Calling All Potential Healthcare Professionals!
Looking for a career path? Looking to change careers? Looking for a trending career that is virtually recession-proof? Have you ever thought of a career in the healthcare field? Calling all potential healthcare professionals!
Now is a great time to start a career in the healthcare field for two reasons! First, the number of baby boomers retiring over the next five to ten years is going to rise exponentially with 10,000 over 65 years of age retiring daily! (1) This means a good percentage of the senior population are going to need varying levels of healthcare whether aging in place or moving into an assistant living facility.
Second, a career in the healthcare field is near recession-proof meaning even during hard economic times is always a strong demand healthcare professionals! In fact the Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects almost half of the fastest growing jobs up to 2026 are careers in the healthcare field. And these jobs are not the top paying advanced degree positions, such as doctors, dentists, and therapists, but the assistant and personal care aide positions. These positions require minimum to two years of training and can lead to a very rewarding career or career path for you!
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) almost half of the fastest growing need for jobs in the next five to eight years is in the healthcare field! (see chart below. (2)) If you are either looking for an entry level job with minimal training (and costs) or are looking to start in a career path, the healthcare field might be a great match for you.
Most Needed Healthcare Careers
There is no doubt about it – we need more caregivers, home health and personal care aides, certified nursing assistants (CNA), certified medical assistants, certified medication assistants, physical therapy assistants and more who can work one-on-one with all the baby boomers retiring in these next couple of years! If you are considering a career in one these fields we have outlined some of the basics of each position and its current demand as the BLS predicts up to 2026. If you enjoy making a difference in one or more people’s lives then one of these careers may work for you:
| Job Title: | Home Health Aide, Personal Care Aide |
| Position Description: | Provides care for those with disabilities, chronic illness or cognitive impairment by assisting with ADLs (activities of daily living). Most clients are older adults. In some states Home Health/Personal Care Aides may give clients medication or check a client’s blood pressure under the supervision of a nurse.
Environment: Individual client’s homes, group homes or daycare service programs |
| Required Training: |
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| National Average Salary: | $22,170 per year $10.66 per hourOutlook: 40% job growth |
| Job Title: | Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA or CNA1) |
| Position Description: | Physically active position providing basic care for residents or patients in skilled nursing, rehabilitation or assisted living facilities. Some states may require a CNA2 license before working in a hospital setting. Also in demand for Personal Care or Home Health Aide positions too. Works under supervision of Registered Nurse.
Environment: generally works with the geriatric population, in nursing homes, retirement communities, assisted-living facilities, and home health settings. |
| Required Training: |
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| National Average Salary: | $26,590 per year $12.78 per hourOutlook: 11% growth |
| Job Title: | Certified Medication Assistant (CMA) (Med Tech) |
| Position Description: | CMA is detailed-oriented, organized, self-motivated, people-oriented person that organizes, administers and monitors patients’ medication needs. Documents dosages and times. Monitors patient’s vitals and reports back to Registered Nurse. Takes direction from and works under supervision of Registered Nurse.
Environment: generally works with the geriatric population, in hospitals, nursing homes, retirement communities, assisted-living facilities, and home health settings. |
| Required Training: |
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| National Average Salary: | $28,080 per year $13.50 per hourOutlook: 11% growth |
| Job Title: | Certified Nursing Assistant 2 (CNA2) |
| Position Description: | Physically active position providing basic care for residents or patients in hospitals, skilled nursing, rehabilitation or assisted living facilities. Assists Nursing staff by providing direct care to patients, and monitoring and reporting of patient’s condition. Works under direct supervision of Registered Nurse.
Environment: generally works with the geriatric population, in hospitals, nursing homes, retirement communities, assisted-living facilities, and home health settings. |
| Required Training: |
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| National Average Salary: | $29,743 per year $14.29 per hourOutlook: 11% growth |
| Job Title: | Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) |
| Position Description: | CMAs work directly with patients by escorting them to exam rooms, preparing them for the physician, interviewing them on medical information and take their vital signs, weight and height. Assist with administrative duties including scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing and coding for insurance. CMAs may also prepare, log and track blood, fluid and tissue samples for lab analysis.
Environment: Most medical assistants work in physicians’ offices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare facilities. |
| Required Training: |
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| National Average Salary: | $31,540 per year $15.17 per hourOutlook: 29% growth |
| Job Title: | Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides (PTAs) |
| Position Description: | PTAs work directly under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist. They help patients who are recovering from injuries and illnesses regain movement and manage pain. PTAs are very active and on their feet most of the time as they setup care stations for patients and work with patients on their physical recovery. They observe and document progress of patient treatment. Assist Physical Therapists in fitting patients with braces, prostheses, wheelchairs, crutches and other supportive devices.
Environment: Most PTAs work in Physical Therapy offices and facilities or in hospitals |
| Required Training: |
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| National Average Salary: | $45,290 per year $21.77 per hour Outlook: 30% growth |
Healthcare Career Paths
If you are interested in starting a career in the Healthcare field and don’t where to start or where you can go with your career, start with one of the jobs outlined above and plug them into Payscale’s Common Career Path area. (3) This will show you the possible paths of advancement in your career. We looked at the starting position of Home Health Aide (on the left of the image map below) and if you hover over a blue line it will show you the path you can follow to get to the next step of your career. In this case your next step might be a CNA1 with the next career move being a CNA2, Medical Assistant, Certified Medical Assistant, a Licensed Practical Nurse or even a Registered Nurse.
If you want to start your career as a CNA/CNA1 then search Payscale for a Certified Nursing Assistant and then look down the page for the career path for a CNA. You can look at this tool for any starting career point on the site.
Calling All Potential Healthcare Professionals- Conclusion
It cannot be stressed enough that the United States is going to be in a healthcare crisis in the next five to eight years as baby boomers retire at a rate of 10,000+ per day. We will not have enough healthcare workers to meet the needs of the wave of baby boomers. These healthcare professionals are those that work one-on-one with patients in the home, in group settings, in day care programs and in hospitals. The expected growth and pay in these fields will be significantly higher up to year 2026 with this anticipated retirement rate. Please consider work in one of these much needed careers or if you are looking to change careers the healthcare field would be a great choice to help service our aging population!
References:
- (1) CNBC – Health-care dilemma: 10,000 boomers retiring each day
- (2) Bureau of Labor and Statistics – Occupational Outlook Handbook
- (3) Payscale – get job description, salary information, training information and more
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing
- All Nursing Schools – Certified Nursing Programs (plus other nursing programs and training locations)
