By: Sheila Cain
Professional insights: Anita Hazelwood
While the demand for some jobs fluctuates with the state of the economy, careers in healthcare have typically held steady. People consistently need the attention of healthcare professionals, no matter how healthy or anemic the stock market may be. In recent years, however, the need for healthcare providers across the board has grown significantly, fueled by an aging population and their greater demand for healthcare services. And it doesn’t appear that growth will be slowing anytime soon.
Key takeaways
- Healthcare careers are growing rapidly across many roles due to factors like an aging population that is driving increased demand for medical services.
- Many of the fastest-growing positions—such as physician assistants, health information managers and speech-language pathologists—require targeted education and credentials, with potential for strong salaries.
- Although no job is fully recession-proof, most healthcare professions maintain solid job security and forecasted employment growth, even through economic fluctuations.
According to a recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), jobs in the healthcare sector make up many of the 20 fastest growing occupations.
“[One of the] factors affecting the need for healthcare workers is that the baby boomers are reaching retirement age,” said Anita C. Hazelwood, EdD, RHIA, FAHIMA, a professor and Allied Health Department head in the College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a member of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). “This is not just a problem with the nursing profession and with physicians—all healthcare professions are affected. Educational programs are not able to supply enough graduates to meet the demands of these professions.”
The BLS expects some jobs to grow even further. Their data indicates that allied health roles such as occupational therapy assistants and physical therapist assistants will grow by 19% or more over the next decade. These and some other fast-growing allied health careers typically require an associate or bachelor’s degree, but the salary payoff can be worth it. Some jobs, like a physician assistant (PA), pay upwards of six figures.
As you evaluate career and education paths, check out these and other allied health occupations that are on the rise.
Job growth quick view
| Occupation | Job growth through 2035 |
|---|---|
| Occupational therapy assistant | 21.5% |
| Physical therapy assistant | 23% |
| Health information manager | 15.8% |
| Medical and health services manager | 24.2% |
| Physician assistant | 21.1% |
| Speech-language pathologist | 16.6% |
Occupational therapy assistant
An occupational therapy assistant (OTA) works with occupational therapists to help their clients recover activities of daily living—such as getting dressed, feeding themselves and other essential activities that require fine motor skills—following an accident, illness or other debilitating issue. These assistants usually work in offices, hospitals and nursing homes. The BLS forecasts a solid 21.5% growth in this field through 2035.
Education and licensing requirements:
Assistants need an associate degree from an accredited occupational therapy assistant program. These programs generally require two years of full-time study and include instruction in subjects such as psychology, biology and pediatric health.
All states regulate the practice of occupational therapy assistants, with most requiring licensure. Licensure typically requires the completion of an accredited occupational therapy assistant education program, completion of all fieldwork requirements and passage of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam. Both occupational therapy assistants and aides need certifications in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic life support (BLS) before practicing.
Online learning options:
Because of the amount of clinical work necessary to earn the associate degree, a fully online experience is not an option. Some classes, such as medical science, anatomy and physiology may be held online, while classes such as natural science, occupational therapy protocol and professional behavior typically must be taken on campus.
Salary:
The median annual wage for an OTA is around $72,300. Aides earn about half that, but their educational requirements are fewer—typically a high school diploma or equivalent, plus minimal on-the-job training (a few days to a few weeks). OT aides’ responsibilities are also limited. They can provide support to OT assistants, but cannot administer treatment.
Physical therapist assistant
Many people often confuse a physical therapist assistant (PTA) with an occupational therapy assistant, but the two jobs have significant differences. While both fields involve rehabilitating clients following illness or injury, physical therapy focuses on improving movement of the human body (walking, running, etc.), while occupational therapy deals with helping clients better perform activities of daily living.
The job outlook for those who work alongside and under the direction of a physical therapist is strong. The BLS reports a 23% increase in employment of PTAs this decade, mostly in response to the healthcare needs of an aging population and individuals with chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity.
Education and licensing requirements:
The path to becoming a PTA requires an associate degree from an accredited program (typically around two years), plus a license or certification. Job duties include treating patients through massage, exercise, gait and balance training, and other therapeutic interventions.
A PT aide, on the other hand, performs less patient care and more clerical duties, and requires less training—typically a high school diploma or equivalent. They must also complete on-the-job training ranging from one week to a month.
Online learning options:
Most PTA associate degree programs offer some classes online, but will require classroom attendance for clinical care and lab courses.
Salary:
The median annual wage for PTAs is $68,380 according to the latest data from the BLS.
Health information manager
If data and technology is your jam, a career in health information management (HIM) may be for you. A health information manager is adept in the business aspects of healthcare and typically oversees health information systems to ensure that they meet medical, legal and ethical standards. These professionals manage, analyze and secure patients’ health-related data in both paper and electronic form.
“As electronic health records become universally used, health information professionals will be more and more in demand,” Hazelwood said.
Education and licensing requirements:
An associate degree in health information management is a good first step to a career in the HIM field, especially if you’re working while going to school. This two-year degree can prepare you for work as a health information technician, but a bachelor’s degree is usually required to become a manager.
Online learning options:
You may be able to complete both degrees 100% online.
If you already have a bachelor’s degree in a related healthcare field or you have experience in healthcare, you may also enter the HIM field by obtaining a master’s degree. (The admissions department at schools offering these degrees can help you determine if you fit their requirements.) A master’s program can help you develop your leadership skills and boost your knowledge of the systems used to gather healthcare data. Managers may also have to pursue additional certification through AHIMA as a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA).
Salary:
Annual median pay for health information systems managers is $175,140.
The BLS predicts that the country’s aging population will increasingly require the skills of professionals in the health information management field to organize older generations’ health information data and their associated claims for reimbursement from insurance companies.
Medical and health services manager
Medical and health services managers (often simply called healthcare managers) are professionals who plan, direct and coordinate the business and operational side of healthcare organizations such as hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and physician practices. They oversee staffing, budgets, compliance and other daily operations to ensure healthcare facilities run efficiently and deliver high-quality care.
Demand for healthcare managers is especially high right now, with the BLS estimating a 24.2% growth through the next decade—much faster than the average across all occupations. This is due to several factors including the aging population, the rapid expansion of healthcare services and the growing complexity of healthcare regulations and technology.
Education and licensing requirements:
Though education requirements vary by job and employer, most health management positions require at least a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, healthcare management, business administration or something similar, with many also requiring a master’s degree. There are also several professional certifications available to healthcare managers that cater to different skills and areas of expertise.
Online learning options:
Many schools now offer in healthcare administration or management degrees entirely online. This includes both bachelor’s and master’s programs.
Since healthcare managers don’t provide direct patient care, in-person classes aren’t always necessary to learn the administration skills and business acumen necessary to be successful in the field.
Salary:
Healthcare managers are critical for the overall operation of healthcare facilities, and many of them have demanding roles overseeing numerous personnel or managing large budgets. According to the BLS, the median annual salary for these professionals is $123,860.
Physician assistant
A physician assistant or PA is a medical professional who operates under a doctor’s supervision. In many cases, a PA’s duties mirror those of a doctor, with a couple major differences: PAs are not licensed to perform surgery (although they may assist doctors in surgical procedures). Another difference: a doctor works autonomously, while a PA works under the direction and supervision of a physician or group of physicians.
These differences aside, a PA’s responsibilities include conducting patient exams, consulting with patients on their healthcare plans, developing treatment plans and even performing procedures such as wound suture. Depending on state requirements, some PAs can also prescribe medication.
More than half of all physician assistants work in primary care medicine. The most common places of employment are private practice offices or clinics, hospitals, public health clinics, schools, prisons or home healthcare agencies.
Education and licensing requirements:
Though it’s not as rigorous as becoming a medical doctor (MD), the road to becoming a physician assistant is long. PAs typically need a master’s degree from an accredited PA program. Earning that degree usually takes at least two to three years of full-time postgraduate study.
All states require licensure for physician assistants. Graduate school applicants typically already have experience as a registered nurse (RN), emergency medical technician (EMT) or paramedic. A PA program usually takes at least two years of full-time study under an accredited program, almost all of which offer a master’s degree upon completion.
Curriculum includes classroom and laboratory instruction in subjects such as pathology, human anatomy, physiology, clinical medicine, pharmacology, physical diagnosis and medical ethics. The programs also include supervised clinical training in several areas, including family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine and pediatrics.
Online learning options:
Many programs offer online options for certain classes, but all will require the addition of hands-on, practical experience in a healthcare environment.
Salary:
The hard work can pay off. The median annual salary for PAs is $135,880.
Speech-language pathologist
The aging baby boomer population is again a factor in the strong job growth outlook for careers in the speech-language pathology field. As this sector of the population gets older, there will be more instances of health conditions such as strokes and dementia that can cause speech and language impairments. According to the BLS, employment of speech-language pathologists is expected to grow 16.6% through 2035.
Education and learning options:
A master’s degree is required for speech-language pathologists who assess, diagnose, treat and help to prevent communication and swallowing disorders in children and adults. Every state also requires that they be licensed.
A bachelor’s in a related field is required for admission into a speech-language pathology master’s program.
Online learning options:
Many schools offer certain components of a speech-language pathologist master’s degree program online, with clinical requirements completed in clinics and doctors’ offices.
Salary:
Speech-language pathologists earn a median salary of $97,870, according to the BLS.
Cautious optimism
While no job is recession-proof, most jobs in healthcare come pretty close. That said, changes in the economy may affect some positions as time goes on.
“While the demand for healthcare professionals, both clinicians and allied health workers, is high, the economic downturn may affect the hiring capacity of financially-burdened healthcare facilities,” Hazelwood said. “Restrictions on surgeries has definitely impacted both physicians and facilities. As employees are laid off or furloughed, their ability to purchase healthcare insurance or even afford co-payments, deductibles and co-insurance payments will be reduced and the demand for healthcare services may be reduced as a result.”
