Top 20 Healthcare Careers for Stability
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Are you thinking about pursuing a career in the healthcare industry? This article will help you find a career that provides the right level of longevity and income support.
If you are thinking about pursuing a career in the healthcare industry, you need to make sure that you find an option that will provide a steady level of growth. If you pursue a career like this, you will be able to guarantee that it offers both stability as well as job security. You won’t have to worry about your job being in jeopardy in just a couple of years.
You may assume that a job like this will require you to have a top degree. However, this is not the case and there are plenty of roles that can be obtained without an advanced qualification.
The good news is that according to the Bureau of labor statistics, employment in healthcare is expected to grow 15% over the next decade. This is significantly faster than most other industries. Experts also expect there to be 40 million new healthcare jobs worldwide by 2030.
There are numerous high-paid fast-growing jobs available in the healthcare sector. Here are some of the top options for you to explore.
1. Physician Assistant
As a physician assistant, you will be practicing medicine alongside a qualified physician. These professionals have a range of different responsibilities, including ordering and interpreting tests for patients. They may also be required to record a patient’s medical history, conduct different exams, and treat or diagnose a particular illness.
You will also be qualified to write prescriptions to ensure that patients can get the right treatment.
The average salary for a physician is $106,204 per year according to the latest research.
You will require an advanced education to operate as a physician assistant. Indeed, the education requirements mirror those of an actual physician. You must be certified and licensed to work in your state.
You can work in a range of different health environments from a doctors’ office to a hospital or a clinic.
2. Family Nurse Practitioner
In 2018, this job was ranked as the number 3 best health care position. Professionals who work in this role will provide healthcare in a range of specialty areas. This includes:
- Pediatric
- Geriatric
- Education
- Public Health
Depending on where you work, you will find that you can treat patients who are suffering from both chronic and acute conditions. You will be trained to take patient histories as well as conducting physicals and completing patient histories. Professionals for this position are highly sought after.
You must graduate from an accredited program while being state-licensed and certified. Many universities do offer accelerated study programs which can be useful if you want to start earning as soon as possible.
As a family nurse practitioner, you could earn anywhere up to $117,850, according to the latest statistics.
3. Nurse Anesthetist
If you are interested in becoming a nurse anesthetist, then you will need to ensure that you obtain a two-year Master of Science in Nursing Degree. You must specialize in anesthesiology and have a minimum of one-year of clinical experience underneath your belt. According to the latest research, this is one of the highest paying jobs in the healthcare sector and has a projected growth level of 31%.
There is also only a 2.7% unemployment rate for this particular profession. On average, you should expect to learn anywhere up to $165,120.
As a nurse anesthetist, you will be responsible for ensuring that anesthesia is administered correctly during surgical procedures. It’s worth noting that there are online degrees available for those interested in pursuing this career. As such, it is highly accessible.
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4. Cardiovascular Technologist
This job has a projected level of growth of 17% according to the latest reports. You can also earn as much as $80,000 per year.
The job has a 2.0% unemployment rate and there is a growing demand for this particular profession. Some reports suggest that 143,000 technologists will be needed to work in this sector by 2026. Furthermore, research also suggests that during this time there will be 3,500 openings annually.
There are numerous specializations in this field that could be worth exploring such as electrocardiogram operators or cardiopulmonary technologists. In the latter role, you will need to make sure that you are monitoring and testing a patient’s lung. You will need to have the right certification to work in this field and you could end up working in hospitals or physician offices.
5. Registered Nurse
In terms of lower positions in the healthcare industry that provide job stability, you could consider becoming a registered nurse. The lack of nurses has been a subject of controversy for years. According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, there will be a high demand for nurses with a significant rise between 2016 and 2026. The latest research suggests that there could be a need for more than 1.1 million new nurses.
Job growth is expected to be as high as 15% and you can still earn a decent salary of up to $75,900.
Nurses complete numerous roles in the healthcare industry. One of their most important roles is connecting and interacting with patients. On average, nurses will always have far more one-on-one time between patients compared with doctors.
The Institutes of Medicine recommends that 80% of nurses should hold at least a BSN degree.
6. Physical Therapist
If you are looking to claim one of the top healthcare careers in the future, then you should pursue a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Through this career, you will need to work with patients on rehabilitative programs and ensure that they get the full support that they need. As well as working with patients who have experienced a physical injury, you might be required to help them recover from a brain injury, a stroke, or even an amputation.
The unemployment rate for this particular career is incredibly low at just 0.7%. As such, you will always be in high demand if you have the right qualifications. More than 60,000 job openings are expected to become available over the next decade. You could also earn anything up to $82,620. However, do be aware that you will need a good doctoral degree from a top university.
7. Occupational Therapist
Similar to physical therapy, this career choice has an incredibly low unemployment rate of just 0.3%. Paired with an average earnings projection of $90,980 per year, this could be a fantastic choice.
One of the reasons this position will be in higher demand in the future is due to the growing challenges of an aging population. As an occupational therapist, you will work with patients to ensure that they can regain the skills and abilities that they need to return to work. It already ranks as one of the top healthcare careers and provides employment opportunities everywhere from hospitals to secondary schools.
Originally, the preferred degree was a Master of Science. However, the sector is shifting with employees seeking candidates who have completed a doctoral program. It is expected that there will be a demand for 31,00 new therapists by 2026.
8. Audiologist
As an audiologist, you will be working to help both adults and children who have experienced significant levels of hearing loss. One of the clear benefits of working in this career is that you will be using the latest, advanced technology to provide the best possible patient care. Supporting the needs of your patients will require you to assess and diagnose hearing issues while providing advice on the right devices that they need, preparing customized treatment plans.
Audiologists must be licensed and state-certified. They can work anywhere from a physician's office to a private practice depending on their requirements. The sector is expected to see a growth of 21% over the next few years and working as an audiologist you could earn anywhere up to $81,000. Career opportunities will be particularly prominent in areas with large, aging populations.
9. Adult-Gerontology Nurse
This is another career that has seen a boom thanks to a booming elderly population. Unemployment levels are incredibly low for this particular choice a 0.7% and you can expect to be recruited for positions in long-term care facilities as well as more typical physician offices.
To earn the $140,000 salary, you will need a Master's degree as a Nurse Practitioner, specializing in Adult-Gerontology. This will ensure that you are far more hireable on the market. It is still ranked as one of the top careers in medicine today. Furthermore, you can expect job growth levels of 31%. Recently, the Genertonological Advanced Practice Nurses Association created a brand new certification for this degree to ensure that registered nurses were able to pursue it far more easily.
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10. Nurse Midwife
If you choose a career as a nurse-midwife, then you will be responsible for completing a wide range of roles including running diagnostic tests and developing treatment plans. You will also be responsible for assessing issues with patients. This goes far beyond just providing care and support to expectant mothers.
The salary for this career can be as high as $110,000 and there is an unemployment rate of just 0.7%. As well as this, the job growth expectation for this career is about to reach 31% over the next few years.
You will work as a consultant for a GYN/OB physician to ensure that your patients are getting the full level of support that they need. You need to make sure that you are fully licensed and certified after completing an accredited program from a top university.
11. Respiratory Therapist
You could also consider becoming a respiratory therapist. One of the reasons why this career will be in high demand is due to the growing number of people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. According to the centers for disease control, 15 million adults in the US currently suffer from this condition. Your main focus will be working with patients who have been experiencing severe breathing issues. Obtaining certification for this career choice will require you to complete two years in an accredited college or school.
The current unemployment rate for this career is just 0.8%. As such, you will find that it does provide a high level of job stability, particularly when paired with a 23% job growth projection. In total, you could also expect to earn as much as $61,000 working in this particular field.
12. Athletic Trainer
The level of expected job growth for this particular career is quite high at 23%. You can also expect to earn anywhere up to $49,000, providing a modest annual paycheck. There are also lots of different sectors where you could work as an athletic trainer from a school or university to a fitness center or hospital.
You will need to obtain at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. Part of your role will be evaluating injuries as well as helping ensure that further injuries can be prevented by your patients. You might work with anyone from professional athletes to industrial workers, depending on the position that you choose.
While you will need to complete training involving personal interactions, there are also online degrees and programs available for this career. These could be useful if you are trying to develop your career around a hectic lifestyle.
13. Nutritionist or Dietician
If you choose to work as a dietician, you could end up earning upwards of $65,000 per year. Unemployment rate is a little higher than other options on this list at 2% but that’s still significantly lower than most other sectors. You can pursue either a Master's or Bachelor degree in this specialty and it did rank in the top 100 best jobs of 2018.
Your role will depend on the degree that you acquire. If you opt for a Bachelor's, then you will be able to work as a public health educator. Alternatively, if you choose a Master’s, then you can consider working with patients to develop nutritional treatment plans. These can be used in educational environments as well as hospitals.
Originally, nutrition was low down on the list of ways to treat patients with medical problems. However, recently the latest research has caused a shift in views which has led to a surge in demand.
14. Diagnostic Sonographer
These days, technology and medicine go hand in hand and this particular career is a clear demonstration of this. Indeed, its focus on technology is one of the reasons why job growth projection levels are at 17%.
If you choose to work in this field, you will be directly responsible for ensuring that patients do get the right level of care and the treatment that they need. This includes working in a range of fields including cardiovascular, abdominal, and pediatrics.
To work in this position, you will need an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. You can also explore a range of online programs.
Unemployment rates for this particular position are expected to remain low at around 1.1% and there will be a high demand in hospitals as well as physician offers. Research also suggests that 21,000 more positions will need to be filled over the next five years.
15. Public Health Educator
As a public health educator, your main role will be to inform people of different health issues and ensure that they do get the right form of protection and while working to resolve issues that have become more prevalent. As well as providing the right education support, you will also be responsible for developing healthier members in the community.
It is estimated that 19,000 new public health educators will be needed in the US over the next five years. This is tied to a 16% job growth projection. Research also suggests that you can earn as much as $63,000 working in this career. As well as working in hospitals, if you have a Bachelor's or Master’s degree, you could be recruited to serve as part of a religious or civic group. You may also be hired by the local government.
16. Dental Hygienist
If you don’t want to work in a hospital environment then you could consider pursuing a career as a dental hygienist. Operating in this role, you could earn as much as $80,000 per year. Your main responsibility will be assessing the oral health of your patients. You will need to remove plaque from teeth, polish teeth, and keep a check on the history of your patients. Certain educational support will also be required as you instruct patients on the best way to keep their teeth healthy. Dental hygienists are expected to be in high demand over the next few years. Oral health issues are becoming more prevalent and this could be related to the growing aging population.
To operate in this role, you will need to complete either an Associate or Bachelor’s degree. This will take you between two and four years to complete.
17. Prosthetist
If you work in this field, you should expect to earn as much as $79,000 per year. Prosthetists are experiencing a surge in demand because technology is constantly improving leading to more advanced levels of support. As a prosthetist, you will be responsible for designing a range of medical devices including artificial limbs and braces.
To create these devices, you will need to carefully mold part of a patient’s body and select the right materials. It will also be necessary to maintain the devices and ensure that they continue to best serve your patients. As a prosthetist, you could end up working in a hospital or as part of a private medical company that specializes in the design of these devices.
18. Radiation Therapist
Cancer does seem to be more common in the adult population. Whereas it used to be 1 in 3 people would develop cancer in their lifetime, it now seems closer to 1 in 2. Radiation therapists provide vital support to patients who are suffering from cancer. They do this through various methods including shrinking cancerous tumors and eliminating them completely. As a radiation therapist, you will be working with numerous advanced forms of technology. You could also earn up to $100,000.
You will need either an associate's or bachelor’s degree to fill this position. You will also need to complete a set number of education hours every two years.
19. Optometrist
Optometrists provide healthcare support to help patients with their eyes or vision. Working as an optometrist, you will need to complete vision tests and determine the condition of a patient’s eyesight. This could include anything from eye diseases to standard issues such as nearsightedness. You will also need to educate your patients on eye health and how to best protect their eyes.
Working in this field, you could earn anything up to $123,000 per year. To work in this particular role, you will need to ensure that you obtain a doctor of optometry. The programs take 4 years to complete.
20. Medical Services Manager
If you choose to pursue a career as a medical services manager, you will be operating on the business side of the healthcare industry. Your key roles will include overseeing staff recruitment as well as training while also ensuring that everything stays within a set budget. You will need to make sure that you are communicating with the top medical leaders.
Working in this field, you could earn a modest salary of $36,000. You will require an associate’s degree to fill this position.
It’s clear then that there are numerous healthcare roles available that could provide you with the right level of career stability. It’s just a question of finding the option that is the right fit. As well as pursuing a job with stability, you should also make sure that you are passionate about your final choice.
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