You don’t need to go to medical school to work in healthcare. Here are 10 entry-level health care jobs that you can turn into a career.
As a kid, you dreamt of spending your days curing illnesses and changing the world with your white doctor’s coat and your stethoscope. But, unfortunately, you grew up and realized that, if you were going to become a doctor, it’d cost you loads of time and even more money… Ugh.
The good news, however, is that you don’t actually have to surrender your happiness or success just because you don’t want to spend the next 10 years in medical school! Your dream of making a career in the medical field can still come true! Often, you can impact people’s lives with just a high school diploma and a little extra training.
Along with estimated salaries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, check out these 10 entry-level healthcare jobs that you can turn into a life-changing career and a comfortable, fulfilling life!
1. Home Health Aide
Home Health Aides usually spend their time helping elderly or disabled people with daily activities. These activities might include cleaning the home, doing laundry, preparing and serving meals, and more.
Most Home Health Aides have a high school diploma. An Associate’s degree may help increase salary, which is usually around $24,000 per year, depending on factors like geographic location and experience.
2. Medical Assistant
Medical Assistants have one of the most consistently dynamic jobs in the entire healthcare field. The duties of these professionals might range from answering phones and completing administrative tasks to preparing patients for exams by taking down information like weight and blood pressure.
Most Medical Assistants have a high school diploma and some relevant training and certification. Plus, lots of medical assistants’ knowledge is gained from simply being on the job. Medical Assistants make around $33,000 per year.
3. Medical Secretary
If the administrative elements of being a Medical Assistant stuck out to you more than the patient-interaction side of things, a career as a Medical Secretary may be just what you’re looking for. In this role, you’d spend your time keeping your practice running smoothly by scheduling appointments, ordering supplies, and arranging reports and other info.
Medical Secretaries are usually expected to have an Associate’s degree or a relevant certificate like the one you might get from Ultimate Medical Academy. As a medical secretary, you can expect to take home right around $35,000 each year.
4. Medical Biller
Are you a math-freak-turned-health-nut? Look no further: a career as a Medical Biller is just what you’ve been looking for. In this position, you’ll spend your days maintaining your practice’s billing records, collecting payments, issuing reimbursements, and ensuring that the financial day-to-day of your practice is in good shape!
To be a Medical Biller, you might need an Associate’s degree, although some positions only require a high school diploma. Either way, the process will be well worth it when you manage to pocket $40,000 every year.
5. Certified Nursing Assistant
Certified Nursing Assistants, or CNAs, serve in an extremely hands-on role in the medical field. Their duty is to provide basic care to elderly and other dependent patients. They give medications, feed, dress and bathe, and take vital signs from patients.
As you may have already inferred, Certified Nursing Assistants are, well, certified. They’ve got a high school diploma, CNA certification, and they take home around $28,000 each year working full-time.
6. Psychiatric Aide
As a Psychiatric Aide, you’ll typically work for a psychiatric ward or psychiatric hospital. Your major duties will be to provide basic care for patients, to monitor any health and behavior changes, and to lead recreational and therapeutic activities for patients during their stay.
You should be able to snag a position as a Psychiatric Aide with just a high school diploma, and working full-time, you’ll be paid about $27,000 per year.
7. Medical Lab Technician
For those interested in the medical field, but not in patient-interaction or paperwork, Medical Lab Technician often makes the perfect career. Most often, Medical Lab Techs spend their time operating lab equipment to perform tests on samples of bodily fluids from patients. They work in a team to process samples and get to the root of patients’ problems.
Medical Lab Techs usually need at least an Associate’s degree and certification. Once they’ve got it, they take home right around $50,000 every year.
8. Pharmacy Technician
For a fulfilling job where you’ll spend your time helping patients outside of a stressful office or hospital environment, consider a career as a Pharmacy Technician. You’ll spend your days gathering information from health professionals. You’ll measure medications and fill prescriptions.
Most Pharmacy Techs have a high school diploma and a federal certification to do their job. In return, they rake in about $31,000 per year when working full-time.
9. Phlebotomist
Not for the weak-of-stomach, phlebotomy is an extremely viable career if you’re one of the strong ones who doesn’t mind needles or blood. As a phlebotomist, you’ll spend most of your time drawing blood, delivering samples to your lab, and interacting with queasy patients.
To be a phlebotomist, you’ll need a high school diploma and certification received after a brief training. In return, you’ll head home each year with about $25,000 in your bank account if you work full-time.
10. Patient Service Representative
Patient Service Representatives typically serve to directly address and remedy concerns and needs of patients. They might spend time introducing patients to procedures, tracking down medical records, or simply solving issues as the need arises.
The required education for a career as a Patient Service Rep varies widely among practices and employers; some take a high school diploma and certification, but many request an Associate’s degree or higher level of education. This is typically met with an annual salary of around $33,000.
Want More on Entry-Level Healthcare Jobs?
The days when you thought you’d have to spend a fortune and half your life in school to become a career medical professional are over! With a little research, a lot of excitement, and a little schooling, you can seek entry-level healthcare jobs that’ll quickly turn into a seriously-loved career.
For more on your future, finances, and how you can be a game changer, check out our page!