How Much Can You Earn with a Healthcare Degree?

 

How Much Can I Earn with a Healthcare Degree? 

If you want a career that lets you help others while making a serious salary, Healthcare offers a lot of options.

A degree in healthcare will likely make your money account extremely happy, regardless of your plans to attend medical school or earn an associate's degree.

As an example, check out our ranking of the Best Online Medical Sonography Schools.

Highest Paying Healthcare Careers.

There are many diverse occupations in the vast field of healthcare that can pay well. Visit the College Choice Healthcare website to find out more. Let's examine some of the positions that have the most potential for income:

Orthopedic Surgeon.

It probably comes as no surprise that surgeons are among the highest-paid Healthcare professionals. For example, in 2017 an orthopedic surgeon could earn $489,000. The trade-off? The education and training required are not for the faint of heart. Here’s how it breaks down:

• Bachelor’s degree: 4 years
• Medical school: 4 years
• Pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination
• Orthopedic surgery residence program: 5 years
• Practice in the field: 2 years
• Pass the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery Certification exams

That’s at least 15 years from your first day of college to the day you’re eligible for board certification!

Physician Assistant.

Looking for another great option in Healthcare – one that won’t take 15 years? Physician assistants work closely with doctors and patients in all areas of medicine, and they earn a median salary of $101,480.

A bachelor's degree in a science-related discipline and a master's degree in the same field are prerequisites for becoming a physician assistant.Previous patient-care experience is sometimes a prerequisite – volunteer work could fill the requirement if you don’t already have Healthcare experience.

Radiation Therapist.

If you are detail-oriented and comfortable with technology, you might have a bright future as a radiation therapist. The median salary for this career is $80,160 a year, and you can get started in just a few years with an associate or bachelor’s degree.

Radiation therapists work closely with doctors and nurses to treat patients with cancer, so this is a career that will allow you to really make a difference while making a great salary.

Fastest Growing Jobs.

Almost all job types in the healthcare industry will expand more quickly than those in other industries between 2016 and 2026.If you want to be confident that your degree will be in high demand, check out the Healthcare roles that are expected to experience the most growth:

Genetic Counselors.

New advances in genomics and medical technology will lead to lots of new Healthcare opportunities. For genetic counselors, employment is projected to grow 28 percent by 2026. According to the BLS, this is much faster than the average rate of growth for all occupations.

Genetic counselors help patients who are concerned about genetic disorders and other inheritable conditions. If this sounds like the career for you, you’ll need a master’s degree in genetics or genetic counseling, and you’ll probably need to become certified in your state. The top paid genetic counselors report making over $100,000 year, while the median compensation is $74,120.

Home Health Aides.

One of the fastest growing jobs in Healthcare is also one of the lowest paying. The projected growth in employment for home health aides is 40 percent by 2026!

While they will be in high demand, thanks to the aging baby boomer generation, the median salary for home health aides is $22,170 per year, and tops out around $30,000 for the highest paid workers.

This is partially due to the fact that the majority of states only need on-the-job training for home health aides, with other states requiring very minimal training at all.On the other hand, some states require formal training from vocational schools or community colleges.