Trends in Healthcare Jobs

For some time, the United States has been aware that healthcare jobs are in an upward trend. One major reason for this is the aging Baby Boomers, who are starting to develop health concerns such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, heart disease and stroke. Some of the people with these conditions, such as Alzheimer’s, will eventually require round-the-clock care of a nurse or certified nurse’s aide.

According to MyKelly, health care jobs will rise a whopping 19 percent through the year 2023. Other studies put the numbers a little higher or a little lower, but the implication is clear: If you want a job where you will almost always be able to find a position, look at healthcare jobs.

Types of Jobs

When you are looking for healthcare jobs, it’s important to follow the trends. Not all jobs will skyrocket, and some may even become obsolete. Take nursing, for example. Jobs for licensed practical nurses are dwindling. This is because in many states, certified nurse’s assistants are now licensed to do many of the things that LPNs used to do, and CNAs earn less money. Some hospitals do not even hire LPNs. Registered nurses, though, are more highly trained and continue to be in demand with high salaries and sign-on bonuses.

There are plenty of jobs for CNAs, but the pay is often poor, and you may find yourself job-hopping to get a few more cents an hour. Many CNAs in the nursing-home setting report getting little respect. If you want to be a CNA, try working in a private setting or a high-end agency that provides care to older adults who would rather remain in their homes than go to a nursing home.

Another of the many healthcare jobs that once had a hot future is a pharmaceutical technician. Today, however, these jobs are harder to come by. Too many schools offered pharmaceutical programs and the supply began to outpace the demand. Also, people who found a good job tended to stay there. As the population continues to age, work in pharmaceuticals will probably become prominent again, but for the time being, it’s probably not your best bet.

Credit: Evan Bench via Flickr

A promising job in healthcare is a physician’s receptionist, record keeper or clerk. Even though many of these jobs can be done electronically, many patients still prefer the personal touch. Unless you are transcribing documents or recording diagnoses, you probably won’t need to take a lot of expensive classes to perform these duties.

Finally, information technology is a fast-growing job in the healthcare field. Many tests are administered electronically. This would seem to be bad news for workers in healthcare jobs, but it isn’t. Companies still need humans to design the machines, to build certain parts, and to repair them when they break down.

We’ve all known for some time that healthcare jobs would outstrip all the other types of jobs in the United States, although no one predicted that it would come as soon as 2017. If you are looking for your first job or if you need to change jobs, consider the field of healthcare. It’s unlikely to lead you astray.