If you are thinking of a career in medical data analysis, you must know what a medical analyst does and how much he earns. To find that out, read on.
The health care industry just seems to grow larger and larger, and so do the jobs associated with this field. Many market and job researchers have claimed that one of the non medical jobs from the health care industry which will be in demand in the near future is that of a medical data analyst. There are many research firms, pharmaceutical companies, and independent medical researchers who need extensive medical data for their studies which can help them establish new findings about various diseases, drugs, and treatments. Medical data also helps health experts and health care providers to plan and design new strategies and conduct research.
Job Description
A professional can either work independently, or with groups, and his duties too vary depending on the needs and requirements of the employer. Given below are some of the common tasks and responsibilities of medical data analysts.
- Compiling and preparing electronic medical records of the patient’s health status as per the disease they are suffering from.
- Documenting the records in retrievable manner using apt software and basic computer application knowledge.
- Analyzing the data with current trends in the health care industry, or comparing the data as asked by the clients or health care experts.
- After analyzing and studying the data thoroughly, a professional is also expected to present the data and the findings in presentable manner using charts and tables, etc.
Since it is a specialized job, a professional has to be familiar with data analyzing processes, relevant software, and terminology used in medical data analysis. There are few institutes that provide diploma or certificate programs in medical data analysis but many employers prefer to hire candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree. The stress level or workload largely depends on the size of the employer. A big organization is certain to have more workload compared to the smaller one. But, again it depends on the number of professionals assigned for particular projects and tasks. In a nut shell, the job description of a medical data analyst is to collect, compile, evaluate, process, and present medical data for the company, or for client organizations.
Salary Range
Like other jobs, the salary of a medical data analyst fluctuates and is governed by certain factors. The first and foremost factor that affects the salary is the knowledge and experience of the individual. A person with professional training and greater experience is paid more. Whereas, a freshman is expected to settle for little lesser due to lack of experience in the field. Another factor that influences the salary is the job location. Many research studies have proved that jobs offered in bigger metropolitan cities pay more than those in smaller cities. For example, a person working as a medical data analyst in Los Angeles earns more compared to a person working in Miami.
The last and crucial factor that plays a very important role in deciding the salary of medical analysts is the size of the employer, and the needs and requirements of the employer. If the organization is renowned and big, the chances of getting a higher salary are more, provided your qualification and experience meet with their requirements, which is generally not the case with small organizations. The average salary of a professional and trained medical data analyst can fall somewhere between $40,000 to $60,000 per year, which may increase with experience and expertise.