5 Awesome Reasons to Start a Healthcare Career In 2021

If you’ve been considering a healthcare career, there’s no better time to start.

There has always been a consistent demand for healthcare workers, but the COVID-19 pandemic has sent the need into a surge. A working paper by Joshua D. Gottlieb and Avi Zenilman, R.N. estimates that intensive care unit (ICU) jobs increased by 239% during the first wave of the pandemic, while compensation increased 50%. Also, emergency room (ER) jobs increased by 89%, while compensation increased by 27%. Talk about a healthcare trend!

But that’s not all. Check out these five awesome reasons to start a healthcare career in 2021.

1. The Evergreen Demand for Healthcare Professionals

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 15% from 2019 to 2029, adding about 2.4 million new jobs—regardless of COVID-19. That’s more jobs than any other occupational group. With an aging population and longer life expectancies, the demand isn’t going away.

2. The Job Security

As technology continues to advance, many occupations will be phased out with more advanced systems like Artificial Intelligence (AI). That won’t happen in most healthcare roles. The humanness of healthcare cannot be replaced by robots or machines, regardless of how far technology advances in the future.

To boot, almost every region of the United States has a high demand for healthcare professionals. Not only will healthcare workers always be in demand, but they’ll also be virtually location-independent. Licensing requirements may vary depending on your role, but rest assured you’ll be able to find work across the country if a move is on your mind.

3. The Scope of the Healthcare Industry

There’s a myriad of different career options within the healthcare industry. There are even multiple fields within the industry to choose from, including:

• Business

• Marketing

• Counseling and Social Work

• Advocates

• Tech

And, of course, the medical field. There are seemingly infinite roles available. To name just a few:

• Registered Nurse

• Home Health Aide

• Phlebotomist

• Radiation Therapist

• Surgical Technologist

• Medical Records Clerk

• Nursing Assistant

No matter what your interests are, you’re sure to find a healthcare role that suits you.

4. The Pay and Benefits

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for healthcare practitioners and technical occupations—such as registered nurses, physicians and surgeons and dental hygienists—was $68,190 in May 2019, which was higher than the median annual wage for all occupations.

As with other industries, the more highly skilled and educated you are, the higher your pay will be. However, there are roles in healthcare available at any education level that offer competitive salaries.

Working in healthcare often also touts impressive healthcare career benefits like medical coverage—but that’s not all. Most roles in healthcare offer flexible schedules, day-to-day variety and upward mobility.

5. The Impact You’ll Have

Not every occupation has the unmistakable impact of healthcare. Regardless of your position, every healthcare occupation is critical. Healthcare workers help, heal and make a difference each day. With that being said, it comes as no surprise that research shows that the majority of healthcare workers are satisfied with their career choice.

Make the Most Out of Your Healthcare Career

With so many job seekers applying for healthcare positions, applicants with more than one national certification tend to stand out. At MedCerts, we offer programs that include dual-certifications, making you more marketable in the job market. If this sounds appealing, we offer multiple online Medical Assistant programs where you have the opportunity to earn not only the Certified EKG Technician (CET) credential but also the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) as well as the Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) credential. With so many job seekers applying for positions in healthcare, applicants with multiple certifications tend to stand out.

Regardless of what field or sector you’re interested in studying, pursuing a healthcare career is one of the best moves you can make this year.