[hen-ui-dynamic-experience placement=”aboveTheFold” /][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The COVID-19 pandemic has changed virtually every aspect of life for most Americans, including their careers. One field seeing exponential job growth is [hen-ui-link href=”/healthcare/health-science/”]health science[/hen-ui-link]. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), six of the 10 fastest-growing occupations are related to healthcare. Many of these occupations do not involve direct patient care.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Whether you’re one of the millions of Americans [hen-ui-link href=”/articles/career-change-options-for-nurses/”]considering a career change, especially as a nurse,[/hen-ui-link] or looking to begin your professional journey, read on to find out more about some of the most in-demand health science jobs.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-flex gap=”xl” align=”left” direction=”column”][hen-ui-flex gap=”xs” align=”left” direction=”column”][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Popular Online Programs[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ color=”subtext”]Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-flex][hen-ui-dynamic-experience placement=”belowTheFold” /][/hen-ui-flex][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]The Most In-Demand Health Science Jobs[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]We compiled this list of the most in-demand health science jobs using BLS data. We also spoke with experts to gain additional insight into why these careers are growing so rapidly.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″] Occupational Therapy Assistant[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]These professionals help individuals develop the necessary skills for daily living. Their clients may be recovering from an injury, dealing with a chronic illness, or a child who needs help building coordination, social, or motor skills.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Demand for occupational therapy assistants largely comes from an increasing number of seniors who require additional support. Changes in healthcare and educational policies also play a role in job growth. Occupational therapy is linked to both lower healthcare costs and greater academic achievement, making it an increasingly vital aspect of both rehabilitation and preventive healthcare.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Average Annual Salary:[/hen-ui-text] $98,340[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Projected Employment Growth (2023-2033):[/hen-ui-text] 11%[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″] Home Health and Personal Care Aide[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Home health providers and personal care aides also play an important role in the elderly who still live at home. These professionals visit individuals in their homes to provide medical care and assistance with daily tasks. This might involve anything from taking vital signs and administering medication to preparing meals, helping with chores, or simply offering companionship.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]An aging population is also driving the demand for home health providers, as an [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/toolkits/aging/1/demographics” target=”_blank”]estimated 90 million Americans[/hen-ui-link] will be 65 or older by 2050. However, turnover in the field also plays a role. Many home health aides are [hen-ui-link href=”/cna/”]certified nursing assistants[/hen-ui-link] who move on to other positions after gaining experience in home health.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Average Annual Salary:[/hen-ui-text] $34,900[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Projected Employment Growth (2023-2033):[/hen-ui-text] 21%[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″] Physical Therapist Assistant[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Physical therapist assistants help patients build strength and regain mobility after injury, illness, or surgery. They provide education, design exercise and stretching regimens, perform therapeutic massage, and gauge patients’ progress toward their recovery goals.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Much like occupational therapists, they are in demand due to an aging population, along with an increasing number of people with chronic diseases like diabetes who require additional care.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Average Annual Salary:[/hen-ui-text] $60,050[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Projected Employment Growth (2023-2033):[/hen-ui-text] 19%[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″] Medical and Health Services Manager[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]With a strong demand for healthcare services comes a greater need for professionals to oversee the business aspects of care delivery. Medical and health services managers fill this role. Also known as healthcare administrators, they manage private medical practices, healthcare facilities, or specific clinical areas. While their overarching responsibility is to ensure that patients receive high quality, efficient healthcare, their specific tasks may involve such duties as human resources or records management and communications and compliance.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Although an aging population and increased demand for healthcare drives job growth, changing [hen-ui-link href=”/articles/nursing-healthcare-trends/”]trends in healthcare[/hen-ui-link] delivery also mean an increased need for managers. Many services that were previously administered in hospital settings, such as outpatient surgery or orthopedics, are shifting to private medical practices.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Experienced IT and [hen-ui-link href=”/degrees/msn/best-online-health-informatics-programs/”]health informatics managers[/hen-ui-link] are also in demand, thanks to the widespread use of electronic health records.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Average Annual Salary:[/hen-ui-text] $117,960[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Projected Employment Growth (2023-2033):[/hen-ui-text] 29%[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″] Substance Use and Mental Health Counselor[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Between 2020-2030, the job growth rate for substance use and mental health counselors is projected at 23%. These counselors support and treat individuals with mental health, behavioral, addiction, or substance misuse problems. As more people seek help with these issues, the need for qualified providers should grow.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly affected the demand for mental health services. According to the [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/” target=”_blank”]Kaiser Family Foundation[/hen-ui-link], nearly 25% of adults reported negative mental health impacts, including increased substance use. This has led to higher demand for mental health services.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Average Annual Salary:[/hen-ui-text] $59,190[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Projected Employment Growth (2023-2033):[/hen-ui-text] 19%[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″] Postsecondary Health Specialties Educator[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Demand for more healthcare professionals necessitates qualified educators to teach and train them. One oft-cited reason for the [hen-ui-link href=”/articles/why-is-there-a-nursing-shortage//”]ongoing nursing shortage[/hen-ui-link] is the lack of instructors to prepare the next generation of nurses for practice.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The BLS projects a 8% job growth rate for postsecondary health educators from 2023-2033. Again, an aging population and increased demand for healthcare services drives this growth. As more healthcare facilities require nurses to hold postsecondary degrees, enrollment in nursing programs should grow exponentially, increasing the need for qualified nurse educators.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Average Annual Salary:[/hen-ui-text] $83,980[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Projected Employment Growth (2023-2033):[/hen-ui-text] 8%[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″] Medical Assistant[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Medical assistants play a vital role in healthcare delivery. Working in doctor’s offices and clinics, medical assistants are often the first provider that patients see. They take medical histories and record vital signs, prepare patients to see the doctor or [hen-ui-link href=”/nurse-practitioner/how-to-become-a-np/”]nurse practitioner[/hen-ui-link], and may give exams, injections, or aftercare instructions. Demand for medical assistants is projected to increase by 15% through 2033, as patients increasingly seek healthcare services.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Most medical assistants work in primary care practices, which are experiencing the most growth overall. As more patients with chronic conditions seek high-quality, low-cost care, many practices that did not previously hire medical assistants are adding them to their teams. This shift is creating new roles and increased job growth.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Average Annual Salary:[/hen-ui-text] $44,200[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Projected Employment Growth (2023-2033):[/hen-ui-text] 15%[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″] Social and Community Service Manager[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]While the social and community services field is vast and encompasses many types of organizations, each strives to improve communities’ well-being.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Social and community service managers oversee direct social service providers. They develop and manage programs and initiatives, focusing on issues like hunger, public health, or mental health, or specific populations, such as the elderly or homeless. Depending on their organization’s size and scope, these managers may focus on a specific task or program, or they oversee various functions like program design and fundraising.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Rapid job growth in the field can be attributed to greater demand for mental health services and turnover as managers change careers or retire.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Average Annual Salary: [/hen-ui-text] $78,240[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Projected Employment Growth (2023-2033): [/hen-ui-text] 8%[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″] Veterinarian[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Veterinarians care for animals, such as household pets, livestock, and wild animals. In addition to keeping our four-legged friends healthy, they also protect public health.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]COVID-19 has contributed to the growing need for veterinarians. “The veterinary field has possibly been an unsuspected area of demand during the pandemic,” says Desselier. “With so many people being home and finding their social life reduced, pet adoptions spiked throughout the past year, which has resulted in a shortage within the veterinary field to keep up with the needed appointments.”[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Average Annual Salary:[/hen-ui-text] $125,510[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Projected Employment Growth (2023-2033):[/hen-ui-text] 19%[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″] Infection Control Practitioner[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Unsurprisingly, the demand for infection control practitioners is unprecedented. Erica Susky, an infection control and prevention (IPAC) professional in Canada, describes her field: “IPAC manages safety pertaining to infectious diseases by preventing exposures with policies and procedures, engineering controls, and PPE training in hospitals and nursing homes.”[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4”]Susky, who works in a medical-surgical neurological intensive care unit, notes that “workloads are larger managing COVID-19 policies and procedures.”[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4”]She also identifies a limited understanding of infection control principles as the root of many COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths in nursing facilities. “The lack of IPAC expertise in nursing homes has brought the opportunity to start IPAC programs there and hire IPAC professionals.”[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Average Annual Salary:[/hen-ui-text] $63,000[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-text tag=”strong” weight=”bold”]Projected Employment Growth (2023-2033):[/hen-ui-text] 9% among community health workers[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Meet Our Contributors[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-flex direction=”column” gap=”lg”][hen-ui-expert-bio name=”Amber Dessellier, Ph.D., MPH, CHES” img-src=”https://res.cloudinary.com/highereducation/image/upload/c_fill,g_face,h_300,w_300,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto:eco/e_grayscale/v1629406030/experts/Amber_Dessellier.png” img-alt=”Amber Dessellier, Ph.D., MPH, CHES” layout=”horizontal” background=”white” /][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ slot=”contentRight”][hen-ui-link href=”https://www.waldenu.edu/why-walden/faculty/amber-dessellier3″ target=”_blank”]Amber Dessellier[/hen-ui-link], Ph.D., MPH, CHES, is a faculty member in Walden University’s doctor of public health and Ph.D. in public health programs with over 10 years of experience in the public and community health field. She has been a certified health specialist for six years. Dessellier’s research interests include women’s health, infertility, and rural health disparities.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-flex][hen-ui-flex direction=”column” gap=”lg”][hen-ui-expert-bio name=”Erica Susky” img-src=”https://res.cloudinary.com/highereducation/images/c_fill,h_300,w_300,f_auto,fl_lossy,q_auto:eco/e_grayscale/v1625616350/NurseJournal.org/nj-logo-hi-res/nj-logo-hi-res.png?_i=AA” img-alt=”Erica Susky” layout=”horizontal” background=”white” /][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ slot=”contentRight”]Erica Susky is certified in infection control and has worked in a medical-surgical neurological intensive care unit since 2012. Her interests include education, research, antibiotic resistance, and clinical microbiology. Susky studied antibiotic resistance at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, where she earned a master’s degree in medical microbiology. She currently serves on the Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Canada Education and Networking Committees of her local chapter, the IPAC Canada 2023 and 2024 Scientific Program Committee, and teaches microbiology and infectious disease for IPAC Canada’s essentials of IPAC course.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-flex]