With the help of the Affordable Care Act giving more people than ever the health care they need, the healthcare industry is now the country’s largest field. More people are employed in healthcare than in any other industry and there is still a massive amount of demand. If you’re interested in finding a high-paying job and don’t mind the extra schooling to go along with it, the highest paying medical jobs are hiring.
Here are five you should look into.
1. Surgeons and Physicians
When you’re looking for the highest paid positions in the medical field, you’re looking at doctors and surgeons. As you can probably guess, the high demand, high pressure, and high risk of the job all add up to a generous compensation package. They’re one of the highest-earning professionals out there, but there is a lot to go along with that.
First off, there’s a lot of education required to become a surgeon or a physician. Even with everything that doctors get paid, it takes them several years to pay off their loans and manage the rest of their expenses.
Physicians work to diagnose and treat illness in their patients and follow up to ensure that their treatments work. After they look at medical histories and prescribe medication, they need to stay involved or else they could suffer a malpractice suit.
Surgeons work under high-pressure situations that are life or death for lots of patients. One small mistake could lead to exacerbating the problem they aim to treat or improve. When operating to treat broken bones, cancerous tumors, or any other severe issue, they need to have lots of training and experience, which pays them lots of money.
2. Dentists
Just below physicians and surgeons, dentists make some of the biggest bucks in the medical industry. When you’re looking for a high paying job in the healthcare field, dentists do really well and report a lot of job satisfaction. One of the things that most dentists like is the fact that just a few dentists could run their own office with hygienists and staff beneath them.
Dentists treat teeth and gums while also looking at preventative care. They focus on maintaining good oral health because of its overall connection to the rest of the body. Problems that start in the mouth quickly trickle down to other parts of the body.
To become a dentist, it takes around 8 years of school and the ability to pass a licensing exam. Once all of this is completed, there’s potential to make around $160,000 a year. Much like doctors, you’ll need to earn a lot in order to pay off all of your student loans.
3. Podiatrists
While it might not be something you think much about, a good podiatrist is vital to good health or recovery. These specialists, who provide medical care to the foot, ensure that they think of the whole foot as part of the body’s system. A good podiatrist encourages you to have strong ankles and lower legs to help deal with your foot.
Back problems are some of the most common, painful, and persistent issues that Americans have as they get older. While most people separate chiropractic needs from their feet, the whole system is connected. When you have poor support in your shoes or stand on your feet for a long time, your feet might hurt temporarily but you could be damaging your back irreparably.
Starting by paying attention to your feet ensures you won’t have further back problems. When considering a career in medicine, podiatrists perform well at around $125,000 a year. They also need a doctoral degree, however, so there’s a lot of schooling to have to pay for after graduation.
4. Pharmacists
As a pharmacist, one of your chief responsibilities is to ensure that your patients have the knowledge they need about their medication. That means that you too need to have the knowledge necessary to predict bad drug interactions or ineffectiveness. What that also means, is that you’ll need lots of time in the classroom, studying pharmacology and medicine.
Since pharmacists spend so much time studying, earning degrees, and eventually needing to pay them off, they make around $120,000 a year or more. Since they’re tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that drugs are safely administered without any adverse reactions, they work hard for that money.
Pharmacists are also required to take continuing education studies. Since new medication comes out all the time, it’s vital for pharmacists to know what’s new to the market. Every new medication comes with a set of caveats about which other medication it can’t be used with and which it works well with.
If you’re wondering what kind of programs offer continuing education, find a school near you before you decide on this career path.
5. Nurse Practitioners
Nurses who have had a couple of years under their belt need to study to become a Nurse practitioner to reach the next level in their career. If they take the time to study for the extra couple of years that it takes to get the right master’s degree, they’ll move up the ladder and make more money.
The average nurse practitioner makes more than $100,000 a year and is able to start their own practice. They work as primary care providers and do the hard work of providing both immediate and preventative care for patients.
Nurse practitioners have the ability to give treatment and help to set a course for good health for patients.
The Highest Paying Medical Jobs Need You
If you’re looking for the highest paying medical jobs, you’ll have to go back to school. However, with the amount of money you’ll earn year after year, it’ll be well worth the time.
If you’re about to head into school, check out our guide for how you can stay healthy all year round.
