Healthcare is the single best industry that you can enter for your career. The reasons are simple. No other industry gives you higher than average salaries, excellent benefits, personal satisfaction that you’re helping others, rock-solid job security, and numerous promotion opportunities quite like the healthcare field does. As a result, entering the field is almost a no brainer for many people. But within the healthcare field there are numerous specialties worth considering. It’s important to pick one that interests you, but knowing more about which are the very best is a good idea as well.
The following list is of the ten best degree specialties within the healthcare field. Remember that this is based upon employee satisfaction, job growth, job demand, salary average, and in some instances on the ratio of career benefits to degree requirements. These aren’t the highest paying jobs – although some of them are – but are instead a list that uses all of the preceding factors and weighs them equally. Find the one that matches your interests and is on the list, and you’ll be heading towards a career you’ll love.
- Dental Hygienist – These are the professionals who clean your teeth before the dentist examines them. It’s a two year program that lets you enter the market and find employment fast. Demand is high and salaries are excellent.
- Surgical Technologist – This career puts you in the OR with a skilled surgeon, essentially helping them with the procedure. It pays well and provides an exciting career without requiring almost a decade of education.
- Respiratory Therapist – This allows you to administer breathing treatments to those who need them and pays well above the national salary average. It’s also an in demand career that requires only two years of training on the average.
- Anesthesiologist – These professionals apply and monitor anesthesia. It’s one of the most high-paying positions in all of medicine, sometimes matching a surgeon. The drawback is that, like surgery, it takes a very long time in order to earn the degree, but the salary and the demand makes it worth consideration.
- Dermatologist – This is one of the highest paying specialties out there and is also one of the fastest growing. Dermatologists can earn up to nearly 400,000 per year. The education requirements are more significant, but it’s one area that is well worth pondering.
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer – One of the most in demand jobs at the moment, this one also requires only two years of education and will pay out tremendously in terms of personal rewards and financial ones.
- Podiatrists – By focusing on the foot and ankle, these doctors carve out a niche for themselves and earn some of the top salaries in the country. It takes commitment to become one, but it’s worth it in the end.
- Pediatricians – No matter where you live, pediatricians always seem to be in demand. They focus on providing children with health care and can earn an average of around 171,000 dollars per year.
- Cardiologist – A Cardiologist can earn up to half a million dollars annually, though you should be prepared to stay in school for a considerable amount of time since it will require years of education in order to enter the field. They specialize in diseases and conditions that affect the heart.
- Dentist – This is another one that requires many years of school but will pay off in the end with high salaries and excellent job stability.
Obviously this is just a short list, and obviously there are many other options out there. If you’re looking for a career in healthcare, however, it’s a good starting point. Determine how long you want to devote to school for a larger payout and you’ll be able to determine which is the right call for you.
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