How Many Jobs Are Available In Health Care?

Are you wondering: How many jobs are available in health care? Many who seek to build a career in the health sector want to know.

Aside from doctors, nurses, and lab scientists, there are several other job opportunities for other professionals in the healthcare industry.

There are currently over 2 million jobs in health care, which is expected to grow by 13% between 2021 and 2031.

This predicted increase is due to the continuous expansion of the sector. Another driving force is the need to fill the positions of late and retired workers.

The jobs available in health care include Anesthesiology, Cardiovascular medicine, Dentistry, Genetics, etc.

The healthcare industry is expanding at an exponential rate in the US. The truth about this assertion is one of the things you’ll learn in this piece.

Also, you’d know about the number of jobs available in health care, the fields with the highest and lowest openings, and more.

How Many Jobs Are Available in Health Care?

The employment opportunities offers in the healthcare industry differ for every section of the industry.

The factors determining which area has more job openings than others are job responsibility, salary, location, and more.

Nonetheless, there are over 2 million jobs in the healthcare sector, so there’s something for everyone.

Some of the sections with high job availability are as follows:

Medical Practice

This section includes physicians and physician assistants (PA). The physicians are generally known as medical doctors. They study as an undergraduate for about six years in college to get a medical degree. 

Different types of physicians exist. They include family medicine physicians, emergency room physicians, gynecologists, pediatricians, etc.

In the early second quarter of 2022, there were about 1.07 million physicians in the United States.

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On the other hand, the physician assistant (PA) holds a higher level qualification, such as a master’s degree.

Thus, he can provide better care by making diagnoses, developing treatment plans, giving prescriptions, and more. A PA in the US can handle both young and old patients. 

About 11,000 PAs graduate annually in the United States, and there are about 148,000 PAs as of early 2023.

This figure puts the total number of physicians and PAs who cater to the country’s health needs of about 340 million people at less than 2 million. Therefore, the job of a medical doctor or PA is highly in demand.

Mental Health

Workers in this industry section include social workers with expertise in mental health, mental health nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, and divisional therapists.

Every year, about 159 thousand psychology graduates are produced in the US. This limits the opportunity to build a career in mental health.

However, there is an increase in mental health awareness globally as different communities of mental health experts seek to better the lives of individuals.

This means that this field will always have a need for professionals. Although, there is tough competition among the numerous experts, which makes advanced studies a necessary tool for building a career.

Administration

Every industry has an administrative section, and health care is no different. In 2020, the US Department of Labor and Statistics predicted a 32% increase in healthcare managers and administrators within a decade.

The administrative section comprises clinical administrators, hospital administrators, health records administrators, program managers, and medical secretaries.

Nursing is the lagers profession in the medical industry in the US. According to statistics, the US boasts more than 4 million registered nurses.

Out of these multitudes, about 80 percent of them are employed. This means there is competition in this sector while the demand for nurses keeps increasing. 

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As a developed nation, there is an increased life expectancy rate. This gives rise to an increased population of seniors who need nurses’ care.

Also, the continuous expansion of the medical industry increases the demand for nurses.

However, nursing is divided in to several categories, and the demand for each is different. They are; registered nurses, assistants in nursing, veterinary nurse, mental health nurse, clinical nurse, enrolled nurses, midwives, and more.

Nutrition

Nutrition is another sector to look at when researching the number of jobs available in health care. We eat and drink every day to stay alive.

However, what we eat and how we combine different kinds and classes of food could make or mar our health. Nutritionist is experts who help people to eat well and stay healthy.

Professionals in this section include; nutritionists, dietitians, and nutrition assistants. Some people might need clarification on the three, but they are different.

A nutritionist is more of a food counselor who advises on the choice of food to make. 

On the other hand, dieticians are experts who know about the metabolism of food in the body.

Therefore, they can assist people with medical conditions that can be remedied by managing their diet, e.g., obesity.

With the growing statistics of obese US residents, there are many jobs for nutrition experts.

Some nutritionists and dieticians help people manage their food-related health issues on social media platforms and via the internet.

Allied Health Specialization

An allied health specialist focuses on a single part of the human body after graduating from college as a medical doctor.

Professionals here include audiologists, podiatrists, optometrists, and speech pathologists. There are tons of employment opportunities in this field.

Pharmacy

Pharmacists understand the chemistry of drugs, and a career opportunity here is always available.

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The primary role of pharmacists is to research new and better pharmaceuticals to cure terminal conditions, including cancer, glaucoma, and AIDS.

Aside from the pharmaceutical companies, other opportunities in pharmacy are hospital pharmacists, community pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians.

Conclusion

There are tons of career opportunities in the healthcare industry. Aside from the ones we’ve already mentioned, there are jobs in physical therapy, emergency care, indigenous health care, dentistry, safety, and technology.

But before you start a job in a different field, you should look into its requirements, salaries, and availability. Not all professions in the industry are in high demand. They supersede each other.

FAQs

1.) Why Are There So Many Job Opportunities In The Health Care Industry?

One explanation for the many jobs in the healthcare industry is population growth. Earth’s population exceeds 7 billion humans, and almost all of them fall sick at some point.

This puts healthcare professionals on their toes. Other reasons include gender, income, perception of economic level, and more.

2.) What Are The Fields In Health Care Industry With The Highest And Lowest Job Openings?

Nursing is the section of the medical industry with the most employment opportunities. And the US currently has more than 4 million registered nurses in active service.

In contrast, mental health has fewer career opportunities because of high professional competence required.

3.) What Are The Types Of Market In The Health Care Industry

The markets in the healthcare industry are mainly educational, institutional, pharmaceutical, and manpower-based. All of these markets determine how the industry grows and develops.