Health Economist
50AI EXPOSURE TODAY50
20-YEAR SCENARIO
NOT A FORECAST88%
NOT A FORECAST88%
THE DOOR · ENTRY DIFFICULTY TODAYC
STARTING PAY£30,000 - £36,000
NO MOATNo physical, legal or personal barrier protects this work from software.
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CAREERMASH (EN)FROM ECONOMICS →
Health Economist
Health economists work out whether new medicines and treatments are worth the money they cost. They help hospitals, doctors, and the government make smart choices about how to spend health budgets so more people get the care they need.
THE DOOR: ENTRY DIFFICULTY TODAY, graded A (easy) to E (extremely hard). A Careermash rule-of-thumb index built from our AI exposure index and the job's moat class. It is not a forecast and not a count of job openings.
AI EXPOSURE TODAY is a Careermash index from 0 to 100 of how exposed this job's everyday tasks are to AI today. We estimate it by matching published research on how people use AI to this job, usually by keyword or subject area, and we lower it where the work is protected (for example by physical, personal or legal requirements). It is not a direct measurement of how much people in this job use AI.
This work is being absorbed by AI
AI exposure is high for this work and nothing structurally requires a human: no licence, no physical task, no relationship at the core. Enter as the person directing the tools, not competing with them.
The role
As a Health Economist, you study whether new treatments, medicines, and hospital services are good value for money. You collect numbers about how much things cost and how much they help patients. Then you work out whether the benefit is worth paying for, so hospitals and the NHS can make good decisions about where to spend their money.
Most days you will sit down with patient records and cost data, work out patterns using computer software, and write reports explaining what you found. You speak to doctors and hospital managers to understand what treatments they are testing, then calculate the cost per patient and how much better patients get. You present your findings to people who decide how money gets spent. You also stay up to date with new research and changes in how the NHS works.
Daily responsibilities
- Conduct economic evaluations of healthcare interventions, including cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses.
- Collaborate with clinical teams to gather data and insights on treatment outcomes and resource utilization.
- Prepare detailed reports and presentations to communicate findings to stakeholders, including policymakers and healthcare providers.
- Utilize statistical software to analyze large datasets and model healthcare scenarios.
- Stay updated on health policy changes and emerging research in the field of health economics.
- Engage in multidisciplinary meetings to contribute economic perspectives to clinical and operational discussions.
- Support grant applications and funding proposals with economic evidence and rationale.
Does a degree help here?
A UK degree in Economics or a related field provides a solid foundation in analytical skills and economic theory, which are essential for a Health Economist. UK universities are renowned for their rigorous academic standards and strong connections with the NHS and healthcare organisations, giving graduates a competitive edge in the job market.