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healthcare innovation

A program that prepares individuals to innovate solutions and lead change within a healthcare organization. Includes instruction in innovation management, medical device development, evidence-based practice, systems thinking, information technology, healthcare policy and finance, organizational change, and leadership.

Types of Degrees healthcare innovation Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing healthcare innovation can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	36
Master’s Degree	199
Doctor’s Degree	9

What healthcare innovation Majors Need to Know

Coursework for healthcare innovation develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that healthcare innovation graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in healthcare innovation emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Administration and Management — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Personnel and Human Resources — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a healthcare innovation program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Time Management — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to healthcare innovation careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, healthcare innovation graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.6 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.5 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by healthcare innovation professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
API Healthcare ActiveStaffer	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services SSRS	Data base reporting software	—
Epic Systems	Medical software	—
CliniTrend	Analytical or scientific software	—
3DGrid HIPAA Checkup	Compliance software	—
eClinicalWorks EHR software	Medical software	—
e-MDs DocMan	Document management software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
IBM Domino	Communications server software	—
Blackbaud The Raiser’s Edge	Customer relationship management CRM software	—
GE Healthcare Centricity EMR	Medical software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for healthcare innovation graduates include:

• Healthcare Manager
• Assisted Living Administrator
• Health Information Management Director (HIM Director)
• Outpatient Services Director
• Public Health Director
• Care Coordinator
• Cancer Center Director
• Speech Therapy Director
• Public Health Program Manager
• Mental Health Program Manager
• Medical Office Coordinator
• Clinical Supervisor
• Hospice Administrator
• Occupational Health Nursing Director
• Hospital Unit Coordinator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to healthcare innovation graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	46.4%
Master’s degree	21.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10.7%
Postsecondary certificate	7.1%
Post-doctoral training	3.6%
First professional degree	3.6%
Some college courses	3.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in healthcare innovation?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 71.7% of healthcare innovation degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	175	71.7%
Men	69	28.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of healthcare innovation graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	124	50.8%
Asian	22	9.0%
Hispanic or Latino	30	12.3%
Black or African American	16	6.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.4%
Two or More Races	4	1.6%
Race Unknown	13	5.3%
International Students	31	12.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do healthcare innovation Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of healthcare innovation graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$36,041
4 years	$36,054
5 years	$40,847

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $40,847 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online healthcare innovation Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for healthcare innovation. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	0
Master’s	6	0
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in healthcare innovation Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, healthcare innovation graduates earn a median of $36,054 four years after completion — about 5% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Health and Medical Administrative Services	90,166
Health/Health Care Administration/Management	28,347
Medical Insurance Specialist/Medical Biller	11,963
Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician	11,828
Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder	10,171
Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary	7,771
Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management	3,494
Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other	3,168
Medical Office Management/Administration	2,900
Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator	2,781
Health Services Administration	2,629
Community Health and Preventive Medicine	2,571

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.