The healthcare industry is one of the most vital sectors in the economy. The demand for healthcare professionals keeps on increasing as the global population continues to grow. That is why the industry is supposed to grow up to 18% by 2026. Nowadays, there is a high demand for various kinds of services in the industry, so career opportunities in healthcare keep increasing. It further makes it an exciting time to pursue a career in healthcare.
Apart from the career growth perspective, job satisfaction is also an influencing factor. People prefer working in this industry because they are passionate about helping people and making their lives better. So personal satisfaction makes this industry a popular career choice for compassionate people. The earnings of healthcare workers are also satisfactory. They get paid well for their services, and job security allows people to maintain a good lifestyle. Below is a list of the most rewarding healthcare careers for you.
- Physical therapist
Physical therapists focus on the patient’s physical movement to help the body recover and increase life quality. Their responsibility is to provide hands-on patient care through physical activities. They diagnose the problem and help the patient deal with chronic pains, and aid in muscle recovery
It would help if you had a doctor of physical therapy degree to become a physical therapist. Once you have your degree, you can pass an exam to acquire a license of practice. The license of practice allows you to have flexible working options. You can either work in the hospital, at clinics, or become self-employed. A physical therapist makes an average of $88,000 in a year.
- Nurse practitioner
A nurse practitioner has the responsibility to diagnose an illness and treat it. Their responsibilities include educating their patient about their condition, causes, treatment, and precautions. They assess the disease through physical examination as well as an assessment of medical history and diagnostic tests. So in a way, a nurse practitioner is doing as much as a physician does.
To become a nurse practitioner, you will need an online doctor of nursing practice degree. After your degree, you can sit in a national certification exam for your certificate and start your primary and emergency care training. A nurse practitioner makes an average of $115,000 every year because of their increasing demand in the healthcare industry.
- Home health aide
A home health aide‘s responsibility is to provide healthcare and housekeeping services to the patient in their home. As the lifespan increases, so does the demand for elderly care. Elderly and patient care through home health aides is popular because the professional does everything for their patient. It includes tending to personal needs such as bathing and grooming and other requirements such as preparing meals and doing their laundry.
You can become a home health aide professional with your high school diploma and certifications in inpatient care. Which means you can start your career immediately after high school. While the average yearly salary is only $25,000, there are chances of better job openings that make this job worth it.
- Diagnostic medical sonographer
A diagnostic medical sonographer makes ultrasounds and uses other imaging equipment to create images of different body parts. They then analyze the image results and help physicians and doctors in treating various conditions in their patients.
It would help if you had an associate’s degree or an allied healthcare degree to become a sonographer. But a sonographer does not need as much training as a physician or a nurse, which means that you can land stable jobs immediately after your training. The average salary of a sonographer is $57,000 in a year. You can work in laboratories, hospitals, research centers, and welfare centers.
- Pharmacist
The job of a pharmacist is to prescribe medicines to patients. They have all the expertise regarding drugs and their formulas. So they hold the responsibility to recommend safe dosage according to the medical condition. While this career option’s job growth prospect is declining, pharmacists still make higher than many other allied healthcare positions.
The requirement is to have a doctor of pharmacy degree to become a pharmacist. The average salary is up to $128,000, which makes pharmacy such an attractive choice for students.
- Surgeon
A surgeon is a physician responsible for treating different medical conditions, illnesses, and injuries by performing surgical methods. These surgical methods can be invasive, non-invasive, or minimally-invasive.
To become a surgeon, you need a bachelor’s degree and then internship and residency programs. The internships and residency programs can last up to seven years. The average salary of a surgeon depends on their area of specialty. But the earnings lie from $250,000 to $350,000.
Conclusion
If you are looking to pursue higher education and then a healthcare career, you are in for a bright future. The list of occupations we have mentioned above is the most promising careers to seek in 2021. So choose which career you want according to the educational plans, study, training period, and lifestyle you want to achieve. But most of all, select the job that is of interest to you.