According to 2018 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for Oregon healthcare administrators was $105,690, considerably above the national average. That trend holds true for the top ten percent of the profession as well, who can expect to make $187,220 a year.
They earn that money in a state with a health care system ranked in the top 25 in the U.S. according to the United Health Foundation, but one that is facing real challenges to that status. Although most of the state’s population is concentrated in a corridor along the western side of the state, there are many rural areas where providing service can be difficult. The state only has 60 community hospitals, and staffing issues are sending medical administrators scrambling to hire and train providers.
Job Outlook and Employment Settings for Hospital and Medical Office Administrators in Oregon
The Oregon Health Policy Board sees aging as a factor affecting health care jobs on both sides of the table—an aging patient population is increasing demand at the same time as an aging provider population is starting a wave of retirements that will have to be replaced. That amounts to one out of every twelve jobs in the state—and many of those jobs belong to healthcare administrators.
That’s why the state Employment Department predicts a 21.8 percent increase in the number of medical administrator positions by 2026, a slightly higher rate than the national average. That will open up about 480 positions annually across the state, a combination of new jobs being created and existing positions going through routine turnover.
Healthcare Administration Salaries in Oregon by Location
Although it doesn’t make the top four areas for employment for healthcare administrators, little Corvallis takes the top rank when it comes to wages in the profession. The median salary there is $119,290.
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
- 25th percentile: $84,040
- Median: $110,240
- 75th percentile: $150,630
- 90th percentile: $204,050
Salem
- 25th percentile: $90,550
- Median: $108,890
- 75th percentile: $125,430
- 90th percentile: $156,460
Eugene
- 25th percentile: $72,830
- Median: $95,280
- 75th percentile: $130,120
- 90th percentile: $160,600
Bend-Redmond
- 25th percentile: $76,870
- Median: $100,000
- 75th percentile: $124,080
- 90th percentile: $161,670
Oregon has a wide range of different salary levels based on location, with rural areas tending to offer lower wages than the urban areas on the west side of the state.
Salary and employment data compiled by the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics in May of 2018. Figures represent accumulated data for all areas of employment for medical and health services managers https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_or.htm#11-9111.
BLS salary data represents state and MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) average and median earnings for the occupations listed and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries. Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Job growth projections sourced from the Oregon Employment Department and published in the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Long Term Occupational Projections (2016-2026) database – https://projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm.
All salary and job growth data accessed in June 2019.
