20 Greatest Healthcare Careers for the Future

If you consider a profession in medication or healthcare, likelihood is the primary jobs that pop into your thoughts are physician, surgeon, or dentist. And whereas these are all terrific careers, they require an enormous up-front funding of money and time. Luckily, there are many well-paid, in-demand healthcare careers that don’t require a full medical diploma. Share these choices along with your highschool college students as they think about their future careers.

Word: All wage data comes from Certainly.com or the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, and is present as of March 2025.

Bounce to:

Flat lays of career exploration worksheets — We Are Academics

FREE PRINTABLE

Profession Exploration Worksheet Bundle

This huge assortment of worksheets is a simple and interesting manner to assist highschool college students think about their future profession choices. Plus, it’s utterly free!

Greatest Medical and Healthcare Careers for the Future

These healthcare careers require a bachelor’s or grasp’s diploma, so plan for a good dedication of money and time up entrance. However when you’re certified, the roles on this record are all rising at a a lot sooner fee than the nationwide common, with some anticipated to extend their present job choices by 40% over the following 10 years! Which means it needs to be comparatively straightforward to search out work as soon as right now’s teenagers are prepared to affix the full-time workforce.

A nurse takes a man's blood pressure — CDC by way of Unsplash

Registered Nurse

Nurses are the cornerstone of the healthcare system, working in hospitals, clinics, colleges, and extra. It may be a high-pressure job, however it’s additionally some of the needed and revered of healthcare careers.

Common Wage: $86,000
Training/Coaching: Bachelor’s diploma

Occupational Therapist

Recovering from accidents or sickness is usually a lengthy street, however occupational therapists are there to assist folks relearn stroll, transfer, communicate, or navigate life after a significant well being occasion.

Common Wage: $96,300
Training/Coaching: Grasp’s diploma

A man helps to fit a prosthetic arm onto another man — This Is Engineering by way of Unsplash

Orthotists and Prosthetists

The world of prosthetic limbs and supportive gadgets has come a good distance in the previous few many years. Orthotists and prosthetists assist folks discover the most effective answer to swimsuit their wants, guaranteeing correct match and performance.

Common Wage: $78,100
Training/Coaching: Grasp’s diploma

A mental health counselor speaks with two clients sitting on couches in an office with large windows — TienDat Nguyen by way of Unsplash

Psychological Well being Counselor

Whether or not they’re working as counselors or therapists for common psychological well being or supporting these in habit restoration facilities, these healthcare professionals present very important care in a society that’s lastly starting to worth the significance of psychological well being.

Common Wage: $53,700
Training/Coaching: Grasp’s diploma

Nurse Anesthetist

These healthcare employees use anesthesia to calm, sedate, and put sufferers below to allow them to endure operations and different medical procedures. They work in hospitals, clinics, dentist’s workplaces, and extra, monitoring sufferers to make sure they get up safely when the process is completed.

Common Wage: $129,400
Training/Coaching: Grasp’s diploma

An athletic trainer helps an injured player off a football pitch — RoboMichalec by way of Pixabay

Athletic Coach

Not all athletic trainers wind up working for skilled sports activities groups, however there’s an enormous marketplace for this kind of healthcare. Athletic trainers cope with emergencies and assist athletes as they get better from accidents, getting them able to compete once more.

Common Wage: $57,930
Training/Coaching: Grasp’s diploma

A doctor discusses a case with a patient — Nationwide Most cancers Institute by way of Unsplash

Genetic Counselor

The science of genetics continues to develop, making this an extremely thrilling discipline for the longer term. Genetic counselors work with sufferers to establish and perceive their inherited illnesses and dangers, serving to them make knowledgeable selections about their healthcare choices.

Common Wage: $95,700
Training/Coaching: Grasp’s diploma

Nurse Practitioner

Docs spend years (and lots of of 1000’s of {dollars}) earlier than they’re totally certified to apply medication. Nurse practitioners solely want a grasp’s diploma and are in a position to do most of the similar sorts of affected person therapy that medical doctors do. This discipline (together with the same job of doctor assistant) is anticipated to develop dramatically over the following 10 years.

Common Wage: $129,400
Training/Coaching: Grasp’s diploma

A doctor and a hospital administrator shake hands — herbert11timtim by way of Pixabay

Healthcare Administrator

Assist handle medical doctors’ practices, hospitals, clinics, and different medical amenities as a healthcare administrator. It’s an opportunity to place your organizational and managerial abilities to make use of whereas serving to others keep wholesome.

Common Wage: $110,480
Training/Coaching: Bachelor’s diploma

A person wearing scrubs and a medical map consults data on a computer — Irwan by way of Unsplash

Epidemiologist

These scientists observe the developments of illnesses to foretell, management, and perceive outbreaks. They spend quite a lot of time gathering and analyzing knowledge, working with public well being businesses to scale back the unfold of sickness.

Common Wage: $81,390
Training/Coaching: Grasp’s diploma

A female speech therapist works with a young boy on his speech as they sit together on the floor. She is holding up alphabetical cue cards to help as they work through the sounds together. — Getty Photographs

Speech-Language Pathologist

These healthcare professionals work in hospitals and colleges to diagnose and deal with speech, language, and throat issues. (They’re typically generally known as “speech therapists” as nicely.)

Common Wage: $89,290
Training/Coaching: Grasp’s diploma

Greatest Healthcare Careers That Don’t Require a 4-Yr Diploma

You don’t have to go to school for years to start out a terrific healthcare profession! There are lots of nice choices that solely require an affiliate’s diploma or licensing and certification programs. This will get right now’s youngsters out into the workforce incomes good salaries sooner, with out as a lot school debt to fret about.

A physical therapist presses on a man's back as he stretches on a mat — Annie Spratt by way of Unsplash

Bodily Therapist

Whereas not among the many highest-paid jobs on this record, bodily therapists solely have to spend a number of years in post-secondary training to start working with sufferers. They make an actual distinction in many individuals’s lives, serving to them heal and regain mobility after accidents and sicknesses.

Common Wage: $58,740
Training/Coaching: Affiliate’s diploma
Projected Development: 19%

A radiology technician stands by a patient about to have an MRI — Accuray by way of Pixabay

Radiology Technologist

The technicians who use gear like X-rays, CAT scanners, MRIs, and mammography machines typically spend a few years put up–highschool in coaching programs. However the return on funding is excessive, with robust salaries that make these a few of the easiest jobs you are able to do with out a four-year school diploma.

Common Wage: $114,000
Training/Coaching: Affiliate’s diploma

Dental Hygienist

That is one other medical place that requires a few years of coaching programs, but additionally boasts a excessive wage payoff in the long term. Hygienists clear tooth, take X-rays, and help dentists throughout procedures.

Common Wage: $106,600
Training/Coaching: Affiliate’s diploma

Pharmacy Technician

This isn’t one of many highest-paying jobs on the record, however it’s a wonderful approach to achieve expertise within the discipline for those who’d prefer to work towards turning into a pharmacist. Many future pharmacists pay their manner via college with jobs like these.

Common Wage: $38,532
Training/Coaching: Affiliate’s diploma

A medical coder works at a computer in an office setting — This Is Engineering by way of Unsplash

Medical Coder/Biller

The American medical trade is extremely complicated. To ensure that medical doctors and hospitals to obtain funds from insurance coverage firms, they need to accurately submit payments utilizing the right codes. This job requires people who find themselves fast at knowledge entry, with a excessive consideration to element.

Common Wage: $60,800
Training/Coaching: Certification programs and examination

Two paramedics load a patient into an ambulance outside a hospital — F. Muhammad by way of Pixabay

EMT/Paramedic

This is without doubt one of the extra rewarding jobs on our record, providing the possibility to assist save lives! These emergency medical employees reply to calls and assist sufferers on-site, then transport them to hospitals if wanted.

Common Wage: $49,100
Training/Coaching: Licensing programs and examination

A massage therapist uses her elbow to massage a client's back. — massagenerds by way of Pixabay

Therapeutic massage Therapist

Therapeutic massage remedy is a revered a part of the healthcare trade, enhancing high quality of life for many individuals. A therapist takes coaching programs to be taught the most effective methods to control muscular tissues and tender tissues, relieving ache and rising circulation.

Common Wage: $58,800
Training/Coaching: Licensing programs and examination

Ultrasound Technician

Additionally referred to as sonograms, ultrasounds permit us to look inside tissues and organs in a noninvasive manner. Ultrasound techs carry out these scans, working with pregnant girls in addition to quite a lot of different healthcare wants.

Common Wage: $80,850
Training/Coaching: Affiliate’s diploma

A healthcare records technician uses a laptop sitting next to a stethoscope — Nationwide Most cancers Institute by way of Unsplash

Well being Data Technologists

You might also hear this job referred to as a “medical information specialist,” and that’s precisely what these healthcare professionals do. They handle data for sufferers, medical doctors, hospitals, clinics, and different medical amenities, preserving information protected, safe, and up-to-date.

Common Wage: $63,000
Training/Coaching: Affiliate’s diploma