The healthcare industry offers many opportunities for those who have enough patience to pursue a career in the medical field. As people are constantly striving for better health, there will always be available jobs for those with enough skill and experience to help their patients. Additionally, many of these jobs are among the highest-paying jobs in the world.
If you consider joining the ranks of professionals who work in healthcare, you came to the right place. Here, we take a closer look at some of the best healthcare jobs, including a dentist, a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner, an anesthesiologist, and many more. Without further ado, these are the jobs you should consider while searching for the best career path in healthcare:
Orthopedic Surgeon
Orthopedic surgeons are medical professionals who operate on different parts of the body, such as bones, muscles, and joints. They work in hospitals and medical clinics, performing surgeries on their patients to correct bone and joint injuries or dysfunctions. Their median salary is over $383,000 a year, according to PayScale.
Orthopedic surgeons complete four years of college and four years of medical school before they can practice as orthopedic surgeons. Then they must apply for residency training programs in orthopedics before they can officially enter the workforce. Also, they need to have proper equipment but it does not have to be horribly expensive. Here you can find surgical tables of various types at relatively affordable prices.
Dentist
Dentists are among the most highly paid professionals in healthcare, and they also have one of the best career prospects out there. If you are a dentist who is looking to work in America, you should expect to get paid well for your services. According to PayScale, the median salary for a dentist is over $138,000 annually, which is more than enough to get by.
While dentists have a high median salary, they also have a high level of education needed before they can practice. In fact, only a third of all dentists currently practicing in America have a DMD degree (Doctor of Dental Medicine).
As such, if you want to become a dentist, you will need to acquire an undergraduate degree in an area such as biology or chemistry, and then spend the next four years specializing in dentistry at dental schools across the country. After that, you will need to pass national board exams and apply for a state dental license before you can officially practice as a dentist.
Physician Assistant
Physician assistants are the fastest-growing healthcare professionals in America. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, physician assistant jobs are expected to grow by 31% between 2019 and 2029, which is much faster than many other healthcare professions. If you are someone who wants to pursue a career as a physician assistant, but you don’t yet have the experience or education needed to do so, you should consider pursuing a Master’s degree in physician assistant studies.
A Master’s degree in physician assistant studies can be earned by completing courses such as clinical medicine, healthcare epidemiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and more. Once you earn this degree, you will be qualified to work as a PA in hospitals and in different medical clinics across the country. Keep in mind that it is worth the effort, as the median salary of a physician assistant in the USA is over $112,000.
Nurse Practitioner
Nurse practitioners are the most educated medical professionals in America, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They are nurses who receive specialized training to become qualified healthcare practitioners. Similar to physician assistants, nurse practitioners are widely sought after by hospitals and medical clinics across the country because of their extensive knowledge and expertise in their areas of specialty.
For this reason, nurse practitioners are some of the highest-paid healthcare professionals in America. Their median salary is almost $99,000 annually according to PayScale. However, you will need to complete nursing school before you can pursue this career path. The majority of nurse practitioners have an MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) degree, while others may have a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) degree with advanced training in their specialty areas.
Anesthesiologist
Anesthesiologists are medical professionals who typically work in hospitals and medical clinics performing surgeries on patients. They are responsible for administering anesthesia to patients and keeping them unconscious throughout the surgery procedure.
For this reason, anesthesiologists have some of the best job prospects out there. Even though they have to go through rigorous training programs, they get compensation for their efforts very well afterwards. For example, according to Salary.com, anesthesiologists earn a median annual salary of almost $398,000.
In order to become an anesthesiologist, you need to first complete four years of college and then four years of medical school after that. Then, you will need to apply for residency training programs in anesthesiology before you can search the AnesthesiaJobs website and other similar specialist job sites, and officially enter the workforce as an anesthesiologist.
Occupational Therapist
Occupational therapists help patients recover from injuries and disabilities through physical rehabilitation. They are healthcare professionals who work in hospitals, clinics, rehab centers, and schools.
The way to become an occupational therapist is to complete a four-year bachelor’s degree program in occupational therapy and complete observation hours. After that, you will need to apply to graduate programs in occupational therapy before you can pursue this career.
Depending on the program, you may also have to complete supervised clinical training before you can get certified as an occupational therapist. However, as a result, you may get a median annual salary of over $84,000, according to Career Explorer.
Physician
Physicians are healthcare practitioners who diagnose diseases and prescribe treatments based on their patients’ symptoms. They are medical professionals who work in hospitals, clinics, and private practice. Besides, they can specialize in a range of areas.
In order to become a physician, you need to complete four years of college and four years of medical school after that. Next, you must apply for residency training programs in your area of interest before you can officially enter the workforce as a physician. Such a program typically lasts three to eight years. But when you finally get this job, you can earn as much as a median salary of almost $106,000, as has been researched by Career Explorer.
Conclusion
As you can see from this list of the best healthcare jobs, there are many opportunities for those who want to pursue a career in healthcare. All of these professions require different levels of education depending upon the type of job you desire. But no matter which field you choose to go into as a healthcare professional, your hard work and dedication will pay off if you take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.
