After the Great Recession, many of the new jobs created have been low-paying positions with no benefits or real chances at advancement. However, this hasn’t been the case in every industry. The healthcare industry is growing rapidly and offers numerous careers that are currently in high demand, lead to generous compensation and a secure future filled with ample opportunities for advancement.
According to a Forbes article, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest ten-year projections for industry growth, dating from 2014 to 2024, predicts that health care will produce one in three of the net new jobs in the U.S. Along with this, an aging us population combined with heavily expanded insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, will inevitably and significantly increase demand when it comes to health care jobs. As we move towards 2024, whether you’re simply interested in working in the field or you’re an employer trying to decide where to take your organization next, it can be beneficial to learn about which jobs are in the highest demand today, along with which jobs will be the hottest tomorrow. By knowing which jobs are in high demand or are likely to grow in demand, you can better position yourself or your organization for the future.
Top 5 Fastest-Growing Jobs by 2024
Registered Nurse – 16% increase
Not surprising, one of the most in-demand careers in the entire US (not just the healthcare sector) is registered nursing. In fact, according to Monster, US registered nurses are predicted to generate over 580,00 new jobs by 2016. This excludes the hundreds of thousands of additional jobs that will be created when older nurses retire. Recruiting for nursing is also expected to pick up a lot of steam in order to keep up with the rise in demand. As an healthcare employer, it’s critical that you have enough nurses on your team to maintain employee moral, consistently provide high quality care and avoid spreading your employees too thinly.
Home Health Aides – 38% increase
Home health aides, also known as personal care assistants, will also be in high demand in the coming years. One reason for this is that the baby boomer generation is aging and will be leaving the workforce in mass sooner rather than later. This means that there will eventually be a much larger elderly population requiring care. Many of those elderly patients will choose to remain at home, which will require a PCA or home health aide. Home health aides provide various forms of care to their patients, including checking vital signs, administering medicine, and helping with daily everyday tasks.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 38 percent increase in demand over the next 10 years, compared to 23 percent projected growth for all other healthcare support occupations.
View our home health recruiters
Need top Healthcare talent?
Get in touch with us today to talk to a recruiter.
Medical Assistants – 24% increase
Medical assistant are similar to nurses, but provide slightly different services and typically work under registered nurses. Medical assistants often take medical histories and record vital signs of patients. Along with that they complete administrative and clinical tasks in the offices of physicians, hospitals and other healthcare facilities. However, their duties may vary, depending on where they work.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that medical assistants will experience a 24 percent increase in demand over the next 10 years. The bureau attributes their forecast to the growth of the aging baby-boomer population. Additionally, as physicians’ practices expand they will need to hire more assistants to perform routine administrative and clinical duties, allowing physicians to see more patients.
Audiologists – 29% increase
Audiologists are also in high demand. An audiologist is a healthcare professional specializing in identifying, diagnosing, treating and monitoring disorders of the auditory and vestibular system portions of the ear. Audiologists are typically training to diagnose, manage and/or treat hearing, tinnitus or balance problems.
According to a Best Health Degrees article, the Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a bright job outlook for audiologists in the next few years. The Bureau forecasts a growth rate of 29 percent, which is much faster than average. One reason for this increase in demand is that hearing loss increases as people age, so the aging population is likely to increase demand for audiologists. Another reason is that the early identification and diagnosis of hearing disorders in infants may also spur employment growth. This 29 percent is compared to only a 17 percent project increase when it comes to health diagnosing and treating practitioners and only a 7 percent projected growth rate for all healthcare occupations.
Pharmacy Technicians – 16% increase
The last occupation we will focus on is the pharmacy technician role. Pharmacy technicians provide a crucial medical service, helping pharmacists dispense prescription medication to customers or health professionals. Typically, pharmacy technicians work in pharmacies, including those found in grocery stores, drug stores and hospitals.
Like the other professions in this blog, employment of pharmacy technicians is expected to grow by up to 16 percent, which is faster than average for all occupations. The Bureau of Labor statistics highlights a few factors that will lead to increased demand for prescription medications and the pharmacy technicians who fill them. Again, the factor driving demand growth is America’s large aging population and, with that, older people typically use more prescription medications than younger people. Chronic disease rates such as diabetes among all age groups is also expected to increase, which will lead to increased demand for prescription medications. Lastly, advances in pharmaceutical research will allow for more prescription medications to be used to effectively fight diseases.
View our pharmacy recruiters page
Finding the Right Position
Determining which position is right for you is the first step towards a challenging, yet fruitful career in the healthcare industry. By pursuing an occupation that is currently in high demand or will be in high demand in the future, you can help ensure that you always have a well-paying job with opportunities for advancement. According to Forbes, about five million new healthcare jobs will be created by 2022, which makes it a great field for students, new graduates and recruiters to take part in.
If you’re an employer, gaining insight into which jobs will in the highest demand in the future gives you an opportunity to adjust your hiring priorities accordingly. That way, you’ll be better prepared when the time comes to compete with organizations for these five occupations.
Employment Projections Data For Top 5 Fastest Growing Healthcare Jobs, 2014-2024
| Change, 2014-2024 | |||||
| Occupational Title | Soc Code | Employment, 2014 | Projected Employment, 2024 | Percent | Numeric |
| Registered nurses | 29-1141 | 2,751,000 | 3,190,300 | 16 | 439,000 |
| Home health aides | 31-1011 | 913,500 | 1,261,900 | 38 | 348,400 |
| Medical assistants | 31-9092 | 591,300 | 730,200 | 23 | 138,900 |
| Audiologists | 29-1181 | 13,200 | 16,900 | 29 | 3,800 |
| Pharmacy technicians | 29-2052 | 372,500 | 432,100 | 16 | 59,600 |
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
Is your organization in need of a new Healthcare hire?
Get in touch with us today to get started.
Image Credits: forum.lowyat.net