The health care industry is projected to grow significantly over the next decade. Discover if it’s the right career path for you.
Health care in the United States is a booming industry with a wide range of jobs offering salaries exceeding the national median. While the Covid-19 pandemic illustrated the importance of health care professionals across the country, the truth is that the health care industry has been projected to grow for some time – even before the pandemic.
One of the primary factors driving the need for health care in the United States is an aging population requiring an increased need for medical services. According to a 2024 report by the Congressional Budget Office, the number of Americans age 65 or older is growing at a faster rate than their younger counterparts ages 23 to 54: 1.1 percent compared to 0.3 percent [1].
Learn more about health care, such as the industry job outlook and expected salaries, to determine if it's the right professional career path for you.
Health care may be a good career path for you if you’re looking for a role that helps others and has a high earning potential. In addition to high salaries to look forward to, the industry offers a sense of job security since health care jobs, such as the roles of doctors and nurses, are always needed.
Read more: Health Care Analytics: Definition, Impact, and More
The job outlook for the health care industry is very positive. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that health care occupations will grow at a faster-than-average rate between 2023 and 2033, with nearly 1.9 million job openings each year [2].
The health care field encompasses a wide range of salaries—from those below the real median personal income in the United States ($42,220 in 2023) to those well above it [3]. For example, personal and home health aides made a median salary of $36,140 in 2023, while physicians and surgeons made a median salary of $239,200 or more in the same year, according to the BLS [2].
Many positions, though, provide a salary higher than the median. Registered nurses (RNs), for instance, made a median salary of $86,070 in 2023 [2], while nurse practitioners (NPs) made a median salary of $126,260 [4]. Experience, education level, geographic location, and industry demand ultimately may play a large part in how much you can expect to earn as a health care professional.
Many jobs exist in the health care industry—from those that only require a high school diploma to those requiring a doctorate and many years of medical training. Explore some of the jobs you can expect to find and their median salaries according to the BLS [2]:
Home health and personal care aide: $33,530
Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers: $36,440
Pharmacy technicians: $40,300
Opticians: $44,170
Medical records specialists: $48,780
Medical transcriptionists: $37,060
EMTs and paramedics: $44,780
Medical assistants: $42,000
Phlebotomists: $41,810
Dental assistants: $46,540
Massage therapists: $55,310
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses: $59,730
Veterinary technologists and technicians: $43,740
Respiratory therapists: $77,960
Radiologic and MRI technologists: $76,020
Diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians: $80,850
Registered nurses: $86,070
Dental hygienists: $87,530
Nuclear medicine technologists: $92,500
Radiation therapists: $98,300
Exercise physiologists: $54,860
Recreational therapists: $57,120
Athletic trainers: $57,930
Dietitians and nutritionists: $69,680
Orthotists and prosthetists: $78,100
Speech-language pathologists: $789,290
Genetic counselors: $95,770
Occupational therapists: $96,370
Physician assistants: $130,020
Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners: $129,480
Chiropractors: $76,530
Audiologists: $87,740
Physical therapists: $99,710
Veterinarians: $119,100
Optometrists: $131,860
Pharmacists: $136,030
Podiatrists: $141,650
Dentists: $170,910
The highest-paying job in the health care sector may vary based on factors such as where you live or who you work for. According to BLS’s May 2023 national occupational employment and wage estimates, health care roles with the highest salaries included pediatric surgeons, cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons, and radiologists [5].
Salary and job growth aren’t the only considerations when starting a new career. The environment in which you work, your ability to balance your work with your life, and the impact your work has on others are all important factors to consider when choosing a career path.
Learn what to expect from health care jobs beyond just their salary.
Read more: AI in Health Care: Applications, Benefits, Examples
Health care professionals work in various environments – from busy emergency rooms to mundane offices.
As you are considering a medical career, you should consider 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 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 to work in totally different environments, so consider the one that best suits you.
Different health care jobs demand different time commitments.
While some jobs require professionals to be perpetually on call in an emergency, others offer typical working hours or even a reduced work week. Running your own medical practice can also give you flexibility and control over your own schedule, particularly in fields like dentistry, where medical emergencies are less common.
Overall, it’s important to consider the commitments you will be making as you pursue a health care career. Many health care professions require a significant dedication of time, but some may offer the opportunity for more balance.
Read more: Work-Life Balance: What It Is and What It Is and 5 Ways to Improve Yours
One of the primary reasons that people consider a career in health care is to help others. As a career path, health care offers ample opportunities to heal and support those in need, whether by diagnosing medical conditions or simply offering emotional support.
More than most other career clusters, health care roles focus on interfacing with others and directly helping them. If this is a concern for you, then you might consider health care as a career option.
Read more: AI in Health Care: Applications, Benefits, Examples
Health care offers a wide variety of career options, from administrative roles to assistant positions to surgeons and doctors. Determine if a career in health care is the right path for you and what your professional goals are.
Begin building your skills for a career in health care by exploring certifications on Coursera. The University of Michigan’s Anatomy Specialization introduces the fundamentals of the human body, including the skeletal, muscular, and integumentary systems. Meanwhile, the University of Minnesota’s Integrative Health and Medicine Specialization provides an evidence-based understanding of integrative therapies for patient care.
Congressional Budget Office. “The Demographic Outlook: 2024 to 2054, https://www.cbo.gov/publication/59899.” Accessed November 21, 2024.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Healthcare Occupations, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/health care/home.htm.” Accessed November 21, 2024.
FRED St. Louis. “Real Median Personal Income in the United States, https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEPAINUSA672N.” Accessed November 21, 2024.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, Nurse Practitioners, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm#tab-5.” Accessed November 21, 2024.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#00-0000.” Accessed November 21, 2024.
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