The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 6,450 medical and health service managers were employed in Iowa in 2020, with a median annual wage of $80,980. Those in the top ten percent of the profession do considerably better, with a salary of at least $135,430.
All those numbers are trending upward in an industry that Iowa Workforce Development found to be tied for the second largest employment sector in the state. The agency believes that the demographic realities of an aging population and increasing demand from newly insured patients taking advantage of the Affordable Healthcare Act will push expansion in the sector, particularly in ambulatory healthcare and nursing and residential facilities.
Salaries are being driven higher by what the Health Cost Institute estimates has been a 20.4 percent increase in per person spending in the state on healthcare since 2013, considerably above the national average.
Employment Levels and Job Growth for Iowa’s Healthcare Administrators
For a state that ranks 42nd in population density, it’s impressive that Iowa boasts the third-highest concentration of medical and health services manager jobs in the country according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and that concentration is only likely to increase according to Iowa Workforce Development. The agency projects a 21.8 percent growth in the profession over the decade leading up to 2028, with 590 openings a year resulting statewide. Those opening come from a combination of newly created positions and turnover in existing roles.
The Salaries of Healthcare Administrators Throughout Iowa
Although there is good news for healthcare administrators all over the state for salary numbers, Iowa City hits the sweet spot: it not only virtually ties Ames for having the highest median wage in the state, it’s also the number one urban area in the country for job concentration for medical and health service managers.
Des Moines-West Des Moines
- 25th percentile: $69,320
- Median: $81,550
- 90th percentile: $146,420
Iowa City
- 25th percentile: $75,700
- Median: $90,570
- 90th percentile: $141,150
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island
- 25th percentile: $62,370
- Median: $79,530
- 90th percentile: $127,690
Cedar Rapids
- 25th percentile: $70,960
- Median: $82,800
- 90th percentile: $132,080
Employment in Iowa’s rural areas can compete on many levels with the state’s metropolitan areas both in terms of numbers of positions and salaries:
2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Medical and Health Services Managers.
Job growth projections sourced from Iowa Workforce Development and published in the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Long Term Occupational Projections (2016-2026) database – https://projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm.
Salary figures and job market projections represent state data, not school-specific information.
Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2021.
