Healthcare Jobs are Among the Top 10-Fastest Growing Occupations in the U.S.

Healthful Vitality | 12/04/2019 | By Dr. Jyothi Shenoy | Healthcare Jobs- The Top 10-Fastest Growing Occupations

The latest report published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has projected favorable trends for the healthcare sector for the next decade. As a result, overall employment is expected to grow by 0.5% from 2018 to 2028. Here we discuss about healthcare jobs- the top 10-fastest growing occupations.

Though the employment growth is slower than the annual payroll growth rate of 0.8% witnessed from 2008 to 2018, the projected trends are encouraging, specifically for the healthcare sector.

Several occupations related to the medical field are projected to see remarkable growth. Also, a higher demand for job seekers soon. Here’s a brief discussion about the upcoming trends for employment in the healthcare sector:

The employment opportunities across various fields

According to the report published by the BLS, solar photovoltaic installers would see the maximum percentage rise in demand for jobs. However, the most significant gain in job opportunities is expected in the home health aide and personal care fields. These include jobs with a median wage of at least $24,200 or less.

Here is the list of the top 10 fastest-growing occupations from 2018 to 2028:

1. Speech-language pathologist         
2. Nurse practitioner    
3. Statistician
4. Physician assistant 
5. Information security analyst
6. Occupational therapy assistant       
7. Personal care aide
8. Home health aide   
9. Wind turbine service tech   
10. Solar photovoltaic installer   

The trends clearly indicate that the fastest-growing occupations over the next decade will include personal care aides, home health aides, and occupational therapy assistants.

What do these trends indicate?

It is estimated that solar photovoltaic installers would witness a 63.3% rise in job opportunities with an average median wage of $42,680. The employment growth in the wind turbine service tech sector would be around 56.9%, with a median wage of $54,370.

Although wind turbine techs and solar installers have topped the list of growing occupations, 6 of the top 10 occupations are related to healthcare.

These healthcare occupations include home health aides, occupational therapy assistants, personal care aides, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and speech-language pathologists.

The other fields expected to see good growth in employment are information security analysts and statisticians.

Expected share in job opportunities for healthcare service providers

The expected share in job opportunities for healthcare service providers is as follows:

• Speech-language pathologists: 27.3%
• Nurse practitioners: 28.2%
• Physician assistants: 31.1%
• Home health aides: 36.6%
• Occupational therapy assistants: 33.1%
• Personal care aides: 36.4%

These statistical data revealed that more than 50% of employment growth anticipates occurring in social assistance, health care, and private educational services. The aging population and the rise in the percentage of the population with chronic conditions are driving the growth in these healthcare services. Also, home health aides would once again be one of the fastest-growing occupations.

On the flip side, retail trade, wholesale trade, the federal government, utilities, and manufacturing might witness a decline in jobs. In addition, administrative support occupations predict to decline by a considerable share through 2028.

However, the sharp growth expected in healthcare has created a buzz among job seekers. Let us move further to get better insights into how the healthcare sector expects to improve in the next decade:

The upcoming job trends in the healthcare sector

Healthcare is exploding! The data released by the BLS has projected the medical field to be a booming industry. The BLS has estimated a growth rate of 18% in healthcare occupations by the end of the next decade. This estimate could mean more than 2.4 million new jobs.

Also, we can not deny that working in healthcare is a rewarding and noble experience. However, knowing that this occupation can also offer you the best chance for career growth can be encouraging.

The uncertain job market we face today can help you feel good and confident when you know you are heading into a career that promises continual work and a steady paycheck. These encouraging trends in the healthcare sector can be attributed to several reasons, as explained beneath:

• The percentage of the aging population is increasing due to factors such as improved medical facilities and advancements in treatments and diagnosis. This means there will be an increasing number of people in the older age groups, who will be living longer and so, have more healthcare needs.

A rise in the demand for medical services

As discussed above, there will be a rise in the demand for medical services that can have a beneficial impact on the people who wish to work in the healthcare industries.

• Most patients need in-person healthcare services that have to be provided by being physically present with the patient. This means jobs in the healthcare sector are harder to export to other countries having lower labor costs. These jobs are expected to stay within the country without the fear of loss of opportunities to other countries.
• Employment in residential or home healthcare would increase rapidly due to the rise in life expectancies and the increasing demand of the aging population for long-term care facilities.
• Advancements in medical technology have increased the number of patients who can survive illnesses and injuries that were once considered fatal or incurable. These patients often require long-term treatments and care.
• New medical breakthroughs have made it possible to detect conditions such as cancer and diabetes at an early stage. Most of these conditions were previously detected only when serious complications developed leading to fatal consequences.

The need for long-term care and more jobs in the healthcare sector

Early detection of these diseases can improve patients’ chances of survival and complete recovery. In addition, this need can lead to the need for long-term care from registered physicians, home nurses, physical therapists, and other medical professionals to improve the results of treatments, thereby creating more jobs in the healthcare sector. 

• Integrated health systems and medical group practices are expected to become larger and complex thus creating the need for administrative assistance.
• Industry growth may also occur due to the shift from inpatient care to less expensive home or outpatient healthcare. This is expected to occur as a result of the improvement in surgical procedures and diagnostic tests.
• The roles of nurse practitioners and physician assistants are expected to rise by 39%. It involves coordinating patient care while working on a team of surgeons, physicians, and other healthcare workers.
• The employment for pharmacy technicians would increase in the next few decades given the rising demand for medications and other medical tools and equipment.
• There would be better opportunities for surgical technicians who are considered valuable team players during surgeries as well as the right hand of surgeons. With the advancement in surgical procedures, there would be more surgical procedures carried out to treat patients making way for job creation for these professionals.   

Conclusion

Several factors would contribute to the rise in the demand for healthcare services, thereby creating job opportunities across various sectors of the healthcare field. In addition, newer opportunities within the healthcare sector may also emerge, keeping in line with the patients’ inclination towards receiving medical care at home. Indeed, these projections by BLS have definitely brought about the healthcare sector as one of the most lucrative careers you can pursue.

(Related Articles: 7 High Demand Careers for 2019-2029 and 4 High Demand Fastest Growing Jobs That Pay Over 100k a Year for 2019-2029)