Health care is a booming industry with a wide range of rewarding jobs working with patients, communities, or behind the scenes. Explore your career options with these guides to careers in the health industry.
Working in health care can look like a lot of different things. You may work directly with patients as a doctor, nurse, or physical therapist, or maybe you work within communities through a public health career. You'll also find jobs behind the scenes, working in a lab or with health care data. You'll find several fields to explore:
In a 2023 report, the BLS notes the median annual wage for health care professionals in May 2022 was $77,760, a significantly higher salary than the national median wage of $46,310 for all professions during the same period. Furthermore, the BLS anticipates the health care industry to grow much faster than average between 2022 and 2032 [1].
Health care in the United States is a booming industry with a wide range of jobs offering salaries exceeding the national median, which could make it a good choice depending on your interests. You'll find a wide range of jobs in health care – from those that only require a high school diploma to those requiring a doctorate and many years of medical training.
As you are considering a career in the medical field, you should think about the kind of work environment that best fits your personality. While some might thrive on the tension and pressure of the surgery room, others might flourish in the daily routine of providing at-home patient care to the elderly. Others, meanwhile, might enjoy the work of dealing with animals and their owners in a veterinary office rather than dealing with the personal politics of a busy hospital.
Each career in health care offers the opportunity for working in totally different environments, so consider the kind of environment that you feel fits you best.
![[Featured Image]: A female, with long black hair, wearing a white uniform, is working in a lab, and is pointing to a computer screen, as she reads the charts and test results.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/2L87wyW1BH863zrlSOL5GE/160139958f4e5f88f24b8bce6aae6e3b/GettyImages-1143069450__5_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A medical receptionist works at an office desk.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/UxNeQnwJ2nPmG6H0Nb0b8/25235d5c3253986cc6048d240b2fd518/GettyImages-1132122259__1_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A learner researches public health internships on their laptop while working at a wooden table in a sunny coffee shop](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/1D4HORznrR5URt81bAIki5/9739c0febb1c172f358c5ba2e9e56580/GettyImages-1273461265.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: A female home care aide, wearing a green uniform and face covering, is taking care of a male patient at his home.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/6KhlTZpmOLdL4cqeV27B5v/25890c1ff37a9cb94fbcefef9f161caf/GettyImages-1293212244__2_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A surgical technologist wearing scrubs organizes a tray of tools in an operating room.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/3MLZUHn9DhnKTZwTYPBk5o/a35d57a3161f2b79ddcfc5617364e2d7/GettyImages-1294012579.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A sonographer wearing blue scrubs performs an ultrasound on a patient.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/5CCVOBbUMexIXATEzPpfuY/2b777ad2a086554a17fd3fbf7768d182/s5MKhITg.jpeg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Feature Image] An EMT in a white button-down shirt with a stethoscope around their neck stands outside the rear of an ambulance near the ambulance bay at a medical facility.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/1kKBOGjJFy3MzJX1vaVWTz/76acc94be794eb19599638861481f25c/GettyImages-73772989.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: A male care coordinator, wearing a gray sweatshirt, blue shirt, and a stethoscope around his neck, consultants with a patient as they sit on a park bench.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/1bfLWDQ439t2Xs9awfl1CW/2234d9b5a0aac3743bbae9ba9819e391/GettyImages-1267603624.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: A female psychiatric technician wearing a green uniform and a stethoscope around her neck, is caring for a patient in her office.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/3FUgQelwKzRfJJfP5EV3B0/ec80ed797de654626ee214cbad4cc596/GettyImages-1307432573__1_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A woman stands outside an office building holding a laptop computer.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/4u7Ps6SkMdzWOA8g48V5CE/56590ad44efe89f54d5947e5a7bcf3af/iStock-1194870018.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: A female nurse, wearing a blue uniform, and head covering, is standing outside a building with white walls.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/1eWEOWNK5dW93Z22isKCtS/9e67b14116b82792dd9fb3015fd3771e/GettyImages-1292696460__3_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A dental hygienist looks at a tablet.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/1bJZo5Cj9o7h4MNvQg12Zc/1067b8e26813bcbc7a84108cdd3caa84/GettyImages-1296444605__1_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
