The Top Degrees You Need for the Best Jobs In Healthcare
In this video, Shane Hummus shares his research into the top 10 degrees for jobs in healthcare. Shane’s YouTube channel has over 33,000,000 views and more than 300,000 subscribers. On his channel he talks about careers, degrees, alternative education (certificates, online courses, bootcamps etc), side hustles, entrepreneurship, personal finance, etc.
Shane describes it as a personal success GPS that helps to guide you in the right direction to reach your goals and achieve your dreams.
For this topic, Shane did extensive research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Center for Education Statistics, and Payscale.com.
10 Degrees For The Best Jobs In Healthcare
#10 Podiatrist
Average Annual Income – $134,000
Growth Trend – 2% (lower than average)
A podiatrist is an expert on everything related to foot, ankle, and lower legs. Podiatrists are doctors, but they are not MDs. They have their own education track that is not a traditional medical school. Podiatrist have DPM (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine) behind their names. To become a Podiatrist, you will need to complete 4 years of undergrad school, 4 years of an accredited podiatry school, and approximately 3 years of residency.
Search for Podiatrist jobs >> HERE
#9 Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Average Annual Income – $117,000
Growth Trend – 45% (10x average)
A DNP is a doctorate level registered nurse. In most states a DNP functions exactly like a nurse practitioner – you can prescribe, diagnose, and treat – but the DNP has more education. DNP jobs in healthcare are on the rise, with a projected growth trend of 45%! That is about 10 times the average job growth rate in the United States.
It is not easy to become a DNP. To become a doctorate level nurse practitioner, you will need 4 years of undergradate school, typically a BSN, and you must be a licensed registered nurse. After you complete a masters degree (nurse practitioner) in nursing, then you’ll need about 2 additional years to complete your doctorate.
Search for DNP jobs >> HERE
#8 Dentist
Average Annual Income – $164,010
Growth Trend – 8%
There are 2 types of degrees for dentists, DDS – Doctor of Dental Surgery or DMD – Doctor of Dental Medicine. Dont’ get confused, there is actually no difference between the two degrees. They have all received the same level of education and training. The only difference is what the university they attend determine to award. Some schools may award their graduates a DDS, another may award a DMD. The curriculum for both is the same.
It takes approximately 8 years of school to become a dentist. It is expensive and, if you want to go into private practice, you may end up in close to $1 million of related debt. Still, the rate of growth is twice the norm and you are likely to be earning enough to pay the note on all that debt!
Search for Dentist jobs >> HERE
#7 Optometrist
Average Annual Income – $118,000
Growth Trend – 9%
For some reason, this is often overlooked as a one of the great jobs in healthcare. Optometrist specialize in eye problems, but primarily they help people with their glasses and contacts.
To get a degree in this field, you first start with a bachelor’s degree, many times in pre-med or biology. You’ll have to pass a Optometry Admissions test before you are accepted in an optometry school. If successful, you’ll earn your Doctor of Optometry degree and then go on to complete one year of residency. All said, you’ll need at least 8 years of school to get this degree.
Search for Optometrist jobs >> HERE
#6 Radiation Therapist
Average Annual Income – $86,000
Growth Trend – 9%
Radiation therapist use radiation, or X-Rays, to primarily treat cancer. They work with doctors who are radiation oncologists and with oncology nurses.
Radiation Therapist is one of the best jobs in healthcare because the education require is lower than most. You can get into this job with an associates degree and then go later to earn your bachelor’s degree. This occupation does not require a doctoral degree. This means you can get into this profession with about 2 to 3 years of school.
Search for Radiation Therapist jobs >> HERE
#5 Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
Average Annual Income – $300,000+
Growth Trend – 4%
A DO can do all the same things as an MD…. prescribe medicine, diagnose, and do surgery. The main difference from a traditional MD is that DOs will focus on the whole person and healing, which may or may not include traditional medicine. It is thought to be easier to get into DO school than MD school. You will still need to at take the MCAT exam and have excellent pre-med grads to get into a DO medical school. You will also spend the same amount of time as an MD to get this degree.
Search for DO jobs >> HERE
#4 Medical Doctor
Average Annual Income – $300,000+
Growth Trend – 3%
It is much the same as the DO mentioned above. You will need excellent pre-med grades in college and extensive schooling afterwards for this degree. Adding up the 4 years of undergrad, 4 years of medical school, 3 to 7 years of residency, and potentially a fellowship, you could be spending 11 to 20 years in school and residency. It is easy to rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and you’ll be paying it back for most of your career.
Search for Medical Doctor jobs >> HERE
#3 Registered Nurse
Average Annual Income – $75,000
Growth Trend – 9%
There are huge advantages to getting into nursing right now. The need is universal and you won’t have any trouble finding a job after you graduate. You will spend either 2 to 4 years of school. Currently there are 3 million jobs available!
Search for Registered Nurse jobs >> HERE
#2 Nurse Practitioner (Master’s Level)
Average Annual Income – $117,000
Growth Trend – 45%
Different from the DNP, this is a masters level NP. You can do everything that a DNP does.
Search for Nurse Practitioner jobs >> HERE
#1 Physician Associate
Average Annual Income – $115,000
Growth Trend – 31%
This profession was formerly called Physician Assistant. Requires and undergraduate degree, 4 years, and a graduate degree in 2 years. A bit more flexible than NP, you can work in multiple specialties.
Search for Physician Associate jobs >> HERE
Sources and further readings for jobs and college degrees:
bls.gov (bureau of labor statistics)
nces.ed.gov (national center for educational statistics)
payscale.com (provides information on jobs and degrees)