Careers in Healthcare: 7 Reasons to Work in the Healthcare Industry

Updated on August 24, 2019

There are approximately 16 million medical jobs available in the U.S. right now, and one in eight people are employed by the healthcare industry.

If you’re a student trying to decide what kind of career to pursue, you definitely ought to consider a career in healthcare.

Not sure if healthcare is the right fit for you? You might change your mind when you learn about all the perks these kinds of careers have to offer.

Listed below are seven reasons why careers in healthcare are good options to consider.

1. Lots of Job Opportunities

The healthcare industry employs more people than almost any other industries. There are tons of new jobs added all the time, too.

As more Americans age and/or begin struggling with chronic health issues, there’s a growing demand for more people to work in healthcare to address all their different needs.

If you want a career that comes with tons of job opportunities, a healthcare career is definitely a good one to consider.

2. High Levels of Job Satisfaction

In addition to having an easier time finding a job, working in healthcare also yields higher levels of job satisfaction for a lot of workers.

Many people who work in healthcare, although they acknowledge that their job can be difficult, enjoy the challenges it presents and are happy to have work that leaves them feeling fulfilled and happy.

3. Opportunities for All Education Levels

You don’t have to go to school for years and years in order to work in healthcare. There are opportunities for people of all education levels.

It doesn’t matter if you want to complete a six-month certification program or go all the way and try to become a doctor. Either way, there are plenty of options for you.

4. High Earning Potential

Many healthcare careers come with high earning potential as well. The salaries and benefits packages for a lot of careers in the healthcare industry are very competitive, and they’re likely to get better in the near future as the demand for qualified medical professionals continues to increase.

5. Flexible Schedules

This isn’t the case with every healthcare career, but a lot of them provide workers with flexible schedules.

If you have children or plan to have them in the future and want a job that makes it easy for you to still care for them and get them where they need to go, certain careers in healthcare, such as nursing, that are good options.

6. Opportunity for Growth

When you take on a career in healthcare, you have lots of opportunities to move up the ladder and take on new responsibilities. Sometimes, employers will even pay for their employees to receive additional education so they can do more and receive a higher salary.

You won’t have to worry about being stagnant for long when you take on a career in the healthcare industry.

7. Impact People in a Positive Way

Last, but certainly not least, working in healthcare gives you an opportunity to have a positive influence on people’s lives.

You’ll get to work with people when they’re in a vulnerable state, and you have lots of chances to brighten their days and help them to feel a little better about their current situation.

Even when patients are just coming in for a checkup or need help with something simple, you can still be of service and make a difference in their lives.

Types of Careers in Healthcare

Are the benefits of a career in healthcare starting to appeal to you? Are you starting to wonder what kind of healthcare career you might want to consider?

Contrary to popular belief, there is much more that you can do in the medical field beyond working as a nurse or a doctor. Some other viable options that might interest you include the following:

Physical Therapist

Physical therapists work with patients and help them overcome long-term injuries and illnesses. They help to correct issues with their mobility and work to minimize their pain so they can enjoy a higher quality of life.

Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapists work with patients who are injured or disabled in some way. They help them learn to complete activities of daily living on their own so they can live independently and begin to recover or make improvements to their current condition.

Respiratory Therapist

A respiratory therapist works with individuals who struggle with respiratory disorders such as asthma or severe allergies. They help them improve their breathing and get to the root of what’s causing their symptoms.

Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians fill prescriptions and administer them to patients after they’ve been to the doctor’s office. It often takes less than a year to get certified for this career, that there are tons of job options available throughout the country. 

Radiology Technician

Radiology technicians are responsible for positioning patients and helping them to feel comfortable in order to get high-quality, easy-to-read x-ray images for radiologists and physicians.

It doesn’t take long to become certified as a radiology technician, but you do have to participate in Scrubs Continuing Education courses and other courses to maintain your license.

Healthcare Administrator

Even if you don’t want to work one-on-one with patients, you can still work in the medical field as a healthcare administrator. Healthcare administrators are responsible for handling a lot of the behind-the-scenes work at hospitals and medical clinics and make sure they run smoothly.

Learn More About These Careers Today

As you can see, there are lots of reasons why you might want to start looking into careers in healthcare.

Remember, too, that you don’t have to go to school for years in order to work in the medical field. Whether you’re looking for a short certificate program or decide you want to go to medical school, there’s a healthcare career that is a good fit for you. 

If you’re interested in learning about other healthcare careers and what life looks like after graduation, we have lots of helpful articles on our site that you might want to check out. Visit the Careers section today for more information.

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Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.