---

healthcare information privacy assurance and security

A program that prepares individuals for careers in designing, implementing, and administering comprehensive privacy and security protection programs in all types of healthcare organizations. Includes instruction in health information ethics, healthcare information privacy and security, healthcare compliance, healthcare information security and disaster recovery, and healthcare privacy law. Examples: [Information Governance in Healthcare]

Types of Degrees healthcare information privacy assurance and security Majors Are Earning

People majoring in healthcare information privacy assurance and security can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	5

What healthcare information privacy assurance and security Majors Need to Know

Coursework for healthcare information privacy assurance and security emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that healthcare information privacy assurance and security graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in healthcare information privacy assurance and security emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Telecommunications — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a healthcare information privacy assurance and security program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to healthcare information privacy assurance and security careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, healthcare information privacy assurance and security graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by healthcare information privacy assurance and security professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
IBM Cognos Impromptu	Business intelligence and data analysis software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Virtual private networking VPN software	Network security and virtual private network VPN equipment software	—
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services SSRS	Data base reporting software	—
Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition VBScript	Development environment software	—
Microsoft SQL Server	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Visual Basic	Development environment software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for healthcare information privacy assurance and security graduates include:

• Medical Data Analyst
• Health Data Analyst
• Cancer Registrar
• Certified Cancer Registrar
• Healthcare Data Analyst
• Health Information Technician
• Health Records Technician (Health Records Tech)
• Compliance Coordinator
• Medical Care Evaluation Specialist
• Clinical Data Specialist
• Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist (CDIS)
• Applications Analyst
• Medical Information Specialist
• Cancer Tumor Registrar
• ROI Specialist (Release of Information Specialist)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to healthcare information privacy assurance and security graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	52.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	22.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	12.9%
Postsecondary certificate	7.2%
Master’s degree	2.8%
Some college courses	2.0%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in healthcare information privacy assurance and security?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 80% of healthcare information privacy assurance and security degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	4	80.0%
Men	1	20.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of healthcare information privacy assurance and security graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2	40.0%
Black or African American	1	20.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	20.0%
Race Unknown	1	20.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do healthcare information privacy assurance and security Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of healthcare information privacy assurance and security 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.}

Is a Degree in healthcare information privacy assurance and security Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, healthcare information privacy assurance and security 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 Informatics	3,054
Medical Office Management/Administration	2,900
Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator	2,781
Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist	1,195

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.