jobfacts

Health service manager

Health services and public health managers and directors — SOC 2020 1171

Managers and directors in this unit group plan, organise, direct and co-ordinate the resources and activities of health care providers and purchasers at both district and unit levels.

Also calledHospital managerNHS hospital managerManagerSuperintendentCare managerClinical operations managerand 36 more titles
Typical full-time pay£61,6002025 Provisional
People in the job86,000across the UK
Demand for workersElevated
New adverts a month1,100↓ 5.8%on last year · 168th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time health service managers earn between £48,600 and £80,000 a year.

What full-time health service managers earn, 2025
£61,600 typical£37,800lowest 10%£48,60025%£80,00075%£90,200top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£48,600–£80,000)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£37,800
Lowest 20% earn less than£45,400
25%£48,600
Median£61,600
75%£80,000
Top 20% earn more than£90,200
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £61,600
London!£72,200
South East!£66,300
Scotland!£56,700
North West!£55,900
Yorkshire and The Humber!£55,700
North EastNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £61,600
London£72,200 (small sample)
South East£66,300 (small sample)
Scotland£56,700 (small sample)
North West£55,900 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£55,700 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £52,000
  • 2024 £55,600
  • 2025 Provisional£61,600
↑ 18% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 1,100 jobs for health service managers are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as elevated.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (2 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20261,435
Jul 20261,266
Jun 2026Not published
May 20261,124
Apr 20261,046
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20261,023
Jan 20261,193
Dec 2025600
Nov 20251,277
Oct 20251,237
Sept 20251,152
Aug 20251,127
Jul 20251,365
Jun 20251,353
May 20251,503
Apr 20251,061
Mar 20251,270
Feb 20251,358
Jan 20251,202
Dec 2024812
Nov 20241,154
Oct 20241,200
Sept 20241,275
Aug 20241,251
Jul 20241,467
Jun 20241,299
May 20241,502
Apr 20241,418
Mar 20241,332
Feb 20241,382
Jan 20241,614
Dec 20231,334
Nov 20231,399
Oct 20231,223
Sept 20231,170
Aug 20231,281
Jul 20231,409
Jun 20231,737
May 20231,863
Apr 20231,641
Mar 20232,039
Feb 20232,174
Jan 20232,157
Dec 20222,133
Nov 20222,539
Oct 20222,363
Sept 20222,307
Aug 20222,402
Jul 20222,394
Jun 20222,762
May 20222,699
Apr 20222,396
Mar 20222,658
Feb 20222,506
Jan 20222,611
Dec 20212,407
Nov 20212,522
Oct 20212,361
Sept 20212,311
Aug 20212,090
Jul 20212,367
Jun 20212,097
May 20212,069
Apr 20211,920
Mar 20212,689
Feb 20211,783
Jan 20212,383
Dec 20202,356
Nov 20202,303
Oct 20202,635
Sept 20202,349
Aug 20202,446
Jul 20202,346
Jun 20202,193
May 20201,985
Apr 20201,988
Mar 20202,396
Feb 20202,088
Jan 20201,954
Dec 20191,498
Nov 20191,973
Oct 20191,896
Sept 20191,601
Aug 20191,789
Jul 20191,993
Jun 20192,004
May 20192,024
Apr 20191,367
Mar 20191,611
Feb 20191,524
Jan 20191,756
Dec 20181,253
Nov 20181,630
Oct 20181,852
Sept 20181,767
Aug 20181,679
Jul 20181,630
Jun 20181,650
May 20181,737
Apr 20181,785
Mar 20182,067
Feb 20181,919
Jan 20182,167
Dec 20171,551
Nov 20171,791
Oct 20171,901
Sept 20171,578
Aug 20171,759
Jul 20171,803
Jun 20172,117
May 20172,091
Apr 20171,934
Mar 20172,192
Feb 20171,706
Jan 20171,744
Is there a shortage of health service managers?
Elevated

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was not high.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
18%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for corporate managers and directors, which includes health service managers. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London735
Birmingham114
Manchester95
Leeds78
Bristol, City of61
Glasgow City59
Nottingham51
Newcastle upon Tyne46
Liverpool45
City of Edinburgh41
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where health service managers are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 38 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from United States, Turkey, Australia, ranking it 154th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of health service managers
n/p
9.1%!
24%!
33%
28%
5.9%!
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–349.1% (small sample)
35–4424% (small sample)
45–5433%
55–6428%
65+5.9% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent79%
Higher education below degree!8%
A levels or equivalent!7.9%
GCSEs or equivalent!4.9%
Other qualifications!1.8%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent79%
Higher education below degree8% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent7.9% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent4.9% (small sample)
Other qualifications1.8% (small sample)

Main employers: regulation of the activities of providing health care, education, cultural services and other social services, excluding social security (32%), hospital activities (27%), other human health activities (12%), general medical practice activities (3.4%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
79%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
2
from level 7, including degree apprenticeships
Apprenticeships take
3 years
typically

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

University

You can become a health service manager by training on the NHS General Management graduate scheme.

Entry is usually with an upper second class degree or above. Most degree subjects are acceptable though you may need a recommended subject for certain specialist management roles, for example finance.

As part of your training you will work towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Healthcare Leadership.

Some private healthcare providers also offer graduate general management schemes.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

Apprenticeship

You could get relevant skills and knowledge for this job by doing a Chartered Manager Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.

This typically takes 4 years to complete and is a mix of learning in the workplace and off-the-job study at an approved university.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You can get into health service management by working your way up from an administrative or clinical role within the NHS.

You're likely to need 4 to 5 GCSE grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and possibly A levels, or equivalent, for an administrator role.

With experience and further training, you can move up to supervisory or management level. Your employer will have details about appropriate courses.

Apply directly

You can apply directly if you already have management experience from the private, public or voluntary sector.

Registration and professional bodies

Professional and industry bodies

You could apply to become a member of the Institute of Health & Social Care Management. This would give you access to training and development opportunities and professional recognition.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a health service manager from Health Careers.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for health service manager. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

2 for this job
Level 7About 3 years

Health and care intelligence specialist

Employers may ask for
Typically an apprentice might be expected to have already achieved a first degree in a relevant subject or have acquired relevant experience
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • implements policies of the board, ensures statutory procedures are followed, with particular emphasis on patient safety and the management of risk
  • liaises with health care professionals to determine short and long-term needs and how to meet these objectives within budgetary constraints
  • oversees the day-to-day management of the unit or service and provides leadership to staff
  • uses statistical information to monitor performance and assist with planning
  • negotiates and manages contracts with providers and purchasers of health care services
  • manages staff, including recruitment, appraisal and development
  • monitors and reports upon the effectiveness of services with a view to improving the efficiency of health care provision
  • coordinates the promotion of public health and wellbeing in the actions and policies of public agencies and their social partners
  • monitors and reports upon the state of public health and wellbeing

Skills

  • communicate effectively in healthcare
  • comply with legislation related to health care
  • implement strategic planning
  • manage budgets
  • recruit employees
  • train employees
  • adhere to organisational guidelines
  • advise policy makers in healthcare
  • analyse goal progress
  • analyse large-scale data in healthcare
  • apply good clinical practices
  • apply organisational techniques
  • collect healthcare user's general data
  • comply with quality standards related to healthcare practice

Knowledge

  • manage healthcare staff
  • budgetary principles
  • clinical reports
  • clinical science
  • computer science
  • database
  • data storage
  • drug interaction management

Suits people who like

  • Organising and following procedures
  • Working with ideas and solving problems

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for corporate managers and directors, a group of 20 jobs that includes health service managers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 3%about 78,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.4 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.