Home

Health Care Career Salaries

Learn about health care career salaries for the most popular jobs in the allied health field.

Return to Research Health Careers

health care professionals

Health care salaries vary widely depending on area of specialty, years of experience and region of the country; for example:

Audiologist Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, audiologists earned between $47,220 and $70,940 in 2006, but the highest 10 percent earned more than $89,160.

Find Audiologist Programs

Cardiovascular Technologist Salary

According to the American Medical Association, cardiovascular technologists earned between about $50,000 and $65,000 in 2006.

Find Cardiovascular Technologist Programs

Dietitian / Nutritionist Salary

The median annual health care salary for dietitians was $46,980 in 2006, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but the highest 10 percent earned more than $68,330. Most dietitians and nutritionists work in hospitals, where the median salary was about $44,000 in 2004.

Find Dietitian / Nutritionist Programs

Emergency Medical Technician Salary

The American Medical Association reports that the average EMT salary was $25,310 in 2004 (the last year for which data is available). However, some EMTs make as much as $43,240.

Find Emergency Medical Technician Training

Lab Science Salaries

The American Medical Association reported the following median health care salaries in 2007 (unless otherwise indicated) for a number of lab science positions:

  • Clinical laboratory scientist/medical technologist – $51,720
  • Clinical laboratory technician/medical laboratory technician – $34,270
  • Cytotechnologist – $58,560
  • Histologic technician – $40,500 (2005)
  • Histotechnologist – $44,970 to $49,360 (2005)
  • Pathologists' assistant – $75,000 to $85,000
  • Phlebotomist – $24,315 to $29,120 (2005)

Find Clinical Laboratory Training

Medical Assistant Salary

The average medical assistant made about $28,000 in 2004, according to the American Medical Association.

Find Medical Assistant Training

Medical Coding Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual health care salary of medical coding specialists was $28,030 in May 2006, but the highest 10 percent earned more than $45,260.

Find Medical Coding Training

Mental Health Counselor Salary

The median annual salary for mental health counselors was $34,380 in 2006, but the highest 10 percent earned more than $59,700, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Find Mental Health Counseling Programs

Medical Lab Technician Salary

According to the American Medical Association, the average health care salary for medical lab technicians was $34,270 in 2007, but some made over $52,000.

Find Medical Lab Technician Training

Medical Transcription Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical transcriptionists earned between about $20,000 and $38,000 in 2004.

Find Medical Transcription Training

Nursing Assistant Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most nursing assistants earn between $7.78 and $14.99 an hour in 2006.

Find Nursing Assistant Programs

LPN and LVN Practical Nursing Salaries

The median annual salary of licensed practical nurses was $36,550 in 2006, but the highest 10 percent earned more than $50,480, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Find LPN and LVN Programs

Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary

According to the American Medical Association, the average starting salary for an occupational therapist assistant is $33,000, with more experienced workers earning between $40,000 and $55,000 (in 2006).

Find Occupational Therapy Assistant Training

Occupational Therapist Salary

The average salary for an occupational therapists was $58,080 in 2006 but some made as much as $80,000, according to the American Medical Association.

Find Occupational Therapy Programs

Pharmacy Technician Salary

According to the American Medical Association, the average starting salary for pharmacy technicians was $26,720 in 2007, with salaries for more experienced techs reaching $38,000.

Find Pharmacy Technician Training

Physician Assistant Salary

According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, median income for physician assistants in full-time clinical practice in 2008 was $89,987; median income for first-year graduates was $76,232, but some experienced physician assistants earned in the $119,000 to $200,000 range.

Find Physician Assistant Programs

Physical Therapy Assistant Salary

According to the American Medical Association, the average starting salary for a physical therapy assistant is $27,800 but the average of all was $44,130 in 2007, with more experienced assistants earning up to $61,340.

Find Physical Therapy Assistant Programs

Physical Therapist Salary

According to the American Medical Association, the average starting salary for physical therapists was $48,530 in 2007, with more experienced therapists earning between about $70,000 and $100,000.

Find Physical Therapy Program

Radiographer Salary

Entry-level radiographers earned $41,612 in 2007 but more experienced radiographers earned between $50,000 and $80,000, according to the American Medical Association.

Find Radiographer & Radiologic Technician Programs

Speech-Language Pathologist Salary

According to the American Medical Association, the average starting salary for a speech-language pathologist working in a health care setting is around $52,500, with more experienced speech-language pathologists earning between $65,000 and $79,000 in 2007.

For speech-language pathologists working in schools, the average starting salary is about $40,000, with more experienced speech-language pathologists earning between about $52,000 and $80,000.

Find Speech-Language Pathologist Programs

Ultrasound Technologist Salary

The median salary for ultrasound technologists was $62,425, while the top 25 percent earned $68,197, according to Salary.com.

Ultrasound Schools

Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Medical Association, Salary.com

Compare Top Health Careers

The top 12 health care careers are compared side by side. Click the chart for degree time, salary, school costs and job opportunity.

Medical Billing and Coding

Spotlight Schools

Kaplan University - School of Health Sciences

Whether you're looking to change or advance your career, Kaplan University will help you get there faster. Online flexibility, reduced costs, financial aid assistance and a quicker path to your degree make Kaplan a smart choice for working adults.


Keiser University

Whether your goal is to improve your employability, develop leadership skills, enhance your education, improve your life, or simply study for the enjoyment of learning something new, Keiser University is designed around your needs.


University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix makes quality higher education highly accessible for working students. Whether you're seeking an associate's, bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, we can help you reach your goal--and sooner than you may think.


American InterContinental University Online

AIU Online offers convenient, flexible alternatives that enable you to fit a career-focused education into your current lifestyle. This is the perfect format for students looking to pursue opportunities in a competitive job market.


San Joaquin Valley College

San Joaquin Valley College students benefit from a balance of classroom instruction and real-world experience, giving you the skills you need to work in today's competitive healthcare market.


Sanford-Brown Institute

At Sanford-Brown Institute, we focus your study into a short-term program enabling you the opportunity to customize your skills successfully to the specific needs of a health care setting.


Rasmussen College

Rasmussen College specializes in health-care-focused training designed to provide you with maximum job placement potential. A Rasmussen College education is personalized, technology-intensive, focused and innovative.


Walden University

At Walden, you'll benefit not only from our unique distance learning delivery models, but from the personal attention of our world-class faculty, and from a highly customized program that is directly related to your career goals.