Demand for health care professionals continues to grow, and for those in the health care industry thinking about a job change, a recent report from job search portal CareerCast identifies 10 of the best jobs.
Physical therapist, dental hygienist, and audiologist are among the fastest-growing, while pharmacist, optometrist, and biomedical engineer all boast high incomes.
“The health care industry is thriving, in part due to the Affordable Care Act,” says Kyle Kensing, online content editor, CareerCast. “More insured consumers means more access to care. More people are visiting their general practitioner, resulting in increased hiring at doctor’s offices of support staff like medical records technicians and medical technologists, two of the best health care jobs.”
Health care will always be a cornerstone of the job landscape, as many of the services health care professionals provide are necessities. As of November 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports approximately 18.9 million are employed in health care professions. That’s an increase of nearly 4 million from a decade ago, and the industry is projected to grow, as a whole, by another five million by 2022.
CareerCast names audiologist, biomedical engineer, dental hygienist, optometrist, physical therapist, medical records technician, chiropractor, pharmacist, and medical technologist among the best jobs in health care.
The varied opportunities and growing demand for physical therapists (growth outlook of 36 percent) are contributing factors in physical therapist’s place on the list of best health care jobs of 2015. With a growth outlook of 27 percent through 2022, the demand for biomedical engineers is also very high.
Dental hygienists are one of the most in-demand professionals tracked by CareerCast’s 2015 Jobs Rated report at a projected 33 percent growth by 2022, due in part to increased access.
The following are the 10 best jobs in health care, according to the CareerCast report. The report evaluates careers based on criteria of stress, hiring potential, income potential, and workplace environment.
|
Profession |
Annual |
Growth Outlook to |
|
1. Audiologist |
$69,720 |
34% |
|
2. Biomedical Engineer |
$86,960 |
27% |
|
3. Dental Hygienist |
$70,210 |
33% |
|
4. Dietitian |
$55,240 |
21% |
|
5. Optometrist |
$97,820 |
24% |
|
6. Physical Therapist |
$79,860 |
36% |
|
7. Medical Records Technician |
$34,160 |
22% |
|
8. Chiropractor |
$66,160 |
15% |
|
9. Pharmacist |
$116,670 |
14% |
|
10. Medical Technologist |
$47,820 |
22% |
