How to become a health services and public health manager or director
Official title: Health services and public health managers and directors
Also called: Manager, Care manager, Sector manager, Service manager, Support manager, Medical director, Nursing director, Clinical manager, District manager, Locality manager, Clinical director, Hospital director
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.
Main 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
How to become one
Entrants require a degree or equivalent qualification, a professional qualification and/or relevant experience. Off and on-the-job training is provided through management training schemes. The nature of schemes varies between regions and occupational areas.
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £61,573 a year The middle half earn £48,613 to £80,002.
- About 58,100 people work in this job now, and about 63,700 are projected by 2035. (+9.6%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become a health services and public health manager or director?
Entrants require a degree or equivalent qualification, a professional qualification and/or relevant experience. Off and on-the-job training is provided through management training schemes. The nature of schemes varies between regions and occupational areas.
How much does a health services and public health manager or director earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £61,573 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £48,613 to £80,002.
Is a health services and public health manager or director a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 10% by 2035, from about 58,100 to about 63,700 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a health services and public health manager or director?
Usually. 78% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03