Career field
Healthcare Support careers
Occupations that assist healthcare practitioners and support patient care. CampusPin lists 17 healthcare support occupations, with median pay ranging from $34,520 to $68,340 per year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage or a guarantee.
Occupations
17
indexed BLS occupations
Median pay range
$34,520–$68,340
BLS 2024, occupation-wide
Typical pay (midpoint)
$41,590
median of these medians
Most common entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
across 17 occupations
Projected to grow fastest
BLS projected employment change, 2024–2034.
Largest by employment
BLS employment estimate, 2024.
- Home health and personal care aides4,347,700
- Nursing assistants1,441,500
- Medical assistants811,000
- Dental assistants381,900
- Massage therapists168,000
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.
- High school diploma or equivalent: 9
- Postsecondary nondegree award: 6
- Associate's degree: 2
Occupations in this field
- Occupational therapy assistants$68,340
- Physical therapist assistants$65,510
- Massage therapists$57,950
- Dental assistants$47,300
- Medical equipment preparers$46,490
- Healthcare support workers, all other$46,050
- Medical assistants$44,200
- Phlebotomists$43,660
- Psychiatric aides$41,590
- Nursing assistants$39,530
- Orderlies$37,700
- Medical transcriptionists$37,550
- Occupational therapy aides$37,370
- Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers$37,320
- Pharmacy aides$37,000
- Home health and personal care aides$34,900
- Physical therapist aides$34,520
Majors that lead into this field
CampusPin majors whose program maps to occupations in this field via the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk.
Frequently asked questions
What careers are in the healthcare support field?
CampusPin lists 17 healthcare support occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including Occupational therapy assistants, Physical therapist assistants, Massage therapists, Dental assistants. Each links to a career page with median pay, projected job growth, and typical entry-level education.
How much do healthcare support careers pay?
Across these occupations, BLS 2024 median pay ranges from $34,520 to $68,340 per year, with a midpoint (the median of the occupations' medians) near $41,590. Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage, and varies by state, employer, and experience.
What education do healthcare support careers require?
Typical entry-level education varies by occupation; the most common in this field is high school diploma or equivalent. 9 occupations list high school diploma or equivalent; 6 occupations list postsecondary nondegree award; 2 occupations list associate's degree.
Which healthcare support careers are projected to grow fastest?
Over 2024–2034, BLS projects the fastest growth for Physical therapist assistants (+22%), Occupational therapy assistants (+19.2%), Home health and personal care aides (+17%), Massage therapists (+15.4%), Medical assistants (+12.5%). 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 support 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.