Health Data Analysts

Employers

Health data analysts are employed by hospitals, health care systems, large physician practice groups, health care consulting companies, health insurance companies, electronic health record and other health information technology vendors, nonprofit health care organizations, and state and federal government agencies. Some analysts launch their own data analytics firms. Others become college professors.

Starting Out

Some people break into the field after first working as data processing technicians, who collect, clean, and prepare data for analysis. Others enter this field after obtaining experience in nursing, health information management, and medical assisting. Still others interview for open positions directly after college graduation or receive offers for full-time employment after completing an internship or co-op. Aspiring and current data analysts can learn about job openings by attending career fairs and networking events, creating a LinkedIn profile in order to attract the interest of hiring managers, working with recruiters, and visiting the career Web sites of target employers to learn about job opportunities.