More Than Half of the 10 Fastest-Growing Occupations in the USA Are in Healthcare
The Future of Healthcare and Mobile Specialty Vehicles
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects the healthcare industry to add 2.4 million new jobs through 2029. More than half of the 10 fastest-growing occupations in the country are in the healthcare field. According to the BLS data released last year, “employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 15 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average of all occupations.” Of the 10 fastest-growing occupations in the United States, according to the BLS, six of them are in the healthcare field:
- #2 – Nurse Practitioners
- #4 – Occupational Therapy Assistants
- #6 – Home Health and Personal Care Aides
- #7 – Physical Therapist Assistants
- #8 – Medical and Health Service Managers
- #9 – Physician Assistants
“Healthcare occupations are projected to add more jobs than any of the other occupational groups. The projected growth is mainly due to an aging population, leading to greater demand for healthcare services,” the BLS wrote.
Five of the Fastest-Growing Healthcare Jobs
Here is a closer look at the five fastest-growing healthcare jobs over the next decade:
Nurse Practitioners
2019 Median Pay: $109,820
Job Outlook, 2019-2029: +52 percent
New Jobs: 110,700
Total Jobs: 322,000
Nurse practitioners, along with nurse anesthetists and nurse midwives, are also called advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). They coordinate patient care and may provide primary and specialty healthcare.
Typical APRN duties might include:
- Take and record patients’ medical histories and symptoms.
- Perform physical exams and observe patients.
- Create patient care plans or contribute to existing plans.
- Perform and order diagnostic tests.
- Operate and monitor medical equipment.
Occupational Therapy Assistants
2019 Median Pay: $61,510
Job Outlook, 2019-2029: +35 percent
New Jobs: 16,300
Total Jobs: 63,500
Occupational therapy assistants, under the direction of occupational therapists, help patients develop, recover, improve, as well as maintain the skills needed for daily living and working.
Typical occupational therapy assistant duties might include:
- Help patients do therapeutic activities, such as stretches and other exercises.
- Lead children who have developmental disabilities in play activities that promote coordination and socialization.
- Encourage patients to complete activities and tasks.
- Teach patients how to use special equipment – for example, showing a patient with Parkinson’s disease how to use devices that make eating easier.
- Record patients’ progress, report to occupational therapists and do other administrative tasks.
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
2019 Median Pay: $25,280
Job Outlook, 2019-2029: +34 percent
New Jobs: 1,159,500
Total Jobs: 4,599,200
Home health and personal care aides monitor the condition of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses and help them with daily living activities.
Typical home health and personal care aide duties might include:
- Assist clients in their daily personal tasks, such as bathing or dressing.
- Perform housekeeping tasks, such as laundry, washing dishes, and vacuuming.
- Help to organize a client’s schedule and plan appointments.
- Arrange transportation to doctors’ offices or other outings.
- Shop for groceries and prepare meals to meet a client’s dietary specifications.
Physical Therapist Assistants
2019 Median Pay: $58,790
Job Outlook, 2019-2029: +33 percent
New Jobs: 32,200
Total Jobs: 130,900
Physical therapist assistants, called PTAs, work under the direction of physical therapists, helping patients recover from injuries and illnesses to regain movement and manage pain.
Typical PTA duties might include:
- Observe patients before, during, and after therapy, noting the patients’ status and reporting it to a physical therapist.
- Help patients do specific exercises as part of the plan of care.
- Treat patients using a variety of techniques, such as massage and stretching.
- Use devices and equipment, such as walkers, to help patients.
- Educate patients and family members about what to do after treatment.
Physician’s Assistants
2019 Median Pay: $112,260
Job Outlook, 2019-2029: +31 percent
New Jobs: 39,300
Total Jobs: 164,800
Physician’s assistants, also called PAs, practice medicine on teams with physicians, surgeons, and other healthcare workers.
Typical PA duties might include:
- Take and review patients’ medical histories.
- Examine patients.
- Order and interpret diagnostic tests, such as X-rays or blood tests.
- Diagnose a patients’ injury or illness.
- Give treatment, such as setting broken bones and immunizing patients.
Future Medical Careers to Watch
Technology is changing healthcare and future medical careers will embrace digital advances. Morris Panner, CEO of Ambra Health, wrote in Entrepreneur: “Healthcare once brought to mind disciplines like anatomy, biology and pharmaceutical medicine. Now the field is a different landscape, with artificial intelligence, genomics, and big data dominating discussions. Technology is changing healthcare, which opens the door to many new career possibilities.”
Panner envisions medical careers of the future that include:
- Personalized Medicine: Scientists, researchers, and bioinformaticians analyzing genome data and genetic counselors working with patients.
- Image-based Screening: A new breed of screening radiologists would combine expertise in imaging and screening science.
- Health Data Science: Big data needs data scientists to locate, analyze, and extract medical data securely.
- Other new medical careers will come in AI, machine learning, robotics, and VR technology.
Traveling Specialists and Medicine on the Road With Mobile Specialty Vehicles
Another medical trend to watch is mobile units which will allow traveling specialists to hit the road and treat patients near their homes, work, and schools. Mobile specialty vehicles can help treat underserved populations in inner cities and rural areas. In Cleveland, for example, the Cleveland Clinic has expanded telemedicine services and equipped a mobile specialty vehicle unit as a full-service pediatric office to provide health and wellness care to Ohio students.
The mobile unit allows specialists to perform exams, immunizations, as well as treat acute and chronic illnesses.
Contact Mobile Specialty Vehicles today to learn about our state-of-the-art units that provide the best medical services from any location.