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
Every occupation BLS places in this field, with median pay, the openings each is projected to average per year, its projected employment change, and the education most entrants hold. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first, which is the measure of how much hiring a field actually does rather than how much it pays.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurses | $93,600 | 189,100 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses | $62,340 | 54,400 | +2.6% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Pharmacy technicians | $43,460 | 49,000 | +6.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Nurse practitioners | $129,210 | 29,500 | +40.1% | Master's degree |
| Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians | $61,890 | 22,600 | +1.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Psychiatric technicians | $42,590 | 15,900 | +20% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Dental hygienists | $94,260 | 15,300 | +7% | Associate's degree |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians | $45,980 | 14,300 | +9.1% | Associate's degree |
| Medical records specialists | $50,250 | 14,200 | +7.1% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Pharmacists | $137,480 | 14,200 | +4.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Emergency medical technicians | $41,340 | 14,100 | +5.1% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other | $48,790 | 13,600 | +5.2% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Speech-language pathologists | $95,410 | 13,300 | +15% | Master's degree |
| Physical therapists | $101,020 | 13,200 | +10.9% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Radiologic technologists and technicians | $77,660 | 12,900 | +4.3% | Associate's degree |
| Ophthalmic medical technicians | $44,080 | 12,500 | +19.8% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Physician assistants | $133,260 | 12,000 | +20.4% | Master's degree |
| Occupational therapists | $98,340 | 10,200 | +13.8% | Master's degree |
| Respiratory therapists | $80,450 | 8,800 | +12.1% | Associate's degree |
| Surgical technologists | $62,830 | 7,000 | +4.5% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Opticians, dispensing | $46,560 | 6,800 | +2.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Dietitians and nutritionists | $73,850 | 6,200 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers | $89,340 | 5,800 | +13% | Associate's degree |
| Paramedics | $58,410 | 4,900 | +5% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Therapists, all other | $65,010 | 4,100 | +11.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Dietetic technicians | $37,040 | 4,000 | +2.5% | Associate's degree |
| Dentists, general | $172,790 | 3,900 | +4.1% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Cardiovascular technologists and technicians | $67,260 | 3,800 | +3% | Associate's degree |
| Family medicine physicians | $238,380 | 3,300 | +2.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Health information technologists and medical registrars | $67,310 | 3,200 | +14.7% | Associate's degree |
| Veterinarians | $125,510 | 3,000 | +9.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Chiropractors | $79,000 | 2,800 | +9.5% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Nurse anesthetists | $223,210 | 2,700 | +8.6% | Master's degree |
| Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other | $64,030 | 2,600 | +3.6% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Magnetic resonance imaging technologists | $88,180 | 2,600 | +7.1% | Associate's degree |
| Athletic trainers | $60,250 | 2,400 | +11.1% | Master's degree |
| Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other | $113,730 | 2,400 | +2% | Master's degree |
| Optometrists | $134,830 | 2,400 | +8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| General internal medicine physicians | $236,350 | 2,100 | +3.3% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Exercise physiologists | $58,160 | 1,700 | +9.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Surgical assistants | $60,290 | 1,600 | +5.1% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Recreational therapists | $60,280 | 1,300 | +3.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Pediatricians, general | $210,130 | 1,200 | +0.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Hearing aid specialists | $61,560 | 1,000 | +18.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Acupuncturists | $78,140 | 900 | +6.8% | Master's degree |
| Nuclear medicine technologists | $97,020 | 900 | +3% | Associate's degree |
| Orthotists and prosthetists | $78,310 | 900 | +13.3% | Master's degree |
| Radiation therapists | $101,990 | 900 | +1.9% | Associate's degree |
| Audiologists | $92,120 | 700 | +9.5% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Nurse midwives | $128,790 | 500 | +11.1% | Master's degree |
| Genetic counselors | $98,910 | 300 | +9.3% | Master's degree |
| Podiatrists | $152,800 | 300 | +1.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Dentists, all other specialists | $225,770 | 200 | +0.3% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Medical dosimetrists | $138,110 | 200 | +3.5% | Bachelor's degree |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 wages and Employment Projections. “Most entrants hold” describes the education people already working in the occupation typically have. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
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.