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What is a health director and how to become one
A health director oversees the operations of a healthcare facility or public health department. They ensure that the organization meets its critical goals, and that services are delivered efficiently and effectively. Health directors develop and implement policies and procedures, manage budgets, and supervise staff, while collaborating with community partners to identify and address healthcare needs and education.
Avg. Salary $89,244
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 28%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.72%
Asian 7.07%
Black or African American 11.53%
Hispanic or Latino 14.48%
Unknown 4.27%
White 61.93%
Genderfemale 64.69%
male 35.31%
Age - 47American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 47Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
What are the pros and cons of being a Health Director?
Pros
Ability to make a positive impact on public health
Opportunity to lead and oversee healthcare programs
Competitive salary, benefits, and job security
Potential for career advancement and growth
Influence and decision-making power in healthcare policy
Cons
High levels of stress and pressure due to responsibility for public health outcomes
Challenging work-life balance due to on-call responsibilities
Required to make difficult ethical decisions that impact people's lives
Competing priorities and demands from multiple stakeholders
Facing criticism from the public or media for unpopular decisions or policies
Health Director career paths
Key steps to become a health director
Explore health director education requirements
Start to develop specific health director skills
Skills 
Percentages Patients 13.37% Home Health 8.66% Oversight 8.11% Patient Care 6.05% Social Work 5.14% Complete relevant health director training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New health directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a health director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real health director resumes.Gain additional health director certifications
More About CertificationsHealth director certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific health director certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for health directors include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).
Research health director duties and responsibilities
- Manage accreditation process with AAHC, JCAHO, Medicare, HIPAA, AOA, ACGME, RRC, and individual payers.
- Manage the agency's daily operations to ensure CMS compliance.
- Manage EHS activities for manufacturing plants, global sourcing centers, and customer sites.
- Initiate sentinel system allowing company to proactively manage reimbursement reductions impose by state Medicaid programs.
Get health director experience
Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a health director. The most common roles before becoming a health director include staff nurse, registered nurse team lead and director.Prepare your health director resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your health director resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a health director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Health Director Resume templates
Build a professional Health Director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Health Director resume.
Apply for health director jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a health director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Health Director Job
Are you a Health Director?
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Average health director salary
The average Health Director salary in the United States is $89,244 per year or $43 per hour. Health director salaries range between $56,000 and $142,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do health directors rate their job?
Health Director reviews
Antigienic people, irresponsible people, lazy employees
Seeing and facilitating the growth of the staff and department
Updated January 8, 2025
