As of 2023, about 30% of the world’s total data volume is generated by the health care industry. By 2026, this number is expected to increase to 36%. As data generation in health care continues to outpace other industries, the need for health informatics professionals will likely increase.
By earning a master’s degree in health informatics, you can take advantage of this growing demand and acquire valuable skills while doing fulfilling work that benefits society. However, deciding on a career path should never be done hastily, and there are several important things you should know about health informatics and the scope of jobs available within the field.
What Is Health Informatics?
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, health informatics is the “interdisciplinary study of the design, development, adoption and application of IT-based innovations in health care.” It is a broad field that involves the use of health science, data science, computer science and business management to improve public health and streamline the delivery of health care services.
Health informatics professionals don’t typically don’t engage with patients, but they still have the power to enhance patient care and even improve treatment outcomes. Within the health informatics discipline, there are a variety of important and rewarding roles—most of which fall into one of three silos: analytics, technology or leadership.
What Analytics Jobs Can You Get With a Master’s In Health Informatics?
Analytics and data science play a very prominent role in health informatics, and there are a variety of analytics-focused jobs within the health informatics discipline. These roles include:
- Clinical informatics specialists: These professionals use digital technology and data to support health care services. They analyze patient information, operations data, information generated by claims and billing and data related to clinical care to drive organizational improvements. According to Payscale, the average salary for clinical informatics specialists is about $82,308.
- Health data scientists: These professionals build systems that clean, convert and analyze data to support organizational and clinical decision-making. They may have to work with many different types of information, including clinical data, financial data, patient records, business operations data and research data. Data scientists in health care typically earn about $165,018, though early-career data scientists usually earn less.
- Health data quality managers (DQM): Sometimes referred to as quality assurance managers, these professionals are responsible for data hygiene. They create data quality protocols, participate in data governance practices, data application, collection, analysis and warehousing; and ensure there’s always high-quality data for analysis. The average salary for data quality managers is about $94,328.
Analytics-focused health informatics jobs are found in a variety of settings, including clinical care, pharmaceutical development, medical device manufacturing, public health, population health and medical research.
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What Tech Jobs Can You Get With a Master’s In Health Informatics?
Some informaticists work extensively with technology, designing, building and maintaining hardware and software systems that manipulate and analyze data. Some tech-focused positions in the field of health informatics include:
- Health informatics consultants: These professionals help hospitals and other health care facilities implement IT systems and databases on a contract basis. The average income for health informatics consultants is about $98,138 per year, but the salary range for HI consultant roles can vary widely as different projects have different pay scales.
- Health IT project managers: These professionals oversee digital health technology projects such as implementing new electronic health records systems or integrating disparate clinical applications. Health IT project manager salaries range from $97,931 per year to $138,105, but most professionals in this role earn about $115,491. Pay for this position can vary depending on education, experience, and training.
- Privacy officers: These professionals ensure that computer and database systems in healthcare settings are compliant with current HIPAA guidelines. This is an influential role given the strict rules and regulations surrounding patient privacy in the health care industry. The salary for health care privacy officers can range from $32,000 to $169,500, but the average pay for this position is about $111,007.
As technology and its applications in health care continue to evolve and expand, new tech positions in health informatics will likely be created, and existing roles will likely change in scope. To successfully navigate this constantly evolving field, make sure that you have the most up-to-date knowledge and training in health informatics technology.
What Leadership Jobs Can You Get With a Master’s In Health Informatics?
Health informatics can’t exist without effective leadership to guide organizational activities related to data collection, storage, management and use. Leadership roles in informatics include:
- Chief medical information officers: These professionals typically oversee activities related to health IT systems, EMR/EHR software and applications and analysis of health care data. Some chief medical information officers are trained data scientists, while others come from a health care administration background. The average salary for a chief medical information officer is about $274,592, though compensation may vary depending on the size of the organization and the scope of its IT needs.
- Chief nursing informatics officers: The responsibilities associated with this role usually involve using data to enhance resource usage, information acquisition and storage, billing and departmental operations in nursing. Nursing informatics directors are nearly always licensed RNs, though experience with health care administration and technology is also valuable for this position. The average salary for nursing informatics directors is $130,989 per year.
- Clinical informatics directors: These professionals oversee the design of the computer and database systems that facilitate health information collection and management and the analysis of that information to meet specific organizational goals. The average salary for clinical informatics directors is about $144,228 per year.
In most cases, you’ll need to gain some experience in a lower-level health informatics position before being considered for a leadership role. Starting as an informatics consultant or health data scientist can allow you to gain firsthand experience in the field and hone your skills while making a strong impression on your employer.
What Courses Will You Take During an Online Health Informatics Masters Program?
Effective health informaticists understand not just data science and business administration, but also health care industry practices and regulations, patient care standards and medical management. The University of Pittsburgh’s MSHI multidisciplinary curriculum illustrates just how much informaticists need to know to do what they do. Students in this program will take courses such as:
- Anatomy, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Pharmacology and Medical Terminology
- Practical Statistics and Programming Using Python and R
- Health Vocabulary, Terminology, and Classification Systems
- Health Information and the Health Care System
- Foundations of Health Informatics
- Security, Privacy, Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Information Systems
- Talent Management and Human Resources
- Leadership and Project Management
- Data Science in Health Informatics
- Data Analytics and Machine Learning in Health Science
- Financial Management and Health Care Reimbursement
- Database Design and Big Data Analytics
This broad scope of coursework you’ll complete during your online health informatics master’s program will provide you with relevant background knowledge and help you develop the diverse array of skills that you’ll need to succeed as a health informatics specialist, ranging from technical skills like programming to soft skills like ethics and communication.
What Is The Job Outlook for Professionals With a Master’s In Health Informatics?
Health informatics is transforming medicine by helping healthcare organizations satisfy their evolving data management needs more efficiently. The majority of hospitals and other health care organizations now use health IT systems such as electronic health records and telehealth technologies. These systems generate thousands of exabytes of potentially valuable data each year, which can be difficult to organize and analyze.
According to the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the need for innovation in health informatics—which AHIMA describes as the “management of all aspects of health data and information through the application of computers and computer technology”—has never been greater.
The transition from paper-based to electronic medical records has, the organization says, “vastly increased the volume of available health information and the speed at which it is communicated.” It has also increased the available data health care providers, medical researchers and policymakers can draw upon when evaluating the efficacy of treatments, developing new medicines and medical devices, and looking for new ways to reduce the cost of health care.
The increasing role of data analytics in health care is expected to continue driving the demand for health informatics professionals. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics which categorizes health informatics professionals within medical and health services managers, the employment of health information managers is expected to increase by 28% between 2022 and 2032, a much faster growth rate than the average for all professions. This promising future outlook makes health informatics an ideal career path for people concerned about long-term job security.
What Is The Typical Work Environment for Professionals With a Master’s In Health Informatics?
In many ways, there is no such thing as a ‘typical work environment’ for graduates with a master’s in health informatics. Because so many types of health care organizations need to manage and analyze data, health informatics professionals are employed in a wide variety of settings, including doctor’s offices, hospitals, insurance companies, health IT companies, pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and academic institutions.
What Salary Can You Expect to Earn With a Master’s In Health Informatics?
Competitive pay is one of the most notable benefits of choosing a career in health informatics. Completing a master’s degree in Health Informatics online can open up a variety of lucrative job opportunities. However, not all health informatics jobs are created equal, and the salary you can expect to earn will vary widely based on experience, location, job title and responsibilities.
The 2018 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Compensation Survey found the average salary for digital health professionals was close to $110,000 per year. Some leadership positions in health informatics and health care IT can be even more lucrative. PayScale reports the top 10% of health IT project managers earn nearly $140,000, and the highest health informatics director salaries exceed $200,000 annually.
How Long Does It Take To Earn a Master’s In Health Informatics Online?
Traditionally, it takes full-time students about three years to complete a health informatics master’s degree program, while part-time students may take up to four years. If you’re taking classes in person, this time commitment can be daunting, especially if you have to juggle other personal and professional obligations.
Commuting to and from campus can be expensive and time-consuming, but fortunately, it’s not the only way to earn a health informatics master’s degree. Completing a master’s of health informatics program online at the University of Pittsburgh can provide you with the knowledge and qualifications to become part of the health informatics revolution in just 16 to 24 months.