Career field
Healthcare careers
Licensed and technical healthcare occupations that diagnose, treat, and care for patients. CampusPin lists 54 healthcare occupations, with median pay ranging from $37,040 to $238,380 per year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage or a guarantee.
Occupations
54
indexed BLS occupations
Median pay range
$37,040–$238,380
BLS 2024, occupation-wide
Typical pay (midpoint)
$79,725
median of these medians
Most common entry education
Doctoral or professional degree
across 54 occupations
Projected to grow fastest
BLS projected employment change, 2024–2034.
Largest by employment
BLS employment estimate, 2024.
- Registered nurses3,391,000
- Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses651,400
- Pharmacy technicians490,400
- Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians351,200
- Pharmacists335,100
Typical entry-level education
How many of these occupations BLS classifies at each typical entry-level education. Many roles also have experience or licensure requirements beyond a degree.
- Doctoral or professional degree: 12
- Master's degree: 11
- Associate's degree: 11
- Postsecondary nondegree award: 10
- Bachelor's degree: 7
- High school diploma or equivalent: 3
Occupations in this field
- Family medicine physicians$238,380
- General internal medicine physicians$236,350
- Dentists, all other specialists$225,770
- Nurse anesthetists$223,210
- Pediatricians, general$210,130
- Dentists, general$172,790
- Podiatrists$152,800
- Medical dosimetrists$138,110
- Pharmacists$137,480
- Optometrists$134,830
- Physician assistants$133,260
- Nurse practitioners$129,210
- Nurse midwives$128,790
- Veterinarians$125,510
- Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other$113,730
- Radiation therapists$101,990
- Physical therapists$101,020
- Genetic counselors$98,910
- Occupational therapists$98,340
- Nuclear medicine technologists$97,020
- Speech-language pathologists$95,410
- Dental hygienists$94,260
- Registered nurses$93,600
- Audiologists$92,120
- Diagnostic medical sonographers$89,340
- Magnetic resonance imaging technologists$88,180
- Respiratory therapists$80,450
- Chiropractors$79,000
- Orthotists and prosthetists$78,310
- Acupuncturists$78,140
- Radiologic technologists and technicians$77,660
- Dietitians and nutritionists$73,850
- Health information technologists and medical registrars$67,310
- Cardiovascular technologists and technicians$67,260
- Therapists, all other$65,010
- Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other$64,030
- Surgical technologists$62,830
- Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses$62,340
- Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians$61,890
- Hearing aid specialists$61,560
- Surgical assistants$60,290
- Recreational therapists$60,280
- Athletic trainers$60,250
- Paramedics$58,410
- Exercise physiologists$58,160
- Medical records specialists$50,250
- Health technologists and technicians, all other$48,790
- Opticians, dispensing$46,560
- Veterinary technologists and technicians$45,980
- Ophthalmic medical technicians$44,080
- Pharmacy technicians$43,460
- Psychiatric technicians$42,590
- Emergency medical technicians$41,340
- Dietetic technicians$37,040
Majors that lead into this field
CampusPin majors whose program maps to occupations in this field via the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk.
- Nursing
- Nutrition and Dietetics
- Kinesiology
- Athletic Training
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Respiratory Therapy
- Radiologic Technology
- Health Informatics
- Veterinary Technology
- Genetics
- Dental Hygiene
- Paramedicine
- Exercise Science
- Physician Assistant Studies
- Pharmacy
- Surgical Technology
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography
- Nuclear Medicine Technology
- Cardiovascular Technology
- Audiology
- Recreational Therapy
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Health Information Management
- Pharmacy Technician
- Medical Billing and Coding
- Practical Nursing
- Radiation Therapy
- Opticianry
- Ophthalmic Technology
- Dietetic Technician
- Personal Training and Fitness Instruction
Frequently asked questions
What careers are in the healthcare field?
CampusPin lists 54 healthcare occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including Family medicine physicians, General internal medicine physicians, Dentists, all other specialists, Nurse anesthetists. Each links to a career page with median pay, projected job growth, and typical entry-level education.
How much do healthcare careers pay?
Across these occupations, BLS 2024 median pay ranges from $37,040 to $238,380 per year, with a midpoint (the median of the occupations' medians) near $79,725. Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage, and varies by state, employer, and experience.
What education do healthcare careers require?
Typical entry-level education varies by occupation; the most common in this field is doctoral or professional degree. 12 occupations list doctoral or professional degree; 11 occupations list master's degree; 11 occupations list associate's degree; 10 occupations list postsecondary nondegree award; 7 occupations list bachelor's degree; 3 occupations list high school diploma or equivalent.
Which healthcare careers are projected to grow fastest?
Over 2024–2034, BLS projects the fastest growth for Nurse practitioners (+40.1%), Physician assistants (+20.4%), Psychiatric technicians (+20%), Ophthalmic medical technicians (+19.8%), Hearing aid specialists (+18.4%). Projections are BLS model estimates, not guarantees.
Put this field in context
The pay and growth numbers above are field-wide BLS medians and national projections across healthcare occupations, not a starting salary or a guarantee for any single job. These CampusPin guides explain how to read them and how a field connects to majors and college choices.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
How one major connects to many careers
A major points toward several occupations in a field, not a single destination.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Compare cost, earnings, and debt together
Weigh price, earnings, and debt side by side without reducing a field to one number.
Occupation data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (Employment Projections); wages are 2024 and projections cover 2024–2034. Figures are national, not institution-specific, and projections are estimates, not guarantees.