Talk to an Education Specialist Now!Healthcare Jobs Expecting Continued Growth And Opportunity
In support of our mission to help our visitors connect the dots between their interests, education and skills, we've pulled together this list of a few of the most frequently advertised job titles in the healthcare field as reported by Wanted Analytics. If you are interested in exploring education options for any of these careers, use the search tool to the right to find schools.
Physical Therapist
Average Annual Pay: $78,000
Education: Masters or Doctoral degree in Physical Therapy followed by a National Physical Therapy Exam administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). Continuing education is also required to maintain licensure.
Daily Activities: Examine patient's medical histories, test and measure their strength, range of motion, balance, coordination, posture, muscle performance, respiration and motor function, develop treatment plans including strategy and desired outcome.
Outlook: The U.S. Burueau of Labor Statistics projects employment of Physical Therapists to experience faster growth through 2020 than other occupations requiring at least a Master's Degree.
Occupational Therapist
Average Annual Pay: $70,000
Education: Master's of Science in Occupational Therapy followed by a national certification exam.
Daily Activities: Facilitate activities to help patients improve strength and dexterity, visual acuity, decision-making, abstract-reasoning, problem-solving, memory, sequencing, coordination and perceptual skills.
Outlook: Employment of Occupational Therpists is expected to grow at much faster than average for all occupations through 2018.
Registered Nurse (RN)
Average Annual Pay: $64,000
Education: Bachelors of Science in Nursing followed by national and potentially state licensing exams to obtain and retain RN status.
Daily Activities: Check and record patient vital signs as well as order, interpret and evaluate diagnostic tests and modify treatment plans. RN's may also administer first aid, immunizations and medication.
Outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job growth for Registered Nurses (RN's) to grow much faster than average through 2018.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Average Annual Pay: $50,000
Education: Associate of Science or Certificate in Occupational Therapy followed by a state licensing exam.
Daily Activites: Similar to an Occupational Therapist in that they help patients with rehabilitative activities and excercises outlined in a treatment plan. Assistants also monitor and record a patient's progress for the Therapist.
Outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job growth for Occupational Therapy Assistants to grow faster than average through 2018.
Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)
Average Annual Pay: $65,000
Education: Masters of Science in Speech-Language Pathology followed by supervised clinical training and a national licensing exam.
Daily Activities: Assess, diagnose and create treatment plans to help patients overcome or improve upon their language skills so that they may communicate more effectively.
Outlook: Employment of Speech Language Pathologists is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2020.
Pharmacist
Average Annual Pay: $110,000
Education: Doctorate of Pharmacy degree, known as a Pharm.D. This is followed by the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam which is administered by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). Most states also require graduates to pass a Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE), a test of pharmacy law.
Daily Activities: Advise physicians and other health practioners on the selection, dosages, interactions and side effects of medications. Advise patients and answer questions such as side effects and interactions of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
Outlook: Employment of Pharmacists is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2018.
Physical Therapy Assistant
Average Annual Pay: $48,000
Education: Associate degree from an accredited physical therapy assistant program potentially followed by a state lincesure exam. PTA's are also required to have Certification in CPA and other first aid and obtain clinical experience.
Daily Activities: Performs components of the treatment plan developed by a Physical Therapist for patients and includes: exercises, massages, electrical stimulation, paraffin baths, hot and cold packs, traction and ultrasound.
Outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts faster than average job growth for Physical Therapy Assistants (PTA's) through 2018.
Registered Nurse - Operating Room (OR RN)
Average Annual Pay: $50,000 - $80,000
Education: Bachelors of Science in Nursing followed by regular licensing exams to obtain and retain RN status. Some undergraduate nursing school programs provide specialized surgical nurse training.
Daily Activities: Perform nursing procedures such as check and record patient vital signs as well as order, interpret and evaluate diagnostic tests and modify treatment plans in the pre-operative, post-operative and surgical stages.
Outlook: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job growth for Registered Nurses (RN's) to grow much faster than average through 2018.
Nurse Practitioner (NP)
Average Annual Pay: $92,500
Education: Masters of Science in Nursing with an accredited Nurse Practitionor track and area of specialization. The most common areas of specialization for NP's are Cardiology, Gerontology/Elder Care, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Primary Care, Gastroenterology, and Oncology.
Daily Activities: Like an RN, NP's may check and record patient vital signs as well as order, interpret and evaluate diagnostic tests and modify treatment plans. They may also administer first aid, immunizations and medication. But given their advanced practice and education, NP's are unique in the nursing field in that they can diagnose and treat patients much like physicans.
Outlook: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics job growth for Nurse Practitioners is expected to grow faster than average through 2020.
Speech Language Pathologist Assistant (SLPA)
Average Annual Pay: $48,000
Education: Associate's degree in Speech Language Pathology Assisting (SLPA).
Daily Activities: Provide direct therapy services as prescribed, directed and supervised by an ASHA-certified Speech Language Pathologist (SLP). SLPAs provide service for a wide range of patients with a variety of issues and disorders.
Outlook: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics job growth in the area of Speech Pathology is expected to growth faster than average through 2020.
