With an increasingly sick aging population and a surge in chronic illnesses, there is a high demand today for passionate, hard-working individuals to work in healthcare. Healthcare is an ever-expanding field with countless job opportunities and career paths. That is why one of the best ways to help others, invest in your future, and obtain financial security for yourself is to invest in health degrees.
Types of Health Degrees
There is a wide variety of in-demand health degrees with different salaries, specializations, and educational requirements. The majority can be obtained through accredited technical programs, junior colleges, or at the university level. There are options for everyone depending on individual needs, interests, and desires.
Diplomas and Technical Certificates
For example, there are healthcare careers that do not require a higher education and can be easily obtained under two years through an accredited technical or community college program. These starter careers are a great way to get your foot in the door within the field. Career paths such as certified nursing assistants or medical assistants often only require a diploma or certificate. The average pay for these careers in the United States can range up to $35,000. On the higher end, a certificate in dental hygiene can lead to a salary of up to $72,000 per year.
To apply for these programs, mainly a high school diploma and a tuition fee is needed.
Associate’s Degrees
For those who desire greater role responsibilities and career options, an associate’s degree such as in registered nursing, physical therapy assistant, or radiology and surgical technician can be a great investment. Community and private colleges everywhere frequently offer these degrees on a consistent basis due to its high demand. The average salary for an associate’s degree in these fields can increase up to $67,000 or more if working in a hospital. Additionally, if you are in an expensive part of the country such as California, an associate’s in nursing specializing in critical care can become a six-figure salary with just a few years of experience!
Bachelor’s Degrees and Graduate School
Furthermore, a higher education is absolutely necessary for career paths such as public health, dentistry, medicine, physical therapy, optometry, and many more. These health degrees allow you to act within supervisory roles with greater flexibility, responsibilities, and independence in your health practice. The pay is closer to or above six figures. An extra bonus is that these degrees will grant you access to leadership government roles in public health and policy development.
For an associate’s and bachelor’s degree, prerequisite classes are often mandatory prior to enrollment in the program itself. For master’s and doctorate degrees, you will need to obtain a four-year bachelor’s first and it will also be helpful to have work experience in healthcare beforehand. To start your career path into healthcare, a simple Google search will show all the available local programs and colleges in your area. Each school may have their own requirements so it is important for you to research them in detail prior to applying.
Overall, investing in high demand health degrees is a sure fire way to secure future financial stability and career potential for yourself in addition to allowing you to aid the current healthcare crises. Although it may be difficult at first to start the process of obtaining a health degree, you will find down the line that it will be worth it. Start investing in yourself now by contacting your local schools for more information.