Below is a guest post from Sandra Mills where she talks about career prospects in the hot and growing health care field. Some great tips and stats in here.
Finding a job these days can be insanely hard/annoying/stressful. Some people have been out of work for two years or more after being laid off and are still in the process of searching for a job. If you’re in a hurry to get a job, there are a number of health care careers that you can look into that are in demand and typically involve a shorter amount of training to get there.
1. Nursing
Nursing is one of the most in-demand and fastest growing health care careers right now. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) noted that there were 738,400 jobs for nurses nationwide. The BLS projects the number of jobs for licensed practical nurses (LPN) will grow by 25 percent from 2012 until 2022. This rate is much faster than average. As an LPN, you can expect to make about $19.97 per hour or $41,540 per year.
The job outlook for registered nurses (RN) is promising as well, considering the number of jobs as of 2012 was 2,711,500, and the field is expected to grow at rate of 19 percent until 2022. The average pay for an RN is $65,470 per year. This is the same as $31.48 per hour.
Hospitals, doctor’s offices, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and various other medical facilities hire nurses, so you’ll have numerous options on where to apply, which will make your job search short. Depending on whether you’re in an LPN or RN program, you can have your degree in as little as one or two years.
2. Medical Assistant
The role of a medical assistant (MA) is to complete clerical work and basic clinical tasks to assist physicians. Some common responsibilities include taking a patient’s weight, height and vitals. Drawing blood, giving medications and certain injections are sometimes duties of the medical assistant. As of 2012, there were 560,800 jobs for MAs. This number is projected to grow by 31 percent until 2020.
Besides the much faster than average projected job growth, jobs for MAs are in a variety of locations such as in the offices of podiatrists, pediatricians, family doctors and etc. Median pay for an MA is $29,370, as per statistics provided by the BLS. The annual salary is the same as $14.12 per hour. Program lengths vary, but you can very likely get your medical assistant degree in as little as one year.
3. Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy technicians are one of the health care careers that require only a short job search. Although you’re limited on your options of employment locations besides pharmacies, this particular health care job is plentiful with opportunities. In fact, in 2012, the BLS reported 315,500 jobs throughout the United States. The BLS indicates this number will continue to rise over the course of a decade since there’s expected to be a 20-percent job growth from 2012 until 2022.
As long as you hold the necessary credentials, finding a job when you’re a pharmacy technician isn’t difficult. Statistics from the BLS denote the average salary of a pharmacy tech is $29,320 per year, which is equivalent to $14.10 per hour. You can be out in the work force fairly quickly, taking anywhere from three months to a year to become certified.
4. Medical Records and Health Information Technician
Medical records and health information technicians organize health care information. They’re in charge of managing it and ensuring that it’s accurate and up to date. Additionally, health information technicians are responsible for making sure the information remains secure. The average salary for a medical records technician is $34,160 per year or $16.42 per hour.
The BLS reports there were 183,300 jobs for these individuals as of 2012. The number is projected to grow by 22 percent, which is faster than average. Depending up on the program, as little as three to four semesters to complete your degree.
5. Dental Assistant
A good dental assistant is invaluable in any dental office. Dental Assistants are responsible for assisting a dentist during chair-side dental procedures as well as by taking x-rays, record keeping, supplying patient care as well as other important duties within the dental office. The average dental assist earns $34,500 per year, which is the same as $16.59 per hour.
In 2012, the BLS’s statistics show there were 303,200 jobs for dental assistants as of 2012. The BLS forecasts a 25-percent growth in jobs until 2022. You can be one of those dental assistants in six months to a year if you work hard enough.
Author Bio:
Sandra Mills is a freelance education, healthcare, and career writer. Sandra has written many articles on career advancement and job searching. You can follow her on twitter @sandramills63.
Photo: Paul Bica
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