Eleven out of the top 20 jobs on the Bureau of Labor Statistics list of the fastest growing careers are in the health care industry. Analysts say that there are two reasons for this expansion: one is that the huge baby boom population is aging, and the other is Obama’s health care initiative.
There is much more to a career in health care than job security and decent pay, however. Here are five health care jobs where you can make a real difference in someone else’s life.
Health Informatics
If you’ve got a knack for computer systems and information technology, the health care industry needs you. Health informatics is a growing field of professional study that encompasses the ways that doctors and other medical professionals access and use medical data. As a health informatics professional, you’ll help the doctors access the information they need to save lives or help healthcare software development companies to verify data processing approaches. With a starting salary of around $88,625 per year in the USA, and a positive job outlook, health informatics is a solid career choice. Get information about degree programs in health informatics at UIC Online.
Biomedical Engineer
Imagine designing the next generation of artificial limbs that could return full functionality to amputees. Maybe you’ll be the one to create a working artificial heart that revolutionizes heart transplants. These are the kinds of projects that biomedical engineers work on every day. Moreover, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the outlook for this career is better than average and the median pay is a sweet $86,960 per year. Read more about biomedical engineers here.
Occupational Therapist
Occupational therapists work with disabled people to help them become more independent. They do this primarily by teaching them how do daily tasks in new ways. Occupational therapists are crucial to helping injured or ill people live their lives to the fullest. Occupational therapy ranked as the 11th best career in health care for 2022, according to U.S.News.
Speech Pathologist
If you stuttered as a child, or you know someone with that problem, then you know how debilitating speech problems are. Speech pathologists diagnose and treat speech difficulties. They work with stroke victims, people with emotionally generated speech troubles, and others. The median salary is $69,870 per year and the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that jobs in this field will grow at an above average rate. Interestingly, it ranks as the fourth least stressful health care career as well.
Optometrist
Optometrists diagnose and treat eye problems, and ensure that the eyes and related parts are working properly. As the population ages, this field will continue to grow, since many people need eyeglasses or contact lenses after age 45 or so. The median salary for Optometrists is $110,300 per year, and it was the fourth best job in health care for 2019 on CareerCast’s survey (latest available by April, 2022).
If you’re someone who believes that helping others is an important part of feeling fulfilled and happy, a career in health care is a good choice. It also helps that most health care jobs pay well and are expected to remain in high demand in the future.
