From 2018 to 2028, the healthcare industry is estimated to grow from 8.4 million jobs to 169.4 million jobs.
That’s a projected employment growth of around 14%. Healthcare is one of the fastest-growing industries, filled with opportunities.
If you’re considering changing jobs, then now is the ideal time to start a career in healthcare. All you need is to ensure you have the required qualifications for the profession you’re interested in. However, some healthcare jobs require more rigorous education and training than others.
Are you curious about what types of easy jobs in the medical field are out there? Then keep reading, because we’ve put together a list of the top five easiest healthcare professions to get into.
1. Home Health Aide
Median annual wage: $24,060
Projected job growth through 2028: 36%
Home health aides are also known as personal care aides. They help people who have disabilities, chronic illnesses, or cognitive impairment. A home health aide assists people in their day-to-day activities.
A typical day for a home health aide might be providing housekeeping to the patient. A home health aide might even have to go shopping for food, and then prepare and serve meals to the patient. It’s also common for home health aides to help patients with bathing and dressing.
Other responsibilities for a home health aide include helping a patient with taking their medications. It’s also expected that a home health aide will change any bandages for the patient, and keep a running record of their vital signs, such as their temperature or blood pressure.
You will find home health aides working in:
- client homes
- group homes
- day service programs
A home health aide requires a high school diploma. If you plan to work in certified home health or a hospice, you must complete formal training through home health aide classes and pass a standardized test.
2. Optician
Median annual wage: $37,010
Projected job growth through 2028: 7%
Opticians help with fitting eyeglasses and contact lenses. They follow prescriptions from ophthalmologists and optometrists. Opticians are sometimes known as a Dispensing Optician.
Some other responsibilities that an optician must tend to are:
- measuring the customer’s ocular area
- recommending eyewear based on the customer’s style, face, and prescription
- fitting frames to the customer
- preparing work orders for the manufacturing of lenses
- maintaining a running inventory of frames and contact lenses
- repairing broken frames
- administrative duties
Most opticians work in the offices of optometrists or physicians. However, many other opticians work in stores that sell eyeglasses and contact lenses.
To be an optician, you must have a high school diploma. You will also need to complete on-the-job training. Many opticians acquire an associate’s degree to enter the occupation.
3. Pharmacy Technician
Median annual wage: $32,700
Projected job growth through 2028: 7%
A pharmacy technician assists pharmacists in the dispensation of prescription medication to health professionals, or as a direct line to customers.
Pharmacy technicians are often in charge of sterilizing the office at the start of each workday. The countertops, scales, pill counting trays, and more must all be sterilized and kept clean.
The average day of a pharmacy technician involves greeting customers and processing prescriptions. They must input the prescription date into the computer and take down information for the patient’s insurance. The pharmacy technician can then fill the prescription and sell it to the patient.
If you wish to be a pharmacy technician, you must be able to cope with a fast-paced environment and have great customer service skills. Other miscellaneous duties a pharmacy technician must attend to are:
- bookkeeping
- administrative tasks
- inventory
- stocking
- data entry
Pharmacy technicians work in pharmacies. These pharmacies can be standalone buildings, or are often found inside:
- grocery stores
- drug stores
- hospitals
Pharmacy technicians must have a high school diploma and often learn their duties via on-the-job training. Many complete a postsecondary education program focused on pharmacy technology.
4. Veterinary Assistant
Median annual wage: $27,540
Projected job growth through 2028: 19%
A veterinary assistant handles routine animal care and helps veterinarians with their day-to-day operations.
The average workday involves the veterinary assistant having to feed, bathe, and exercise some of the animals that are being boarded there for longer than a few hours. A veterinary assistant must also disinfect the cages, kennels, examination rooms, and operating rooms.
It’s also important for a veterinary assistant to monitor an animal after it has come out of surgery. This is to ensure nothing happens during the animal’s recovery process, such as having difficulty breathing as a side effect of the anesthesia.
Veterinary assistants can be found working in:
- clinics
- animal hospitals
- research laboratories
If you wish to become a veterinary assistant, you must have a high school diploma. You are then expected to learn your duties while on the job.
5. Dental Hygienist
Median annual wage: $74,820
Projected job growth through 2028: 11%
A dental hygienist examines the oral health of a patient. They check for signs of oral diseases and give preventive care by cleaning the teeth.
A dental hygienist is often expected to conduct patient screening procedures. This means they assess the state of the patient’s oral health, look at their health history, and may even do dental charting.
Dental hygienists also help with taking dental radiographs, which is an x-ray for your teeth. They will often be present during oral surgery to assist the dentist. They often take over from the dentist for more simple procedures, such as removing plaque from the teeth and applying sealants to help prevent future cavities from forming.
Most dental hygienists work in the office of a dentist.
To become a dental hygienist, you need an associate’s degree in dental hygiene, at minimum. All states require a dental hygienist to have a license in the field.
Easy Jobs in the Medical Field Await You
We hope this top list of easy jobs in the medical field provided you with some ideas on a possible career change that will suit you. The healthcare industry is experiencing rapid growth and isn’t expected to slow down any time soon.
If you’re thinking of switching careers and joining the medical field, now is the time. Many jobs require less than two years of education and earn a decent annual income.
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