Are you are trying to decide whether or not to pursue a degree in Health Informatics? Researching the Health Informatics salary ranges can help you make an educated decision. When you are enrolling in a formal degree program, you need to be sure that the position you’re trying to get qualified for pays enough to justify the high cost of tuition and supplies. Learning about average salaries reported in the field and what can affect your pay range. Then you can choose a degree that will offer you the opportunity for a return on investment. Read this guide to understanding the salaries of health informatics professionals. Then you will be ready to make a final decision.
Understanding Why Salaries Can Vary in Informatics
Health Informatics is a hybrid field. It bridges the gaps that exist between clinical and IT professionals. If you want to work in a field that is highly integrated, you can hold a multitude of different titles. The most difficult thing about pinpointing salary ranges when you want to work in informatics is that there are several jobs to choose from. The pay for each title can differ because the professionals have a different set of responsibilities. Therefore they must complete a different type of degree program. You need to know which job most interests you before you learn about any average salary reports.
What Are the Average Salaries of Health Informatics Professionals?
One of the most popular jobs in informatics is informatics nurse. As a nurse who specializes in the field, you will train nursing staff on IT systems and facilitate IT communications. When you hold this title, you can expect to earn an average of $66,552 per year.
Another popular title is Health Informatics Specialist. As a specialist, you have a similar role to the nursing specialist. The primary difference is that you will be involved in:
- the implementation of technology
- training staff
- troubleshooting problems
The average specialist salary comes in at $61,050 per year, but can range significantly. A clinical specialist who works with systems and digitalizes records in clinical settings will earn about $68,707.
What Factors Can Affect Your Salary?
Salaries for each occupation can range dramatically. The setting that you work in plays a role in how much you can expect to earn. So does the region that you work in. Your educational background and professional background will also be considered when an employer is making you an employment offer. While salaries are negotiable, generally healthcare workers will start at the low of the salary range and work up the ladder. Remember that you receive great benefits in this field, which adds to your overall compensation package.
As you can see, you will earn a good salary as an entry-level informatics professional. You will need to earn your degree in the appropriate field and may need a license or other credentials. Computers and the healthcare system are two things that will not go out of style. The fast growing demand has created a shortage of qualified workers in the field. If you want to fill in the gaps, you should start to get qualified and decide which position is best so that you can research the health informatics salary range in depth.