Becoming a doctor takes years of schooling, but that doesn’t mean every job in the healthcare sector does. In fact, plenty of medical professions require little training yet provide a decent salary. And with healthcare jobs expected to surge 18 percent by 2026, now is a great time to start planning your medical career. To help guide you toward finding the best healthcare career for you, we’ve narrowed down some of the easiest medical professions to break into.
Home Health Aide
Becoming a home health aide allows you to work directly with patients in their homes. Home health aides usually help elderly patients or individuals who have a disability with tasks like household chores or preparing meals. If you are interested in cultivating a personal relationship with your patients, then this is the job for you. You just need a high school diploma or GED to work as a home health aide, but you can get some certifications to appear more qualified. Medical knowledge isn’t necessary, although some experience in caregiving is beneficial.
Average salary: $22,000 per year
Nursing Assistant
Nursing assistants, as you might have guessed, assist nurses. They do a range of duties such as standard patient care and checking vital signs. To get a job as a nursing assistant, you just need a high school diploma or GED and need to complete a certified nursing assistant training program which usually lasts one-to-three months.
Most people become a nursing assistant as the first step to becoming a registered nurse (RN). Nursing assistants work with a variety of patients, including those with dementia. As the baby boomer generation matures, nursing assistants will be in high demand, especially given conditions like Alzheimer’s disease that affect the elderly.
You may work with people who are senile or have senile dementia so it’s important to understand senility vs dementia. Senility refers to dementia and is associated with a person’s mental decline due to advanced aging. Senile dementia is commonly referred to as Alzheimer’s disease. It is when a person loses their intellectual abilities because of old age. If you decide to go through with this career pathway, here’s a list of medical assistant interview questions to help prepare you during the job hunt.
Average salary: $26,500 per year
Medical Records Technician
If you don’t consider yourself a people person, there’s still a job option for you in the healthcare industry. A medical records technician is a growing profession with decent pay and hours. These jobs are often referred to as “coders.”
Medical records technicians essentially assign diagnosis and procedure codes to medical record documentation. The codes are used for insurance purposes and disease research. You need to be organized, detail-oriented, and able to work independently in a quiet environment. You can become a medical records technician by earning your degree or certificate in about two years.
Average salary: $40,350 per year
Occupational Therapist Aide
An occupational therapist aide assists occupational therapists and helps patients overcome any physical or emotional challenges that impact their everyday life. They also help with clerical duties like scheduling appointments, ordering medical supplies, and handling insurance information. Occupational therapists often deal with patients who have Alzheimer’s disease. You need a high school diploma and associate’s degree to qualify as an aide. Most occupational therapist aides receive training on the job.
Average salary: $28,000 per year
Phlebotomist
Phlebotomists draw blood from patients, which is often essential in diagnosing certain conditions or diseases. To enter this line of work, you will undergo training that usually takes less than a year to complete. While not all states require certification, it is recommended to get certified in case the laws change.
Average salary: $32,000