10 Healthcare Jobs with Greatest Growth Potential
4 min read
When it comes to healthcare, nurses and doctors often get the highest praise and the highest salaries. One of the most underrated professions in the healthcare industry right now is that of the medical assistant. With more and more people needing healthcare in the US, thanks to the change in lifestyle and rapid increase in the elderly population, the healthcare industry is growing rapidly. In fact, jobs such as medical assistants and home health aides, which require minimal training and education, will rise at a rate of 28% to 41% by 2029.
Below is a list of 10 health care jobs that have a significant growth potential in the coming years:
- Home Health Aides
A person’s ability to take care of themselves often decreases with increasing age. Moreover, this becomes exceedingly difficult when they have impaired physical or cognitive functions. Home Health Aides provide the care that the elderly and the impaired require daily, including their medication, monitoring their vital signs, managing doctors’ appointments, etc. It may also include a certain amount of personal tasks for an extra fee. Home Health Aides earn around $25,000 per year. However, the growth rate in the next decade is estimated to be around 41%.
- Occupational Therapy Aide
The task of an Occupational Therapy Aide seems fairly simple but requires a lot of care and attention. An Occupational Therapy Aide has to help a patient through activities such as stretching and exercises. They help Occupational Therapists to prepare equipment, transfer patients, and even managing appointments and ledgers. Occupational Therapy Aides earn around $29,000 per year. The estimated growth in the next decade could be around 28%.
- Phlebotomist
A Phlebotomist must draw blood from patients and prepare the sample to be sent for various tests. They also look after patients to cope with the added stress during and after the procedure. A Phlebotomist does require a verified certification to join a clinic or hospital. As of now, Phlebotomists make $25,000 a year, on average. In the next decade, this job would grow by 25%, as the requirements and competition are going to spike as well.
- Medical Assistants
Medical Assistant jobs are going to be one of the most sought after jobs in the next decade. The work profile of a Medical Assistant varies depending on where they work and what they have specialized in. They take care of both clinical and administrative duties. A Medical Assistant must not only know how to operate equipment properly but also help doctors and nurses during treatment and other procedures. Medical Assistants earn $32,500 per year. By 2029, their growth rate can be around 28%. In fact, if you are not sure about this profession yet, have a look at this list of medical assistant salary state-wise to know how much do they make.
- Physical Therapy Aide
Physical Therapy Aides have an important job as they have to help Physical Therapists treat patients who have had their motor functions impaired due to a sustained injury. This job requires patience and determination, as some injuries can take up to years to heal. To be a Physical Therapy Aide, you need to have a degree from a verified program. Physical Therapy Aides earn around $36,000 annually. Their projected growth in the next decade is 30%.
- Physical Therapists
Physical injuries are becoming more common with each passing day as the number of accidents, and other such incidents is rising. Physical Therapists are duly needed in such cases as they can help injured people get back to their lives and heal their sustained injuries to the best extent possible. They also help people who have lost limbs in accidents adjust to their new lives. Physical Therapists earn $72,000 annually, and their growth rate in the next decade would be close to 28%.
- Massage Therapist
A Massage Therapist has to be extremely delicate with the work as they are responsible for relieving the stress present in the soft tissues of the muscles. This helps the client recover from pain much faster and go through a longer duration of the day without unbearable pain. Massage Therapists earn around $65,000 per year, and the profession is bound to grow by 26% or so in the next decade.
- Registered Nurse
A Registered Nurse has a critical job profile. They have to manage a patient’s medications, monitor their vitals, and even treat patients based on their conditions and new symptoms (if any). They maintain the records of a patient’s health and prepare the hospital for surgical procedures if required. On average, they earn around $70,000 per year, and the number of jobs would increase by 31% in 10 years.
- Genetic Counselors
Due to many genetic disorders throughout the US, Genetic Counselors are becoming more and more important. They decide on the path of treatment that a patient with a genetic disorder needs to undergo and may even try to find the root cause of the disorder. They earn around $70,500 in a year, which can grow by 29% by 2028.
- Physician Assistant
A Physician Assistant has to manage a patient’s health under the strict guidance of a physician or doctor. They coordinate with nurses and other professionals to provide a patient with the best care possible. Ambulatory and outpatient care centers are seeing an increased need for Physician Assistants now. Currently, they earn around $104,500. They are likely to see a growth rate of 37% in the next 10 years.
Conclusion
Remember that these are average figures, and your prospective salary may differ by a slight amount. Nonetheless, these figures dictate that now is a great time to invest in a career as a healthcare professional. Growth rates are great, and job satisfaction is unparalleled.
