Occupation · SOC 15-1211.01
Health Informatics Specialists
Apply knowledge of nursing and informatics to assist in the design, development, and ongoing modification of computerized health care systems. May educate staff and assist in problem solving to promote the implementation of the health care system.
Median wage
$103,790
$63,160–$166,030
Projected growth
+8.7%
Faster than average
Annual openings
4,550
per year
Employed (US)
497,800
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
1,978 mapped
Core skills
Reading ComprehensionComplex Problem SolvingWritingSpeakingCritical ThinkingActive ListeningJudgment and Decision MakingSystems EvaluationSystems AnalysisLearning StrategiesActive LearningMonitoringCoordinationTime ManagementInstructingSocial PerceptivenessService OrientationManagement of Personnel ResourcesPersuasionNegotiationMathematicsProgrammingTechnology DesignQuality Control AnalysisOperations AnalysisOperations MonitoringTroubleshootingScienceManagement of Financial ResourcesManagement of Material ResourcesEquipment SelectionOperation and ControlInstallationRepairingEquipment Maintenance
Knowledge areas
Computers and ElectronicsEnglish LanguageMedicine and DentistryEducation and TrainingCustomer and Personal ServiceAdministration and ManagementMathematicsDesignPsychologyEngineering and TechnologyAdministrativeSociology and AnthropologyCommunications and MediaPublic Safety and SecurityBiologyTelecommunicationsPersonnel and Human ResourcesLaw and GovernmentTherapy and CounselingProduction and ProcessingSales and MarketingEconomics and AccountingPhilosophy and TheologyMechanicalForeign LanguageGeographyHistory and ArcheologyFine ArtsPhysicsChemistryBuilding and ConstructionTransportationFood Production
Technology & tools
Allscripts Professional EHRAllscripts SunriseAmkai AmkaiChartsApache HadoopBizmatics PrognoCIS EMRCerner MillenniumCerner PowerChartChartWare EMRComputer aided software engineering CASE toolsComputerized physician order entry CPOE softwareESRI ArcGIS softwareElectronic medical administration record eMAR softwareEpic SystemsGE Healthcare Centricity EMRHealthcare management systemIBM SPSS StatisticsJavaScriptLAMP StackLearning management system LMSMEDITECH Healthcare Information System HCISMEDITECH softwareMcKesson ANSOS One-StaffMediware ClosedLoop Clinical SystemsMediware Information Systems MediCOEMedscribbler EnterpriseMicroFour PracticeStudio.NET EMRMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Power BIMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft SQL Server Reporting Services SSRSMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft VisioMicrosoft WordNetsmart Technologies CareNetNextGen Healthcare Information Systems EMRPerl
Representative tasks
Working with ComputersGetting InformationMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersAnalyzing Data or InformationEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkDeveloping and Building TeamsThinking CreativelyProcessing InformationEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsDocumenting/Recording InformationIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsTraining and Teaching OthersCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationCoaching and Developing OthersScheduling Work and ActivitiesResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersPerforming Administrative ActivitiesJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesSelling or Influencing OthersAssisting and Caring for OthersDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and EquipmentInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsStaffing Organizational UnitsControlling Machines and ProcessesPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicPerforming General Physical ActivitiesHandling and Moving ObjectsRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentRepairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Clinical and administrative health data — identify and collect under structured guidance to support patient care documentation in an electronic health record environment.Object-oriented models and informatics terminology — apply foundational concepts to translate basic nursing practice information into structured formats under supervisor review.Health information privacy and confidentiality policies — review and follow established protocols to support HIPAA-compliant data handling in a clinical informatics setting.EHR and medical software platforms — navigate and perform entry-level data entry and query tasks under direct supervision in a health system environment.Nursing and information systems data — organize and record using standard database management tools to assist informatics teams in clinical quality improvement projects.Reading Comprehension and Active Listening skills — apply to interpret technical specifications and clinical documentation while learning health informatics workflows from senior specialists.Informatics theory and computer science principles — integrate foundational knowledge from graduate-level preparation to participate in structured health IT application reviews.Decision-support mechanisms and data structures — assist in testing and documenting existing configurations under the direction of experienced health informatics engineers.Interdisciplinary communication — coordinate information exchange between nursing staff and systems analysts using guided templates and meeting facilitation checklists.Spreadsheet and analytical software tools — use to compile and format preliminary datasets for review by senior informatics specialists in a hospital or health network setting.
developing
Patient and nursing care data — analyze using database query and analytical software to identify trends and recommend service improvements with moderate oversight in a clinical environment.Health information technology applications — design and implement routine solutions for defined clinical or administrative workflow problems in collaboration with interdisciplinary teams.Privacy and security policy documentation — develop and apply updated organizational policies to protect patient information in compliance with regulatory standards across a health system.Object-oriented and web platform development tools — use to build or modify informatics components that translate nursing practice requirements into functional system specifications.Nursing informatics solutions — evaluate performance against established metrics and document findings to support iterative improvement cycles in a multi-department health care setting.Health IT data structures — select and configure appropriate configurations to support nurses' data management needs with reduced direction from project leadership.Interdisciplinary informatics projects — coordinate timelines and deliverables across nursing, IT, and administration stakeholders, applying time management and coordination skills in a health network.Systems analysis methods — apply to identify gaps between current clinical workflows and health information technology capabilities in an acute care or ambulatory environment.Staff and end-user training materials — develop and deliver using computer-based training software to support adoption of new health informatics tools among nursing and clinical staff.Clinical decision-support mechanisms — test and refine using structured evaluation frameworks to validate accuracy and usability within an operational electronic health record system.
proficient
Complex nursing and health system data — autonomously analyze and interpret across multiple data sources to drive evidence-based improvements in clinical operations and patient outcomes.Custom health informatics applications — design, develop, and implement end-to-end solutions for non-routine clinical or administrative problems, applying integrated knowledge of nursing, computer science, and informatics theory.Enterprise-wide privacy, confidentiality, and security frameworks — independently develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive patient information protection strategies across a large health system.Human-computer interaction and decision-support architectures — engineer and refine within EHR and clinical decision environments to optimize usability for diverse health care professional populations.Informatics solution lifecycle — lead full-scope selection, testing, implementation, and evaluation of new or modified data structures and tools in complex multi-site health care organizations.Nursing practice and systems engineering translation — autonomously bridge clinical knowledge gaps using object-oriented models and other advanced techniques to enable robust system design without substantial oversight.Health informatics science — apply with originality to conceptualize novel approaches for resolving persistent clinical data management challenges in research, education, or administrative contexts.Geographic information systems and population health analytics tools — integrate to support advanced clinical program analysis and community health informatics initiatives across a regional health network.Systems evaluation methodologies — execute independently to assess the effectiveness and unintended consequences of deployed health IT tools and generate actionable recommendations for system leadership.Interdisciplinary collaboration — lead cross-functional workgroups of nurses, clinicians, engineers, and administrators to co-design and deploy informatics solutions that align with organizational clinical strategy.
advanced
Organizational health informatics strategy — set vision and long-range direction for enterprise-wide health IT adoption, aligning informatics investments with patient safety, quality, and regulatory priorities at the executive level.Health informatics policy and governance frameworks — establish institution-wide policies governing data privacy, security, and ethical use of patient information, influencing regulatory compliance across a large health system or network.Emerging informatics technologies and methodologies — evaluate and champion adoption of cutting-edge solutions — including AI-driven decision support and advanced interoperability standards — to position the organization at the forefront of clinical innovation.Health informatics talent pipeline — design and lead mentorship, succession planning, and professional development programs that build organizational capability across emerging, developing, and proficient informatics practitioners.Cross-institutional informatics partnerships — negotiate and lead collaborations with academic medical centers, government agencies, and technology vendors to advance shared research, data sharing, and population health informatics goals.Complex system-of-systems integration — direct the architectural design and evaluation of interoperable health information ecosystems spanning clinical, administrative, and research domains across a multi-entity health enterprise.Organizational learning and innovation culture — apply learning strategies and instructional leadership to embed continuous improvement and evidence-based informatics practice into the fabric of health system operations.Health informatics workforce standards — contribute to the development of professional competency standards, accreditation criteria, and national guidelines through leadership roles in professional associations and policy bodies.Executive decision-making on clinical data infrastructure — apply advanced judgment and systems analysis to resource allocation, risk management, and strategic prioritization of health IT initiatives affecting thousands of patients and clinicians.Organizational change management — lead institution-wide transformation efforts accompanying major health IT implementations, integrating social perceptiveness and communication expertise to sustain stakeholder alignment and mitigate resistance at scale.
Also known as
52 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Clinical Electronic Health Record Nurse (Clinical EHR Nurse)Clinical InformaticistClinical Informatics AnalystClinical Informatics NurseClinical Informatics SpecialistClinical Quality AuditorClinical SpecialistClinical Systems EducatorCoding AuditorHealth InformaticistHealth Informatics AdvisorHealth Informatics AnalystHealth Informatics CoordinatorHealth Informatics InstructorHealth Informatics Solutions CoordinatorHealth Informatics SpecialistHealth Information Management ManagerHealth IT Specialist (Health Information Technology Specialist)Healthcare AnalystHealthcare Analytics ConsultantHealthcare Data AnalystInformaticistInformatics Application AnalystInformatics NurseInformatics Nurse SpecialistInformatics PharmacistInformatics Resource NurseInpatient Coding AuditorNurse InformaticistNurse Informatics EducatorNurse Informatics SpecialistNurse ReviewerNursing Informatics AnalystNursing Informatics Clinical AnalystNursing Informatics OfficerNursing Informatics SpecialistPerformance Quality AuditorPhysician ReviewerPublic Health InformaticianQC Nurse (Quality Control Nurse)