Health Information Management Concentration in Healthcare Administration
Key takeaway: Health information management (HIM) is healthcare administration’s data specialty – and its fastest-growing technical track. Health information technologists and medical registrars earned a median $68,020 as of May 2025, with 14.7% projected employment growth from 2024 to 20341. One critical rule: if you want the field’s flagship RHIA credential, the program must be CAHIIM-accredited.
A health information management concentration adds courses in electronic health records, medical coding and classification, data governance, privacy law, and health data analytics on top of the healthcare administration core. It sits at the intersection of healthcare, business, and information technology – the people who make sure patient data is accurate, secure, accessible, and billable.
Quick Answers
What is a health information management concentration?
A specialization within a healthcare administration degree focused on managing patient data – EHR systems, coding, privacy compliance, and analytics. It prepares graduates for health information technologist and medical registrar roles ($68,020 median, BLS OEWS May 2025)1.
What is the RHIA credential?
Registered Health Information Administrator, granted by AHIMA. Eligibility requires graduating from a CAHIIM-accredited HIM program – which is why accreditation checking matters more for this track than any other concentration except long-term care.
Is this concentration available online?
Frequently. HIM coursework is screen-based by nature, and many CAHIIM-accredited programs run fully online. Confirm the accreditation status of the specific online program, not just the school.
Back to Healthcare Administration Concentrations
At a Glance
- Focus area: EHR systems, coding, data governance, privacy, and analytics
- Key career: Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars – $68,020 median salary (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- Employment: 38,100 positions; 14.7% projected growth 2024–2034 (BLS)
- Related career: Medical Records Specialists – $51,140 median, 194,720 employed (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- Credential gate: RHIA requires a CAHIIM-accredited program
- Degree levels: Bachelor’s concentration, graduate certificate, or master’s specialization
For an overview of all degree paths, see the Healthcare Administration Program Guide.
What you typically study
| Course Topic | What You Learn |
|---|---|
| Health Information Systems | EHR architecture, system selection, and implementation |
| Medical Coding and Classification | ICD and CPT code sets, coding workflows, and audit practices |
| Healthcare Data Analytics | Querying, reporting, and quality measurement from clinical data |
| Privacy and Security | HIPAA privacy and security rules, release of information, breach response |
| Data Governance | Data quality standards, retention policies, and registry management |
| Revenue Cycle Applications | How coded data drives billing, reimbursement, and denials management |
Career outlook
Key takeaway: HIM spans a wage ladder from coding to analytics leadership. Medical records specialists earn a median $51,140 across 194,720 positions; health information technologists earn $68,020 with wages reaching $117,420 at the 90th percentile (BLS OEWS, May 2025)1.
| Career | Median Salary (May 2025) | Growth (2024–2034) | Annual Openings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Information Technologist / Medical Registrar | $68,020 | 14.7% | 3,200 |
| Medical Records Specialist | $51,140 | 7.1% | 14,200 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 and Employment Projections 2024–2034.1
Common job titles include HIM specialist, clinical data analyst, EHR analyst, cancer or trauma registrar, coding manager, and – with experience and the RHIA – HIM director. Director-level HIM roles fall under medical and health services managers, who earn a median $123,8601.
Who this concentration fits
Key takeaway: HIM rewards people who like structure, accuracy, and systems – it is the most technical track in healthcare administration without being a programming job.
Choose health information management if you:
- Prefer working with data, software, and standards over front-line people management
- Want a healthcare career that is screen-based and frequently remote-friendly
- Like rules-based problem solving – coding audits, privacy determinations, registry standards
- Are already a medical records specialist or coder seeking the credentialed ladder upward; the wage step from medical records specialist ($51,140 median) to health information technologist ($68,020 median) is the field’s clearest internal promotion1
Skills you build: ICD/CPT fluency, EHR administration, SQL-style data querying and reporting, HIPAA-grade privacy judgment, and the documentation discipline that survey and audit teams expect. These skills also transfer into health IT vendor, payer analytics, and consulting roles outside provider organizations.
Questions to ask before choosing this concentration
- Is the program (or its HIM component) CAHIIM-accredited, making graduates RHIA-eligible?
- Does the curriculum include hands-on EHR and coding software practice?
- Is a professional practice experience (PPE) or practicum included, and can it be completed locally?
- How many credits are HIM-specific versus general administration?
How healthcare administration concentrations compare
| Concentration | Aligned Career | Median Salary (May 2025) | Growth (2024–2034) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Information Management | Health Information Technologist | $68,020 | 14.7% |
| Long-Term Care Administration | Medical and Health Services Manager (licensed NHA) | $123,860 | 23.2% |
| Healthcare Finance | Medical and Health Services Manager | $123,860 | 23.2% |
| Health Policy | Compliance Officer | $80,730 | 3.0% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034.1
This track is offered at every level – compare the bachelor’s (where most CAHIIM-accredited HIM programs live) and the master’s for leadership roles, or find programs in your state.
Next steps
If HIM is your direction, your decision sequence is: confirm CAHIIM accreditation, confirm the practicum arrangement, then compare cost. A CAHIIM-accredited bachelor’s leading to the RHIA is the standard professional route; a graduate certificate works for degree-holders pivoting from clinical or IT backgrounds. For data-inclined students still deciding between specialties, compare this page against the healthcare finance concentration – the two tracks share the revenue cycle as common ground, with HIM owning the data and finance owning the dollars.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Data verified: June 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.