Healthcare Careers Overview
Stock says. Clinical lab technicians, who perform laboratory
Healthcare careers cover every occupation from Athletic
Trainers to Surgical Technologists and everything in
between. Therapists, assistants and even Personal Care
Aides make the Bureau of Labor Statistic's healthcare jobs
list. Depending on where your interests lie, you may opt for
careers in healthcare in the chiropractic, dental or even
pharmacy fields. Don't forget nursing-related types
of healthcare jobs or specialized jobs such as Phlebotomists
and Surgical Technologists.
Healthcare Education
The good news is that the education required for careers in
healthcare range from high school diplomas (for Personal
Care Aids) to associate's degrees (for Radiation Therapists
and Radiologic Technologists) to bachelor's degrees (some
therapist jobs) to master's and doctoral degrees (for nurses,
doctors and many therapists). You can land a job in a few
types of healthcare careers without a degree, but you'll need
a certification or a non-degree award for jobs such as Dental
Assistant or Surgical Technologist.
Healthcare Job Market
The job market looks good for all healthcare careers
currently and over the next 10 years. The baby-boom
generation is aging, and an increase is expected to
accommodate their care. Increased access to health
insurance due to recent changes in health insurance
legislation is also a factor in the projected growth in
healthcare-related jobs. For example, nursing jobs are
projected to increase 31 percent by 2022, pharmacy jobs up
14 percent over the next 10 years and physician and
surgeon jobs are expected to go up 18 percent, all above the
11 percent average increase of all occupations combined.
Healthcare Salaries
It will come as no surprise that the healthcare careers
requiring advanced education and degrees earn the highest
salaries. Physicians, for example, average more than
$187,000 annually. Physician Assistants don't do too poorly,
though, with a median salary of $90,930. Physical Therapists
and Occupational Therapists earn in the mid $70,000s.
EMTs and Paramedics gross around $31,000 and LPNs
bring home about $41,500 before taxes. Home Health and
Personal Care Aids are at the bottom of the list, though, with
median wages right around $20,000 annually.
Healthcare Stepping-Stone Jobs
You don't need a four-year college degree to qualify for
some of the fastest-growing healthcare jobs. Many
occupations on healthcare employers' most-wanted lists
require two or fewer years of education and can serve as
springboards to higher positions.
"There are a number of allied-health professions that have
career ladders attached to them," says Debra Stock, the
American Hospital Association's vice president of member
relations. Radiologic technicians, medical lab
technicians, physical therapy assistants, pharmacy
technicians and nursing assistants are all in high demand
and can lead to elevated positions if a worker attains
additional education or certification.
For example, radiologic technicians, who help prepare
patients for X-rays and other diagnostic tests, can advance
to become radiologic technologists and then further
specialize in mammography or magnetic resonance imaging,
procedures, can follow a similar progression, moving first to
a medical lab technologist role and then specializing in an
area such as pathology. Each step up the healthcare ladder
would generate more responsibility and fatter paychecks,
Stock says.
Try Before You Apply
Likewise, workers interested in physical therapy (PT) or
pharmacy can start in secondary roles before deciding
whether to invest in PT or pharmacy school.
Registered pharmacist Cynthia Reilly says her experience as
a pharmacy technician served as a stepping-stone to her
current career. Reilly started college as a journalism major
but had to take time off from school for financial reasons.
During that period, she worked full-time as a hospital
pharmacy technician. "I had not been interested in being a
pharmacist before, but when I spent so much time in the
pharmacy, I realized the range of opportunities available,"
says Reilly, who also credits mentors with encouraging her
to pursue a pharmacy career.
Solid Foundation
Nursing also offers rich career paths. Many certified nursing
assistants move on to become licensed practical
nurses or registered nurses. And RNs can progress much
further with advanced degrees, becoming nurse
practitioners or clinical nurse specialists.
 Healthcare Job Fair at Momentum for Mental
Licensed practical nurse Gregory Howard started his
Health
healthcare career as a nursing assistant. When he heard

rumors that all nursing-assistant positions at his hospital

San Jose, CA 95116

were being phased out, he took action. "I liked the medical About the Job
profession, so I decided to try to get into a practical nursing HEALTHCARE
school," Howard says.
Job Fair:
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care experience and knowledge of medical terminology. Psychiatrists and Support Staff (Onsite
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February 25, 2017 - 11:00am - 2:00pm
because the language was completely foreign to them,"
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Howard says. He claims that his experience as a nursing Unable to attend Virtual Job Fair Please call
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Because he likes the "hands-on aspects of being an LPN,"
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Howard says he has no intentions of becoming an RN.
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Hospitals boast a diverse range of programs -- from on-site Visit also our twitter:

courses to tuition assistance -- to encourage workers to

advance up the healthcare ladder, Stock says. However,

Planning for a Health Career
many allied-health workers who find a position they like don't

want to spend the time, money and effort it would take to

climb higher. The healthcare system wouldn't function

without the contributions of technicians and assistants.

"They're very valuable roles that offer a lot of patient

contact," Stock says. "That's very satisfying."

Learn more about healthcare careers.

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COLONIA NOLASCO
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