Health Care & Nursing

Healthcare and nursing professions require a very specific type of person: somebody who is personable, patient, and caring. The good news is that if this sounds like you, this industry includes a vast number of roles that will suit your personality, while offering strong growth potential and, in many cases, a high salary ceiling. 

For guaranteed career growth, few industries are better than healthcare and nursing. Within this guide, we’ve looked at nearly 25 different occupations across the healthcare industry. Around 80% of these are predicted to have “much faster than average” growth over the decade spanning 2018 to 2028, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This means a growth of around 10% or higher, which is much faster than the projected average growth rate for all occupations (at 5%). The remaining 20% of the jobs we’ve covered are considered to be growing faster than average. 

In this complete guide to healthcare and nursing, we’ll start by looking at the types of degrees on offer, before looking at the types of careers that are available to qualified graduates. 

What Degrees Are There in Healthcare and Nursing? 

When you’re picking a degree in healthcare and nursing, you should ask yourself what kind of setting you’d like to work in. Roles within these fields are broad and rarely the same; on one hand, you could be working in a hospital, physician’s office, or other clinical setting; on the other hand, you could be working out in the community or overseeing a team of caregivers. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the degrees available in healthcare and nursing. 

Associate’s Degrees in Healthcare and Nursing

With an associate’s degree in healthcare and nursing, you’ll typically study for two years. An associate’s degree in certain areas of study will also present unique opportunities that aren’t often seen in other fields. For example, associate degrees in teaching don’t typically involve state licensure, while many nursing programs do. So, after just two short years of study, you’ll be ready to take up work in the field. 

The other benefit is that a two-year program works out much cheaper than a four-year bachelor’s degree. Simultaneously, the average salary for an ADN, according to PayScale, is around $70,000 per year. This is much higher than the average salary for other occupations. Of course, there are other fields of study beside nursing, but you should check whether they’ll prepare you for state certification or licensure. 

Bachelor’s Degrees in Healthcare and Nursing

Bachelor’s degrees are among the most popular programs within the fields of healthcare and nursing, especially the BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing), which prepares students to become registered nurses (RNs). Lasting for two years, these programs almost always include real-world, practical placement experiences, especially when you’re studying for a clinical role. However, aside from the BSN program, there are many opportunities available in other areas of study, including: 

• Advanced Practice Registered Nursing (APRN)
• Clinical Research
• Counseling
• Dietetics and Nutrition
• Healthcare Administration
• Healthcare Quality Management
• Health Informatics
• Occupational Therapy
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technology
• Medical and Health Services Management
• Physical Therapy
• Radiation Therapy
• Social Work
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Sports Medicine

Master’s Degrees in Healthcare and Nursing

Master’s degrees in healthcare and nursing are geared towards those who want to specialize further in a specific field of practice or take up leadership positions. Typically lasting for a further two years after the bachelor’s degree, they can often be structured around a busy work schedule, with studying taking place in the evenings or on weekends. Owing to the number of roles available and high degree of specialization, numerous types of master’s degrees are available, including: 

• Master of Health Leadership
• Master of Public Health
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
• Master in Health Informatics
• MBA Healthcare Administration
• MEng
• MS in Nursing

Unlike teaching, for example, a master’s degree in healthcare and nursing can’t often be used to switch careers. Roles within these fields require a great deal of study to both qualify and be competent to perform their duties. This is why students use master’s degree programs to further their knowledge in specific fields, and the reason why master’s programs have such specific titles. Here are a few more examples: 

• Master of Industrial Drug Development
• MEng Molecular Bioengineering
• MSc Pharmacology and Biotechnology
• Master of Public Policy
• Master of Research Methods in Public Health
• Master’s in Statistical Computing for Biomedical Data Analytics
• Master of Topics in Health Administration

Doctoral Degrees in Healthcare and Nursing

Doctoral programs in the fields of healthcare and nursing are some of the most intensive programs around. You’ll usually study for around five to seven years, so you should be certain about your commitment to the field, particularly as tuition for doctoral programs tends to run higher than bachelor’s or master’s degrees. Again, there are numerous types of doctoral degrees in healthcare and nursing, rather than simply Ph.D. or Ed.D. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, here are a few examples: 

• Doctor of Medicine
• Doctor of Nursing Practice
• Doctor of Public Health
• Doctorate in Health Administration
• Doctor of Pharmacy

Again, due to the highly specialized nature of doctoral programs, the title for each degree program can be very specific. While we couldn’t highlight them all here, here are some examples of programs you’ll find within healthcare and nursing at the doctoral level: 

• Ph.D. in Addictology
• Ph.D. in Cardiovascular Science
• Ph.D. in Cell Biology and Pathology
• Ph.D. in History of Medicine
• Ph.D. in Immunology
• Ph.D. in Parasitology
• Ph.D. in Preventive Medicine

What Are the Admission Requirements for a Degree in Healthcare and Nursing?

The fields of healthcare and nursing are so broad that it’s tricky to provide a single answer to this question. Additionally, higher levels of study, such as master’s degrees and doctoral programs, often have more intensive requirements than you might find in other subject areas. Nursing, for example, has a range of prerequisites for students wanting to take a master’s degree program. In addition to needing a GPA of around 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, letters of recommendation, and official transcripts, you’re also likely to need proof of health insurance, proof of existing immunisations, and drug screening clearance. 

In most cases, master’s and doctoral programs will require you to have completed a certain degree of practical work experience, in addition to having earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school. Finally, you should look into what certifications or licensures are required to practice in the role that you’re aspiring to take on. 

What Can I Do with a Degree in Healthcare and Nursing?

If you’ve decided that you want to work in a role serving the public and supporting peoples’ health, then a healthcare and nursing degree could be ideal for you. Below, we’ve listed a range of careers that are attainable with a degree in healthcare and nursing. While most of these roles require you to take a specific program, there’s a huge variety in the type of role available within this industry. As we couldn’t possibly list every single possible role within healthcare and nursing, we’ve selected a broad range of careers from different sectors of the healthcare industry; this should help to highlight the sheer number of career paths you could take. 

Athletic Trainer

Rather than being based solely within a hospital or other clinical setting, athletic trainers often work in educational institutions, fitness centers, or out in the field. They are often one of the first responders to injuries that occur in the field, which is why many trainers often work with sports teams. You could be treating injuries using equipment such as bandages and splints; developing rehabilitation plans for injured athletes; evaluating injuries to determine the correct course of treatment; or maintaining records and writing up reports. 

Audiologist

Audiologists are involved in the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of patients who have problems with their hearing or balance. You may be treating minor concerns like tinnitus, fitting patients for hearing aids, or simply carrying out routine hearing tests. You’ll need to know how to use a host of specialist equipment, in addition to having a deep understanding of hearing and balance disorders. A doctoral degree is required, as is licensure in your state. 

Clinical Laboratory Technologist and Technician

When you’re sick and a medical sample is sent off for analysis, the clinical laboratory technologists and technicians handle the laboratory testing. You’ll need a strong stomach as you gather and analyze bodily fluids, including blood, urine, and tissue samples. You’ll study blood samples to determine the correct blood type for use in transfusions, use high-tech lab equipment, and keep detailed patient records. As a clinical laboratory technologist, you’ll normally need a bachelor’s degree. However, technicians can usually find work with an associate’s degree or similar level of certification. 

Dental Assistant

Working in a dentist’s office, you’ll assist with examinations and procedures. This might include sterilizing equipment, processing X-rays, recordkeeping, appointment scheduling, and ensuring the dentist has the required tools. To find work as a dental assistant, you’ll need to double-check your state’s requirements. In some cases, you’ll need to pass a formal program; in others, you may be able to work with on-the-job training. 

Dental Hygienist

A dental hygienist’s role is more involved than a dental assistant’s. You’ll work directly with patients, advising them on proper oral hygiene and performing minor procedures, including removing tartar, stains, and plaque from the teeth. You’ll coordinate with dentists on patient care and keep detailed patient records. In most cases, dental hygienists have an associate’s degree in dental hygiene, which often runs longer than your typical associate’s degree at three years instead of two. 

Dentist

Dentists are your frontline professionals when it comes to treating oral health problems. In addition to providing oral hygiene advice, you’ll carry out procedures such as removing decay from teeth, filling cavities, and removing damaged teeth that are beyond repair. You’ll be permitted to prescribe antibiotics or other medications as required, much like a physician. Once qualified, you may be working in a dentist’s office with other staff. However, there’s potential to open your own dental office with your own small team after gaining sufficient experience. 

EMT and Paramedic

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics work together as a team, caring for the most critically sick and injured. Your workplace will be the ambulance, but you’ll have extensive contact with other clinical professionals when handing over patients or arranging ongoing care needs. You’ll respond to 911 emergency callouts, perform urgent patient assessment, and administer lifesaving first aid on the scene. With one of the lowest starting salaries in healthcare—shockingly—this career is not for everyone, but it is high-energy, exciting, and rewarding. 

Health Educator and Community Health Worker

Health educators do exactly what their name suggests: they advise individuals and communities on how to live better, healthier lives. You could be assessing the health of a local community and implementing a wellness program on one day. The next day, you could be supervising staff who are implementing a wellness program, or gathering data to understand the health issues impacting a specific community. According to the BLS, the primary employers of health educators are the government and hospitals, but you’ll also work in the community regularly. 

Marriage and Family Therapist

Marriage and family therapists work with couples who are in need of counseling services. You’ll meet with couples who are having difficulty overcoming problems within their relationship, encouraging them to discuss their feelings and experiences, and helping work towards a positive resolution where possible. You may refer your clients to alternative resources and services, and help them to discover new personal strategies to improve their behavior and work on their relationships. You’ll need a master’s degree and state licensure to practice. 

Medical and Health Service Manager

For medical and health services managers, a bachelor’s degree is the minimum required education. However, it’s becoming more common for these professionals to have a master’s degree. You’ll also face competition from applicants who have at least some work experience in administrative or clerical roles for a healthcare organization. In terms of responsibilities, you’ll be planning and directing health services for a clinical department or even an entire organization. You’ll develop your organization’s or department’s strategies and goals, recruit and train new staff, manage finances and budgets, and more. 

Medical Assistant

According to the BLS, the largest employers of medical assistants are physicians’ offices. Your daily duties might include maintaining patient records, taking vital signs, assisting with patient examinations, and scheduling future appointments and procedures. The role doesn’t necessarily demand a postsecondary education; some medical assistants have postsecondary certificates, while others are trained on the job. 

Medical Record and Health Information Technician

These professionals are responsible for organizing and maintaining patient records, both electronically and on paper. Aside from ensuring patient record accuracy and completeness, you’ll also be responsible for learning and using specialist classification software and potentially reporting to other departments. Education requirements can vary from a postsecondary certificate to an associate’s degree, depending on the employer. 

Nurse Anesthetist, Nurse Midwife, and Nurse Practitioner

The BLS combines these roles into a single category, though your responsibilities could vary widely depending on your specialization. This group of professionals is known as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, or APRNs, and they are responsible for coordinating patient care. Your responsibilities could range from taking patient information and recording symptoms, to diagnosing health problems, conducting research, and administering medicines. While registered nurses must earn a bachelor’s degree, APRN professionals require a master’s degree that’s relevant to their specific area. State licensure is required, as is passing a national certification examination. 

Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapists specialize in treating ill or injured patients with functional, activity-based treatments. For example, you may be recommending equipment such as walking frames, wheelchairs, or specialist feeding equipment, or recommending stretches and exercises to facilitate the healing of a broken leg. Some occupational therapists work for organizations and conduct fitness assessments for employees who have taken long-term sick leave. In every state, you’ll be required to have licensure. A master’s degree is the minimum educational requirement. 

Physical Therapist

The key difference between occupational and physical therapists is that occupational therapy focuses on physical movement in the context of completing basic, daily tasks or work-related activities, whereas physical therapy focuses on basic motor skills and movement of the body. As a physical therapist, you may be developing patient care plans, prescribing exercises to ease pain and improve mobility, and monitoring patient progress. You could be working with patients who have suffered strokes, athletes who have been injured on the field, or people who have been in major car accidents. It’s up to you to determine the best course of treatment for the individual patient. 

Physician Assistant

Physician assistants enjoy one of the best career outlooks of any profession we’ve looked at, in these fields or otherwise. The BLS predicts an increase in available positions of 31% between 2018 and 2028. With a master’s degree and state licensure under your belt, you’ll be able to work directly with physicians, surgeons, and other healthcare professionals. You’ll be involved in the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of patients. This could include ordering and analyzing tests, setting broken bones, and prescribing medicines. The highest 10% of earners in this role made an annual salary of $157,120 or more in 2019, according to the BLS. 

Physicians and Surgeons

This role needs no introduction, and as you’d expect, it has some of the most stringent educational requirements. You’ll need a bachelor’s degree, a medical school degree—which takes around four years—and a further three to seven years of internship and residency positions, depending on your chosen specialization. It’s no surprise that these professionals earn some of the highest salaries, with the BLS stating that many physicians and surgeons earned more than $200,000 in 2018. 

Radiation Therapist

You can become a radiation therapist with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, though some states require licensure. Most work within hospitals, physicians’ offices, and outpatient centers. As the name suggests, you’ll be a specialist in carrying out radiation treatments for patients with cancer. This could include explaining the process to patients, understanding how to use protective equipment (lead shielding, for example), and being trained in specialist radiation equipment. 

Radiologic and MRI Technologist

Radiologic technologists, otherwise known as radiographers, are responsible for carrying out diagnostic imaging tests like X-rays, while MRI technologists use MRI equipment. You’ll follow physicians’ recommendations on which areas of the body to analyze, understand how to explain the procedure to patients while shielding them from radiation, and have extensive knowledge of how to use your equipment, position the body, and keep comprehensive records. You could earn a median salary of over $60,000, and you may only need an associate’s degree to find work. 

Registered Nurse

There are three ways to become a qualified registered nurse. Many students take a bachelor’s degree program in nursing, while others choose an associate’s degree program. You can also get an approved diploma. Regardless of your choice, you’ll need to gain official licensure. Once qualified, you’ll work directly with patients, assessing their condition, recording vital signs, administering medications, setting up care plans, and more. It’s an extremely complex job with many responsibilities, but one that’s highly rewarding—and lucrative. 

Rehabilitation Counselor

Rehabilitation counselors work with individuals who have disabilities to help them live independent lives. You could be helping somebody to overcome the personal or psychological barriers of their disability, providing counseling sessions, arranging support services, and developing treatment plans. Professionals in this role are normally expected to have graduated from a master’s degree program in rehabilitation counseling. 

Social and Community Service Manager

Social and community service managers are responsible for leading organizations and services dedicated to providing such services to the public. You could be responsible for a team of social workers, for example, in addition to analyzing the success of outreach programs, planning and coordinating new activities and services, and overseeing the administration of an entire organization. While you’ll need a bachelor’s degree for most positions, you’ll also likely need to have gained work experience to take on such a leadership position. 

Social Worker

Social workers spend much of their time in the community, helping clients to deal with personal issues affecting their lives. These could be terminal illness, the breakdown of a relationship, or unemployment. Clinical social workers, on the other hand, are responsible for diagnosing and treating psychological and behavioral disorders. Some social work roles require a bachelor’s degree, while others—specifically, clinical social workers—need a master’s. As a clinical social worker, you’ll also need at least two years’ worth of postgraduate work experience. 

Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor

As a counselor in these areas, you might be helping an individual who struggles with alcoholism or drug addiction, or counseling somebody with a mental health problem such as an eating disorder. The former type of counselor role is also known as an addiction counselor. In most cases, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree, though for some roles you may need a master’s degree. 

How Much Can I Earn with a Degree in Healthcare and Nursing?

In the fields of healthcare and nursing, your career could take one of a vast number of branching paths. There are so many roles available in these areas, many of which have salary ceilings that are beyond the national average for all other occupations, and nearly every role has faster or much faster than average growth, according to the BLS. Here’s some data on earning potential and job growth based on info from the BLS as well as the government’s Occupational Information Network (O*NET).  

Administrative, Leadership, and Research Roles

Clinical Professional Roles

Social Work and Counseling

Specialist and Support Roles

Can I Get an Online Degree in Healthcare and Nursing?

Online distance learning is becoming more and more popular as the technology it requires becomes cheaper and more common; there are even online schools without any physical campus! However, no matter how good the learning management system is, some programs are simply not well suited to teaching through an online platform. These are typically the majors that require an element of hands-on, real-world experience. 

Healthcare, of course, is one of those fields. In the vast majority of healthcare and nursing degree programs, you’ll be expected to meet a minimum number of clinical experience hours. As these are practical work placements—often called practicums—they cannot be completed online. Therefore, while you can study for your degree online, you’ll have to ensure that your schedule will allow for these placements. 

The good news is that many institutions will actively try to place remote learners at clinical sites close to their homes. Of course, this isn’t always strictly possible depending on the number of partnerships held by the institution, in addition to the locations of each site. So, be sure to research any prospective courses you’re interested in and check that you’ll be able to satisfy the clinical placement requirements for your program. 

The Best Colleges for Degrees in Healthcare and Nursing

If you’re set on a career in healthcare and nursing, then you’re going to want to know the best places to get your degree. We’ve already ranked the best colleges, universities, and degrees for a range of different subject areas, and we’re always working on extending our list. Check out the links below. 

Clinical Research

• Best Online Master’s in Clinical Research
• Best Online Clinical Research Degrees
• Most Affordable Online Clinical Research Degrees

Dental Hygiene

• Best Online Dental Hygiene Degrees
• Best Online Master’s in Dental Hygiene
• Most Affordable Online Dental Hygiene Degrees

Healthcare Administration

• Best Online Healthcare Administration Degrees
• Best Online Master’s in Healthcare Administration
• Most Affordable Online Health Care Administration Degrees

Health and Wellness

• Best Online Health and Wellness Degrees
• Most Affordable Online Health and Wellness Degrees
• Best Online Master’s in Health and Wellness

Health Education

• Best Online Health Education Degrees

Health Services

• Best Online Master’s in Health Services

Gerontology

• Best Online Gerontology Degrees
• Best Online Master’s in Gerontology

Public Health

• Best Online Public Health Degrees

Sports Medicine

• Best Online Sports Medicine Degrees
• Most Affordable Online Sports Medicine Degrees
• Best Online Master’s in Sports Medicine
• Best Online Doctorates in Sports Medicine
• Best Online Associate’s in Sports Medicine