Get The Skills: 4 Quickly Growing Healthcare Jobs

Healthcare is a rapidly growing industry, representing 12 of the 30 fastest growing jobs in any profession, so whether you’re new to the work world or just looking for a change, healthcare is home to exciting prospects. To get an interview, though, first you’re going to have to get the skills. Despite its growth, healthcare is highly competitive and requires specialized education, even for entry-level jobs, so look into licensing guidelines.

With the right skills under your belt, any of these four exciting careers could be yours.

Home Health Aide

In recent years, aging adults have expressed a strong preference for aging in place – remaining in their homes when they might otherwise transition to assisted living facilities or nursing homes. In order to make this shift, however, healthcare needs to become less centralized, and that means we need more home health aides.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), this single field could see a 46.7% increase through 2026, which is over 425,000 new positions. Working as a home health aide can be a very physical job, but it’s also intimate and could be the perfect fit for young people who enjoy close social interaction as part of their work.

Medical Records Technicians

Last time you went to the doctor, you may have noticed that your old paper records had been replaced by a digital system or electronic healthcare records (EHRs). These systems are the new gold standard in record keeping, making it simpler for providers to communicate with patients and with each other, and to transfer records between locations. In order to keep them up and running, though, EHRs require a new class of tech professionals.

Medical records technicians (MRTs) manage records, including their ICD-10 coding, and perform system maintenance to make sure providers have access to patient information. Those in the field must have anatomy and physiology knowledge, as well as the technical skills needed for records maintenance and security, but this skill set will open up careers in private practices, major hospitals, and nursing homes.

Medical Marijuana

Medical marijuana remains an area of extreme legal contention, but that isn’t slowing down this industry’s growth. In fact, as CBD products become more mainstream, new cannabis farms are opening and money is flowing into research facilities. If you’re interested in cutting edge medical research, or even innovative farming practices, the medical marijuana industry may have a place for you.

Medical Imaging Technicians

Medical imaging – including x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and sonograms – make up a central part of our diagnostic infrastructure, but this work isn’t done by doctors or nurses. No, technicians, many of whom are only responsible for a single type of imaging, do the majority of medical imaging.

What are the job prospects in medical imaging? According to BLS, diagnostic sonographers are expected to see 17% job growth from 2016 to 2026, significantly faster than the average. Other radiology technicians, including MRI techs, are also in demand, with about 13% job growth expected over that same period.

Many of the fastest growing healthcare careers only require the educational equivalent of an associate’s degree, so don’t fret if you think these jobs are out of reach. With a limited amount of specialized training, you can be well on your way to an exciting new career in healthcare.