A Guide to Healthcare Worker Benefits

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Choosing to pursue a career in the healthcare industry can be incredibly rewarding, with doctors, nurses, physicians and specialists able to make noticeably positive impacts on their local communities. While a personal calling towards the job is the most commonly-cited reason for people choosing to work in healthcare, there are many wider benefits to consider.

The healthcare industry is the 3rd largest in the US, with America spending around twice as much per person on healthcare compared to similarly developed countries. This means that qualified healthcare professionals often enjoy an enviable degree of long-term job security. 

Alongside this, healthcare professionals in the US qualify for numerous important healthcare benefits and career path opportunities that make the field of healthcare an enticing prospect for many working professionals. To better understand why so many Americans choose to pursue roles in this exciting industry, here is a complete guide to healthcare worker benefits.

Current State of the U.S. Healthcare Industry

To fully understand the potential benefits of working in the healthcare industry at present, it’s important to look at the current state of the US healthcare industry as of 2024. The American education and healthcare industry is currently the largest employer in the country, meaning roles are abundant, but more specific data better illustrates the state of the sector at present.

Profit growth

Profit growth in the US healthcare industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7% up to 2027, with profits rising from $583 billion to $819 billion by 2027.

Employment Growth

Employment in the healthcare sector grew by 8.2% between 2022 and 2024, which is more than double that of all other US industries combined. 

Healthcare Spending

Healthcare spending is projected to grow faster than the US economy as a whole over the next decade eventually equaling 20% of GDP by 2032.

Average Salary

The average salary of a healthcare worker in the US in 2024 is $60,785, with experienced healthcare workers taking home up to $125,000 annually.

Future Prospects

The US healthcare industry is expected to grow by a further 15% up to 2029, resulting in as many as 2.4 million new job openings becoming available.

Popular Roles in the US Healthcare Industry

A significant general benefit to working in the healthcare industry is the large number of roles and positions available to dedicated professionals. People thinking about starting a career in the healthcare industry can choose to specialize in a wide range of interesting and rewarding fields, or focus on generalized positions across the wider sphere of healthcare employment.

To get a general idea of which roles in the healthcare industry are currently attracting talent and expected to grow in the near future, below are some insights into roles worth exploring.

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse practitioners perform similar duties to physicians, being responsible for things like the performance of physical exams, analyzing test results, authorizing treatment programs and prescribing medications. To become a nurse practitioner, candidates must hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree then complete a graduate program and pass a certification exam. 

Job opportunities in this position are expected to increase by as much as 45% up to 2032.

Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapists help the sick and injured to perform essential activities and learn to adapt to new living conditions brought about by their illnesses. You must have a bachelor’s degree and graduate from an accredited occupational therapy program to qualify for this position, with most roles requiring around 6 months of fieldwork experience to be performed.

Job growth in the field of occupational therapy is expected to grow by about 11% up to 2033.

Registered Nurse (RN)

Registered nurses make up the largest proportion of healthcare workers in the US, with as many as 4.7 million professionals registered as working in this field nationwide.

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To become a registered nurse, candidates must hold an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing, as well as successfully pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.

Job growth for registered nurses is projected to increase at a rate of around 6% up to 2033.

Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)

Nurse anesthetists are in charge of providing anesthetic treatments to patients before, during and after surgery, while also helping with some wider therapy-based procedures. Alongside holding a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and a registered nurse license, candidates will need at least 1 year of critical care experience and doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia.

Job growth in this specialist healthcare field is expected to rise by around 38% up to 2032.

Top 7 Best Healthcare Worker Benefits 

Whether you’re a young person carefully considering their options with regard to long-term employment, or a working professional who already holds some form of healthcare-related qualification, pursuing a career in healthcare can bring about several important benefits.

To help you to find fulfilling and rewarding job opportunities, below are 7 healthcare worker benefits that dedicated workers can expect to enjoy when working in the healthcare industry.

1. Higher-Than-Average Earning Potential

Many specialist roles in the healthcare sector pay higher-than-average salaries to qualified professionals, providing workers with a stable income in a growing industry. The median annual wage for healthcare practitioners and professionals working in technical roles like physicians and surgeons is almost $90,000, almost $40,000 more than the national average.

While it may not be the primary reason that many people choose to pursue a career in this industry, securing a competitive and stable salary is a great benefit to working in healthcare.

According to data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following positions are among the highest-paying occupations in the entire American healthcare industry at present:

• Physicians and Surgeons: $239,200

• Dentists: $170,910

• Podiatrists: $141,650

• Pharmacists: $136,030

• Medical Dosimetrists: $132,880

• Optometrists: $131,860

• Physician Assistants: $130,020

• Nurse Anesthetists: $129,480

2. High Degree of Job Satisfaction

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Many people consider job satisfaction among the most important parts of their employment, with over 80% of surveyed professionals claiming they’d forfeit a portion of their salaries in exchange for a more satisfying vocation. Healthcare workers benefit from a high level of job satisfaction, with over 40% of registered nurses said to be extremely satisfied with their jobs.

A major benefit to healthcare work is that it can be incredibly rewarding, with professionals able to use their skills to improve the lives of others. According to data published in 2024, as many as 72% of healthcare workers find the relationships they’re able to foster between themselves and their patients to be the most satisfying aspect of their professional careers.

3. Safe and Secure Working Conditions

Healthcare benefits for modern healthcare professionals stretch to their safety and security during working hours, with modern hospitals and care facilities utilizing cutting-edge security tools to ensure patients and staff remain protected from harm. Hospitals can be among the most secure places to work, with the following specialized smart technologies often in use.

Access Control

Healthcare access control systems prevent unauthorized persons from entering secure facilities, often featuring advanced integrations with weapon detection tools and security cameras to help ensure patients and staff are well-protected against intruders.

Video Surveillance

Hospital CCTV systems commonly feature smart video analytics tools designed to autonomously detect suspicious activities like people carrying contraband items and crowds forming in unusual locations, helping to prevent aggressors from causing harm.

Sensors and Alarms

Internet of Things (IoT) sound, pressure, motion and fire sensors are often linked to wider security and alarm systems enabling automated responses to common threats, this helps ensure residents of healthcare facilities remain informed of security risks.

4. Plenty of Avenues for Career Progression

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Provided prospective healthcare workers gain a few foundational qualifications, like Science in Nursing degrees and National Council Licensure Examination certifications, they’ll usually be afforded a great deal of flexibility in terms of future career opportunities and progression.

A major benefit to working in healthcare is the vast and continuously available opportunities to adjust career trajectories in response to notable changes in the industry and in personal circumstances.

Dedicated professionals can keep an eye on developments in the healthcare industry to target specializations that may afford them higher wages or better opportunities. Popular areas of specialization include:

Patient Care

This concerns roles such as nurses, audiologists, dieticians, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physical therapists, social workers and medicine paramedics. 

Laboratory Roles

Including technical positions such as pathologist assistants, histology technicians, medical laboratory scientists and molecular genetics technologists.

Admin and Support

Popular administrative positions include health educators, healthcare administrators, health information managers and healthcare coordinators.

5. Top Notch Employee Benefits

Due to working directly within the healthcare industry, healthcare professionals often gain access to great personal healthcare benefits and plans. Employers will typically offer lower premiums for healthcare insurance that feature greater coverage than packages available to average consumers, including group rate offers that can bring personal package costs down.

In addition to general healthcare benefits, professionals in the industry often gain access to better-than-average mental health, dental and vision coverage, alongside life insurance as a standard healthcare benefit. Furthermore, healthcare workers can secure great retirement plans and, in some cases, receive notable discounts on things like car and home insurance.

6. Flexible Work Schedules

Across most positions in the healthcare industry, professionals can expect to enjoy some degree of flexibility in their schedules and better-than-average PTO benefits. Healthcare benefits in terms of PTO include 17-26 PTO days for staff nurses and as many as 25-35 PTO days for physicians, both of which are greater than the national average of 14 days.

In addition, as many healthcare facilities operate 24 hours a day, many healthcare workers benefit from a high degree of flexibility in their work schedules. Employees may choose to work longer shifts over fewer days to secure a 4 day workweek, volunteer for night shifts or join the growing number of healthcare professionals employed as full-time remote workers.

7. Realistic Expectations of Job Security 

One of the best benefits of working in healthcare concerns job security for the foreseeable future, with the industry projected to experience significant growth in the coming years. Data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests the healthcare and social assistance sector will have added 2.1 million jobs to the workforce between 2022 and the end of 2032.

Employment in healthcare occupations is expected to grow faster than the average for all other occupations in the next decade, due both to the growth of the sector and the need to replace skilled workers leaving healthcare roles permanently. While training to become a healthcare worker can be time-consuming, the prospect of job stability is an enticing benefit.

A Rewarding Career in Healthcare

With a great number of personal, professional and healthcare benefits available to workers in the healthcare industry, pursuing a career in this sector is an attractive option. Provided prospective candidates gain a few foundational skills and qualifications, they can expect to secure roles in a growing industry that offers a high degree of job security and satisfaction.

Other important healthcare industry benefits to keep in mind include higher-than-average wages, safe and secure working conditions, great opportunities for job progression and the potential for flexibility in terms of working hours, all of which combine to make a career in the healthcare industry an enticing prospect for dedicated professionals from all backgrounds.