Job Classifications

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not classify "health care analyst" as a separate job title or occupational category. Rather, health care analysts may work as health information technicians, clinical research analysts or operations research analysts. Within the health care field, analysts may work for hospital systems and other health care providers, pharmaceutical firms and insurance providers. Salaries for these different classes of analysts vary, according to data from the BLS.
  
  

Average Salaries

• The BLS reported in 2010 that health information technicians earned an average of $33,880 a year in 2009. This figure may underestimate salaries for health care analysts because it also includes lower-paying professions such as medical coding specialists. Other types of health care analysts received higher salaries. Operations research analysts, for example, earned an average of $73,570 per year as of 2009. Operations analysts employed by health insurance carriers earned slightly less, with their salaries averaging $68,590 a year, according to the BLS.
  
  

Other Analyst Salaries

• Clinical research analysts, who specialize in using laboratory equipment and computer technology to treat diseases and research possible cures, earned an average annual salary of $53,500 in 2008, the BLS reported. Meanwhile, statisticians who specialize in analyzing and interpreting medical-related data received average annual salaries of $75,220. However, the BLS reported that statisticians and analysts employed by pharmaceutical firms and medical device manufacturers earn even more, with their salaries ranging from $90,300 to $96,140 a year.
  
  

Salary Ranges

• A listing of jobs for health care analysts collected by Glassdoor.com, a commercial site, indicated salary ranges in 2011 ranging from $53,000 to $71,000 a year at various health care organizations and insurance providers. Experienced analysts have the potential to advance to such positions as senior health care analyst or senior research analyst, enabling them to earn higher compensation. Jobs for such senior-level analysts on Glassdoor indicated salaries ranging from $77,000 to more than $159,000 a year.
  
  

Considerations

• The BLS projects growth in job opportunities for health information technicians and research analysts through 2018, adding that the best opportunities with the highest salaries will exist for those professionals with advanced degrees plus excellent computer, mathematical and statistical skills.