Health Care Salaries and Careers
Learn about health care career salaries for the most popular jobs in the allied health field.
Find out What to Expect from Health Care Salaries
While your career focus may be the biggest factor in your expected earnings, it's certainly not the only one. Here are other factors that help shape health care salaries:
- Location – You may earn more living in a city than in a rural area.
- Education level – A higher level of education usually receives higher pay.
- Experience – More experience equals more compensation.
- Job title – Job titles indicate experience, training and responsibility.
- Employer – Bigger employers often pay higher than smaller employers.
Health Care Salaries by Specialty*
Clinical Laboratory Sciences
| Job Title | Average Salary for Middle 50 Percent |
|---|---|
| Clinical Laboratory Scientist/Medical Technologist | $54,332 - $64,091 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technician/Medical Laboratory Technician | $37,857 - $46,238 |
| Histology Technician | $44,740 - $54,061 |
| Pathology Assistant | $53,203 - $85,562 |
| $26,494 - $32,592 |
Communication Sciences
| Job Title | Average Salary for Middle 50 Percent |
|---|---|
| Audiologist | $62,147 – $74,714 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $62,824 – $74,779 |
Medical Careers
| Job Title | Average Salary for Middle 50 Percent |
|---|---|
| Medical Assistant | $27,224 – $32,550 |
| Medical Coding | $25,570 – $42,170 |
| Medical Lab Technician | $28,950 – $45,690 |
| Medical Transcriptionist | $27,070 – $39,260 |
Medical Imaging
| Job Title | Average Salary for Middle 50 Percent |
|---|---|
| Radiographer & Radiologic Technician | $44,369 – $53,062 |
| Ultrasound Technician | $59,362 – $71,018 |
Nursing
| Job Title | Average Salary for Middle 50 Percent |
|---|---|
| LPN and LVN | $34,360 – $47,400 |
| Nursing Assistant | $24,078 – $29,702 |
Occupational Therapy
| Job Title | Average Salary for Middle 50 Percent |
|---|---|
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | $43,311 – $53,046 |
| Occupational Therapist | $67,613 – $79,827 |
Other Health Care Careers
| Job Title | Average Salary for Middle 50 Percent |
|---|---|
| Cardiovascular Technologist | $32,068 – $49,312 |
| Dietitian / Nutritionist | $42,790 – $64,830 |
| Emergency Medical Technician | $26,339 – $39,777 |
| Pharmacy Technician | $29,363 – $35,780 |
| Physician Assistant | $81,848 – $98,483 |
Physical Therapy
| Job Title | Average Salary for Middle 50 Percent |
|---|---|
| Physical Therapy Assistant | $40,372 – $50,263 |
| Physical Therapist | $69,184 – $80,094 |
*Click on the specialty links to find top schools and degree programs.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011; Salary.com 2011
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.
