New Jersey Health Informatics Degree Programs

New Jersey’s healthcare sector is a cornerstone of the state’s economy, contributing $31.4 billion and supporting nearly 160,000 jobs in 2022.

Widespread EHR adoption underscores the need for informatics expertise:

• Major vendors—Epic Systems, Oracle Health (Cerner), and MEDITECH—dominate both national and New Jersey hospital markets.
• The New Jersey Health Information Network (NJHIN) enables secure statewide exchange of patient data, including admission/discharge/transfer alerts and Continuity of Care Documents (CCDs), requiring strong interoperability, data management, and cybersecurity skills.

However, the Garden State faces critical workforce shortages, including:

• An 11 % decline in new enrollees in pre-licensure RN programs from 2021 to 2023, exacerbating the nursing shortage.
• Growing demand for primary care physicians and specialists, driving the need for informatics solutions to optimize care delivery, reduce provider burnout, and allocate resources efficiently.

As the Garden State continues to advance its healthcare infrastructure, the demand for skilled health informatics professionals is escalating. New Jersey’s educational institutions are building the next generation of informatics professionals:

States Nearby

For additional education options, check out the schools in these adjoining states:

• New York
• Delaware
• Connecticut
• Pennsylvania

What Jobs Can You Get with Health Informatics Degree in NJ?

New Jersey’s robust healthcare ecosystem offers exceptional opportunities for health informatics professionals, from clinical informatics specialists to executive leadership roles. The state’s proximity to major metropolitan areas and concentration of leading health systems creates a competitive market for top talent.

Here is a look at what some employers are looking for.

Clinical Experience and Healthcare Domain Knowledge

Nursing and Clinical Background Requirements

RWJBarnabas Health requires RN licensure with current New Jersey credentials for their Clinical Informatics Specialist II positions ($91,472-$129,204), emphasizing 3+ years of clinical experience with progressive leadership responsibilities and 1-2 years relevant informatics experience. The organization seeks professionals who can integrate clinical science with multiple information management and analytical sciences.

Baylor Scott & White Health (Hackettstown) requires current state licensure as a Registered Nurse for their Manager, Informatics position, mandating 6 years of healthcare experience including quality/process improvement experience. The role focuses on managing Meaningful Use program requirements and clinical informatics initiatives.

Physician Leadership in Informatics

Thomas Jefferson University & Jefferson Health (Cherry Hill Township) seeks Associate Chief Medical Informatics Officers requiring MD or DO degrees with board certification in ABMS medical specialties. The position demands minimum 5 years of clinical work experience as an attending physician with at least 3 years of demonstrated leadership experience in EHR management and informatics.

University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) requires M.D. or equivalent degree with board certification or eligibility in Clinical Informatics (ABPM) for their Associate Chief Health Informatics Officer role, emphasizing expertise in clinical informatics with special weight given to advanced training such as fellowships, master’s degrees, or PhD certifications.

Pharmacy and Specialized Clinical Knowledge

AtlantiCare (Tuckerton) offers $80K-$120K for Pharmacy Informatics Managers requiring pharmacy school graduation, current New Jersey pharmacist licensure, minimum 3 years informatics experience, and 1 year operational pharmacy experience. St. Joseph’s Health (Paterson) pays $42.02-$65.13/hour for Pharmacy Informatics Applications Analyst II positions emphasizing medication system workflows and database management.

Technical Skills and Certifications

Epic System Expertise and EHR Proficiency

RWJBarnabas Health mandates Epic certification maintenance according to department requirements across all clinical informatics positions. Their Clinical Informatics Rep I roles ($75,597-$106,780) require Epic certification with responsibilities for operational support, customer education, and clinical change implementation.

University of Pennsylvania strongly prefers active and relevant Epic EHR certifications for their Associate Chief Health Informatics Officer position, emphasizing 60-70% protected time for clinical informatics activities overseeing ambulatory EHR operations.

Advanced Data Analytics and Programming Skills

Rutgers University (New Brunswick) requires advanced knowledge of data management using MS Access, Excel, SQL, Python, R, and Tableau for their Medicaid Data Analyst positions. The role demands minimum 5 years of professional experience querying, analyzing, and reporting on complex healthcare datasets using Access, SAS, SQL, or SAP BI.

Hackensack Meridian Health emphasizes data science tools and informatics utilization for their Clinical Informatics Engineer positions, focusing on decision-making clarity and practical performance improvements through framework development for data governance and self-service dashboards.

Compensation and Salary Ranges

Entry to Mid-Level Clinical Positions

• RWJBarnabas Health Clinical Informatics Rep I: $75,597-$106,780
• RWJBarnabas Health Clinical Informatics Specialist II: $91,472-$129,204
• St. Joseph’s Health Pharmacy Informatics Applications Analyst II: $42.02-$65.13/hour

Management and Senior Roles

• AtlantiCare Pharmacy Informatics Manager: $80K-$120K
• Valley Health System Manager, Health Informatics (Paramus): Master’s level degree required with 2+ years staff management experience

Executive and Leadership Positions

Thomas Jefferson University & Jefferson Health offers competitive compensation commensurate with education and experience for Associate Chief Medical Informatics Officer roles (0.7 FTE informatics, 0.3 FTE clinical). University of Pennsylvania provides associate professor level compensation for their Associate Chief Health Informatics Officer position with significant protected time for informatics activities.

Educational Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree Requirements

Rutgers University requires Bachelor’s degree in relevant disciplines such as epidemiology, health informatics, policy analysis, public health, economics, engineering, computer science, or information security with minimum 5 years professional experience in complex healthcare data analysis.

Baylor Scott & White Health mandates Bachelor’s Degree in accredited Nursing Program, public health, health information technology, informatics, nursing, or related field for management positions.

Advanced Degree Preferences

Valley Health System (Paramus) requires Master’s Level Degree: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Physician Assistant (PA) for their Manager, Health Informatics position, emphasizing clinical practice experience combined with informatics expertise.

Rutgers University prefers Master’s degree in relevant disciplines for senior analyst positions, particularly those with experience in complex hospital billing/EHR data, Medicaid/Medicare claims, and health utilization data analysis.

Medical Degree and Board Certification Requirements

Thomas Jefferson University & Jefferson Health requires MD or DO degree with board certification in American Board of Medical Specialties medical specialty, preferring board certification in Medical Informatics or equivalent education. University of Pennsylvania mandates M.D. or equivalent degree with board certification or eligibility in Clinical Informatics (ABPM) or equivalent AMIA AHIC certification.

Cross-Disciplinary Opportunities

Healthcare Policy and Public Health Integration

Rutgers University offers unique opportunities combining health informatics with Medicaid policy analysis, requiring engagement in detailed research projects for DMAHS Director and senior management to inform NJ FamilyCare program direction. The role involves developing business intelligence tools, interactive dashboards, and standardized queries for performance metrics.

Academic Medicine and Research

University of Pennsylvania provides opportunities in pediatric healthcare informatics with teaching responsibilities for medical students, residents, and fellows, plus clinical responsibilities in outpatient pediatric practice. The role involves groundbreaking research, EHR program governance, and innovative pediatric health projects.

Quality Improvement and Operational Excellence

Hackensack Meridian Health emphasizes operational research analyses on clinical systems and workflows to coordinate and improve patient care delivery. The Senior Informatics Lead role involves creating frameworks for data governance, shared knowledge repositories, and partnerships with informatics training programs.

Enterprise Technology Leadership

Thomas Jefferson University & Jefferson Health offers enterprise-wide technology leadership opportunities, requiring experience conceiving and leading technology-related change initiatives from inception through implementation and outcome evaluation. The role demands outstanding critical thinking, data-driven decision-making, and communication skills.

Specialized Role Functions

Clinical Workflow Optimization

RWJBarnabas Health emphasizes understanding relationships between clinical and health IT for optimal evidence-based practice delivery. Their Clinical Informatics Specialist II roles require proficiency in test script execution, troubleshooting, and documentation with minimal oversight.

AtlantiCare focuses on clinical project schedule development aligned with enterprise initiatives, standardizing clinical content, and evaluating emerging technologies for organizational strategy alignment.

Training and Education Leadership

Valley Health System requires development of formal onboarding/training curriculum for all new providers, overseeing training programs run by informaticists and clinical application specialists, and working with clinical leaders to determine training schedules.

RWJBarnabas Health provides proactive user support including training and education, acting as role models for professional practice including patient advocacy and ethical conduct.

Regulatory Compliance and Quality Assurance

AtlantiCare emphasizes compliance initiative support ensuring adherence to regulatory standards and organizational policies, integrating professional standards and regulatory guidelines into EMR documentation and practices.

Rutgers University requires ensuring compliance with HIPAA regulations while developing ad-hoc reports from state data warehouses and supporting healthcare quality improvement and cost containment initiatives.

Strategic Innovation and Technology Implementation

University of Pennsylvania seeks leaders who can incorporate digital transformation priorities including Epic Refuel modernization, intelligent automation through AI/ML solutions, and provider wellbeing initiatives to reduce burdensome EHR work.

Hackensack Meridian Health emphasizes creating programs for identifying and expanding talent-base through partnerships with informatics, data science, and machine learning training programs while contributing to scholarly work development.

New Jersey’s health informatics job market demonstrates exceptional demand for professionals who can bridge clinical expertise with advanced technology implementation. The state offers opportunities ranging from direct patient care support roles to executive leadership positions, with particular emphasis on Epic EHR expertise, regulatory compliance, and cross-functional collaboration. Compensation varies significantly based on role complexity and educational requirements, with senior physician leadership positions offering the highest compensation packages combined with academic advancement opportunities.