What Do Health Care Jobs Pay? Salaries, Job List, and More

Health care can be as financially rewarding as it is personally rewarding. In addition to helping others and guiding them toward their health goals, careers in the health care industry also offer a higher-than-average salary and increasing job demand, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

In a 2023 report, the BLS notes the median annual wage for health care professionals in May 2023 was $80,820, a significantly higher salary than the national median wage of $48,060 for all professions during the same period. Furthermore, the BLS anticipates the health care industry to grow by 1.9 million jobs each year between 2023 and 2033 [1].

But, not all health care jobs pay the same. While some positions greatly exceed the national median salary many times over, others can fall below it.

In this article, you’ll learn about the pay range you can expect in the health care industry and find a list of common health care professions, their most common qualifications, and their median annual wage. Health care is a growing industry, so read on to learn if there’s a job that meets your financial goals. 

Health care job pay range 

As noted above, there is a wide range of health care jobs and accompanying salaries. According to the BLS, the highest-paying health care jobs are physicians and surgeons, who earned a median salary of $239,200 or more in 2023. On the lowest end, however, home health and personal care aides made a median salary of $33,530 in 2023 [1]. 

What do health care jobs pay? Roles and salaries

The pay that you can expect to earn in the health care industry is highly dependent on your position. To help you get a better idea of the kind of jobs that meet your financial goals, the sections below cover some of the biggest health care areas, followed by a list of associated jobs and their salaries.

Note: All information is sourced from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics unless otherwise noted. Salary sourced from Glassdoor is indicated by an asterisk (*) and reflects base pay only [1]. 

Dentistry

Medical professionals working in dentistry help others take care of their teeth, gums, and mouths. Responsibilities range from cleaning and preparing teeth for medical procedures to diagnosing and treating gum diseases such as gingivitis or periodontitis. Typically, dentists operate their own businesses, set their own schedules, and don’t handle medical emergencies.

Diet, exercise, and physical health

Health care professionals working in this area help others achieve their physical fitness goals and treat musculoskeletal ailments. This work is well-suited to individuals looking for health care professions focused on physical health and working closely with patients.

Health care administration 

Health care administration is integral to providing high-quality health care in a cost-effective and efficient way. Professionals working in health care administration ensure that health care facilities operate as smoothly as possible, doing everything from managing patients’ medical records to overseeing the entire daily operations of the organization. Similarly, jobs can range from those that only require a high school diploma to those that require a master’s degree (or higher) and many years of related experience.

Is health care a good career?

If you’re looking to start a career in health care, the pay and number of job prospects may make it worth it. Because individuals will likely always need medical assistance, health care is a field that may always have new openings. You can take many different routes to a career in health care, whether you have an interest in dentistry or therapy, chances are you can find a job that fits your interests and allows you to help others.

Health informatics

Health informatics professionals use data analytics and technology to improve health outcomes and the operational efficiency of health care facilities. As a largely data-oriented profession, health informatics is an in-demand field with growing applications across the health care industry. To join it, though, you’ll need to gain the training and credentials that employers want.

Nurses, aides, and assistants

Medical professionals working as nurses, aides, or assistants directly assist patients and, in some cases, administer treatments. The intimate nature of the work means that it is best suited to those who enjoy close contact with others. The most advanced positions, such as nurse practitioners (NP), often perform many of the same duties as physicians.

Optometry  

Those working in the field of optometry help others with their eye health. While in some cases, this means fitting them for glasses, in others, it means diagnosing and treating eye ailments, such as cataracts or glaucoma. 

Physicians, surgeons, and other medical specialists

Most of these medical professionals have the highest professional degree in their fields, which often requires many years of education. As a result, these professionals are usually qualified to diagnose and treat a wide range of ailments, whether by prescribing medication or conducting surgery.

Public and community health 

Public and community health professionals work to ensure the well-being of groups of people rather than simply individuals. As a result, there is a wide range of jobs in the field–from those that involve interacting face-to-face with the public to those that involve researching diseases in clinical settings. 

Technologists, technicians, and specialists

Health care professionals working as technologists, technicians, or specialists are qualified to handle technical machinery or programs that support either physicians or hospital administrators. While in many cases this means operating specific machinery such as sonographs or MRIs, in others, it might mean creating and maintaining medical records.

Therapists 

Although the term is most often associated with mental health professionals, therapists are actually simply individuals who are trained to treat a variety of disorders. While in some cases, these conditions can be psychological, in others, they can be physical, respiratory, or something else entirely. As a result of their responsibilities, therapists must be credentialed.

Start your health care career with Coursera

The first step to working with patients, creating treatment plans, and healing illness and injury is gaining the required medical knowledge and training. As you are preparing to start your journey toward a health care career, you might consider taking a flexible online course through Coursera.

Rice’s Medical Terminology Specialization introduces course takers to the terms used to describe the 10 major organ systems. The University of Colorado’s Become an EMT Specialization, meanwhile, teaches the skills needed to provide first responder emergency medical care.

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