2013, careers in this field have increased by 13%. The use of healthcare informatics does not just provide a seamless, comprehensive health care system, but is very important in assisting industry professionals with problem solving, decision making, and improved customer service. Individuals in this field must be computer savvy with a strong attention to detail and meticulous organizational skills.
Various Health Informatics Careers
The possibilities of various rewarding careers are wide-ranging for persons with a health informatics degree. Some of those possible careers and their average salaries are listed below.
- Program Analyst $64,000
- Public Health Informatics/GIS Specialist $47,000
- Information Technology Specialist $65,000
- Health Scientist Administrator $85,000
- Medical Officer $87,000
- Computer Scientist $75,000
- Informatics Specialist $76,000
- Health Scientist $80,000
- Epidemiologist $67,000
- Informatics Analyst $55,000
- IT Project Manager $78,000
- IT Specialist $66,000
Average Health Informatics Salary
As you can see, there are a variety of specific directions a person with a degree in Health Informatics might pursue. Salaries for health informatics careers vary depending on specifics of a particular job title. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary in this field was $32,960 as of May, 2008. Currently, the average health informatics job carries a salary of $69,000, with the typical salary in the United States for health informatics jobs being between $53,200 and $78,452. Even the lowest average salary for careers in the above list is nothing to scoff at. It is the Public Health Informatics/GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Specialist with an average salary of $47,000. The highest salary on the list is for a Medical Officer, an individual responsible for managing various aspects of a health care facility, who earns an average salary of $87,000.
Salary Variances Depending on Location
The potential salary will naturally vary depending on location. For example, the average salary in a health informatics career in Florida is $63,000, while in California it is $78,000. In Texas, the average is $64,000, while in New York it is $81,100. While the salaries do vary, there is no question that even the lowest are quite respectable. By all indications, a career in the field of health informatics would be a rewarding as well as secure field.
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