The COVID-19 epidemic has highlighted the importance of healthcare workers and the ongoing labor shortage in the industry. The pandemic has exacerbated the labor shortage, as millions — almost one-fifth of healthcare workers have left their professions due to burnout or low pay.
Health care is a rewarding career choice due to the increasing demand for services in the field and the resignations and retirements occurring across the industry. Some people may be put off by workplace stress or other factors.
What are the salaries for healthcare jobs?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2021, the median annual wage for healthcare practitioners, technicians, and other professionals, including doctors and nurses, was $75,040. This is a much higher yearly median salary than the $45,760 average for all occupations.
However, healthcare support workers can earn much less. The median annual salary for workers in this category, such as occupational therapy assistants and medical transcriptionists (home health aides), was $29,880.
According to the BLS, these are the highest-paying jobs within the healthcare industry and their median annual salaries as of May 20, 2021:
- Physicians and surgeons: $288,000
- Dentists: $163,220
- Podiatrists: $145,840
- Pharmacists: $128,570
- Optometrists: $124,300
- Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, nurse practitioners: $123,780
The earning potential depends on what you do. “Healthcare careers are in high demand, and therefore the salary is competitive,” says Edwin Cabigao. He’s a registered nurse and director of clinical services for Generations Healthcare, Santa Ana.
The lowest-paying jobs in the healthcare industry are at the opposite end of the scale. These jobs are usually entry-level careers in health care:
- Home health and personal caregivers: $28,430
- Veterinary assistants, laboratory animal caregivers: $29 780
- Medical transcriptionists: $30,000
- Nursing assistants, orderlies, and other staff: $30.290
- Psychiatric technicians, aides, and assistants: $36,230
There are many types of careers in health care.
Career opportunities in the healthcare sector are plentiful.
“Aspirations and abilities can be met through hard work and continued education.” “Most healthcare organizations have a wide range of career opportunities from provider to executive,” says Sharon Vitti. She is the CEO of ATI Physical Therapy.
There are many career options in the healthcare industry.
- Athletic Trainer
- Audiologist
- Chiropractor
- Dental hygienist
- Nutritionist or dietitian
- Doctor
- Paramedic or EMT
- Genetic Counselor
- Hospital Administrator
- Massage Therapist
- Medicare reimbursement specialist
- Nuclear medicine technologist
- You can also find out more about the Nurse
- Occupational Therapist
- Optician
- Radiation Therapist
- Speech-language pathologist
- Transplant coordinator
- Veterinarian
Entry-Level Jobs in Health Care
As an entry-level employee, the healthcare industry provides a variety of opportunities. They include:
- Dental assistant
- Dialysis technician
- Home Health Aid
- Medical Assistant
- Medical coder and biller
- Nursing Assistant
- Pharmacy technician
- Scheduling assistant
- Ultrasound Technician
Many entry-level positions in the health care industry require some training, but no more than a GED or high school diploma. Other jobs in the healthcare industry may require a doctoral or medical degree.
Health Care Careers: Pros and cons
As varied as the careers themselves, the pros and cons for healthcare professionals are numerous.
The Pros of a Career in Health Care
1. Vitti states that people enter healthcare because they want to help others.
She explains, “It is all about the connection with people and being able to make a difference in their lives.” It’s a rewarding experience and was a big part of why I decided to pursue a healthcare career early on.
Cabigao says that health care allows people to turn their passion for helping others into a career.
“Nothing is more rewarding than witnessing someone’s positive recovery from illness.” He says it can be as simple as helping someone understand their illness or relieving them of pain. If it is one’s calling to be in the healthcare field and help people in need, it can bring a lot of job satisfaction and make you feel like you are not working at all. “You’re living your dream.”
2. Job Security
Some experts believe that jobs will always be available due to the high demand for healthcare workers. Some experts say job security may only apply to some healthcare positions.
Nursing jobs are in high demand. However, some specialized occupations like podiatrists may experience slower growth than the average in coming years.
3. Career advancement
Cabigao believes it is easy to climb the healthcare career ladder. Someone might begin as a nurse assistant in a clinic and then progress to become the chief nursing officer of a hospital.
He says that “advancement in health care is common” because “we love to help people grow and promote from within.”
4. Variety
Professionals in the healthcare field can work in many different environments. Cabigao, for example, describes how a nursing assistant may work with older adults or pediatric patients while a medical assistant could work in research, medical technology, or forensics.
He says that working in the healthcare industry is always exciting because there are many options and different positions, settings, or areas of expertise and specialization.
Cons of Health Care Careers
1. Stress
Healthcare workers are often under a lot of stress.
Cabigao says that the first thing to consider is that healthcare facilities are often stressful environments. During the pandemic, healthcare workers experienced even more anxiety, stress, and depression.
Cabigao says, “Taking care of sick patients, working with overworked staff, and being overwhelmed by staffing shortages creates a stressful environment.”
There’s also the emotional stress that comes with patient care.
Cabigao says that dealing with mortality and illness by personally witnessing and observing someone’s survival or death can negatively impact a person’s life. Staff is constantly dealing with physical and emotional stress.
2. Work schedule
Workers in the healthcare industry may be required to work odd hours, shifts that include weekends and holidays, or long shifts. Cabigao points out that labor shortages can worsen this situation as workers are often called upon to fill scheduling gaps.
He says that since many hospitals and healthcare facilities do not close on a specific day or time, staff must work and cover for them 24/7.
According to Dr. Leah Alexander of the Mom Loves Best parenting website, this type of scheduling arrangement may reduce the work-life balance for healthcare professionals.
Mitchell says it can be challenging for some healthcare workers to detach themselves from work and find a place to relax.
3. Physically demanding tasks
Cabigao points out that many health workers are required to perform physically demanding work, which includes bending, lifting heavy objects, running, and a lot of movement.
While exercise and activity are generally regarded as suitable for health, European Heart Journal researchers have found a link between physical activity at work and an increased risk of heart disease and death. The researchers have referred to this association as “the physical activity paradox.”
4. Health insurers: their role
Alexander thinks the health insurance industry’s power is the most significant drawback to working in the healthcare field.
She says that “they increasingly have input into the type of treatment patients receive” and “often require a complicated approval process for both the patient’s costs of care and payment of providers.”
The health insurance industry’s focus on quantity rather than quality is one of the reasons for rising health care costs. Insurance companies often use a fee-for-service system to reimburse and promote tests and procedures. This can lead people to receive unnecessary tests and over-treat.
Health Care Careers Outlook
BLS predicts that the number of jobs in health care will grow by 16% between 2020 and 2030. This is a much faster rate than for other occupations. The asset management company Mercer believes that the demand for health workers in the U.S. will exceed the supply by 2025.
The projected growth of jobs in the healthcare sector varies widely depending on which position you are working in. The Labor Bureau estimates that the following occupations will have the most significant employment growth by 2030:
- Home health and personal Care Aides: 33%
- Massage therapists 32%
- Nurse midwives and nurse practitioners are 45%.
- Assistants and aides in occupational therapy: 34%
- Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides: 32%
- Physician assistants: 31%
Careers in health care with slower-than-average projected job growth include
- Medical transcriptionists:
- Pharmacists: -2%
- Pharmacy technicians: 4%
- Physicians and surgeons : 3%
- Podiatrists: 2%
