Best Jobs for Nurses with an MSN and MBA

Nurses interested in advancing their careers and taking on leadership roles can position themselves for success by combining an MSN with a healthcare administration MBA. Nurses who have an MBA with a healthcare specialty can make their mark in nursing administration, taking the lead in managing patients, staff and facilities, with the aim of improving the nation’s healthcare industry.

In particular, a number of MSN and MBA jobs allow nurses to have a hand in patient care while also shaping policies and providing guidance to healthcare organizations at the executive level.

Explore the jobs you can get with a nursing degree and an MBA, and consider the benefits of enrolling in an online healthcare administration MBA program.

MSN and MBA Job Opportunities in Healthcare Management

A wealth of MSN and MBA jobs are available for nurses who are passionate about shaping patient care in an administrative role, lending their combined clinical and business expertise to crucial decisions influencing financial strategy and quality patient care.

Clinical Administrator

A clinical administrator is in charge of planning, directing and coordinating clinical services for an entire healthcare facility or, in some cases, for a specific clinic, lab or department in an organization. Their duties can include staffing and scheduling, ensuring compliance with health regulations and managing the finances of their facility. According to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) entry for medical and health services managers, the median annual salary for this role is $101,340 as of May 2021.

Nurse Manager

Another attractive opportunity is to become a nurse leader, providing direction, supervision and professional development opportunities for a team or department of nurses. This may involve managing the budget for the entire nursing team. BLS data shows that registered nurses earn a median annual salary of $77,600 as of May 2021; those in management roles can typically anticipate pay at the higher end of the salary range.

Note that roles such as nursing supervisor and nurse director may also have leadership responsibilities over teams of nursing professionals.

Chief Nursing Officer

Another potential career for nurses who wish to have a role in the C-suite to consider is the chief nursing officer (CNO). In most health organizations, this represents the highest-level role available to nurses. Payscale reports a median annual salary of $134,934 for this role as of April 2022.

MSN and MBA Job Opportunities in the Public Sector

Many nurses with an MSN and MBA may advance into policy work in the government sector, advising elected leaders on nursing best practices and patient care. This is a great career path for nurses who want to champion reform in the workplace and increase nursing efficiency and effectiveness in healthcare.

Typical administrative MSN and MBA job opportunities for nurses include the following:

Public Health Advisor

A public health advisor works with elected officials at the municipal, state or federal levels to provide direction for disease prevention and wellness promotion. According to Payscale, the median annual salary for this career is $61,816 as of April 2022.

Nurse Consultant

Nurses who work as consultants may give technical or legal guidance to public policymakers, or they may take on a direct role in developing public health education. The median annual salary for this role, according to Payscale, is $87,521 as of March 2022.

Explore Careers That Combine Nursing and Business

Many rewarding jobs you can get with a nursing degree and MBA start with enrolling in an advanced degree program. Spring Arbor University’s online Master of Business Administration in healthcare degree can help students develop expertise in the intersection of clinical care and business. With courses such as Trends in Healthcare Administration & Management, Managerial Finance in Healthcare and Managing Quality in Healthcare, SAU’s program can help students build the necessary expertise to apply business principles in healthcare settings.

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