Healthcare is an ever-expanding field. This is also a broad space with room for many professions and for those with particular skill sets.
With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, even more emphasis has been placed on recruiting potential candidates for healthcare roles. Even as we are still in the vaccination process as of 2021, and many unvaccinated people are still contracting the virus, the need for dedicated healthcare personnel has grown tremendously.
While there are numerous jobs available in the healthcare world, the top-paying jobs all require attending a 4 year medical school. But, there are a few professions that earn top dollar as well, and these careers don’t require the long-term obligation that medical school requires.
Here, we’ll explore 3 career paths that can earn you big money in the world of healthcare.
1. Nurse
One of the more popular careers to embark upon in the healthcare field is nursing. Nurses are the workhorses of just about every hospital around the world. It’s a nurse who does the majority of the hard work in a hospital setting, and these professionals also tend to work long hours.
In order to become a nurse, there are several educational paths you can choose from. The best plan is to attend a 4-year college and earn a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN). This will give you the greatest earning potential right out of college with an undergraduate degree.
Other methods are to attend a 2-year program, and earn an associates degree in nursing (ADN). Though most hospitals will prefer that a nurse has a Bachelor’s degree, a 2 year program can get you into a nursing career faster, but your job landing power won’t be as great.
In addition, though it depends on your education and location, a nurse has the potential to earn over 6 figures a year in the right setting. Regardless, most nurses start their careers earning over $60,000 per year.
2. Nurse Practitioner
A nurse practitioner often works alongside primary care physicians, and these nurses are also able to prescribe medication, diagnose illnesses, and recommend therapies or treatments for illnesses.
The nurse practitioner role requires a graduate degree in a particular field of nursing. Sometimes nurse practitioners are referred to as APRNs, or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse. These individuals go to graduate school and earn a Master’s degree in nursing with a particular specialty.
Additionally, some APRN specialty practices are found in pediatric units, women’s health, or these nurses can also be found working in research laboratories and in an academic setting.
The earning power for a nurse with a Master’s degree is on par with some physicians, as an APRN nurse can easily earn North of 6 figures per year.
3. Physician’s Assistant
Sometimes referred to as a Physician’s associate or PA, a Physician’s assistant is a mid-level healthcare provider, who, like a Nurse Practitioner, can diagnose illnesses, recommend or develop treatment plans for illnesses, and prescribe medications.
Unlike a medical doctor (MD) a PA does not need to attend medical school. In place of this, a prospective PA candidate upon graduating college usually finds work in a healthcare-related field such as that of a paramedic, nurse or the like. In addition, a physician’s assistant candidate will also need to attend an accredited 2-year PA program, which is essentially the same as getting a Master’s degree in a specific field.
Physician’s assistants work alongside medical doctors often but also can become primary care providers. And, the earning power a PA has can take you far in the healthcare field, generally starting out at over 115,000 per year, it just depends on the PA job opportunities available.
Any career in the healthcare industry can be a lucrative and rewarding one. As a first-responder, this is a respected profession across the globe and is capable of opening the door for numerous opportunities for those willing to put in the hard work and effort.