Health care is a booming industry with a wide range of rewarding jobs working with patients, communities, or behind the scenes. Explore your career options with these guides to careers in the health industry.
Working in health care can look like a lot of different things. You may work directly with patients as a doctor, nurse, or physical therapist, or maybe you work within communities through a public health career. You'll also find jobs behind the scenes, working in a lab or with health care data. You'll find several fields to explore:
In a 2023 report, the BLS notes the median annual wage for health care professionals in May 2022 was $77,760, a significantly higher salary than the national median wage of $46,310 for all professions during the same period. Furthermore, the BLS anticipates the health care industry to grow much faster than average between 2022 and 2032 [1].
Health care in the United States is a booming industry with a wide range of jobs offering salaries exceeding the national median, which could make it a good choice depending on your interests. You'll find a wide range of jobs in health care – from those that only require a high school diploma to those requiring a doctorate and many years of medical training.
As you are considering a career in the medical field, you should think about the kind of work environment that best fits your personality. While some might thrive on the tension and pressure of the surgery room, others might flourish in the daily routine of providing at-home patient care to the elderly. Others, meanwhile, might enjoy the work of dealing with animals and their owners in a veterinary office rather than dealing with the personal politics of a busy hospital.
Each career in health care offers the opportunity for working in totally different environments, so consider the kind of environment that you feel fits you best.
![[Featured Image]: Optometrist, wearing a white jacket and brown pants, sitting in the exam room, using health informatics skills.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/1IYLYHwjEhE3myHXNGpHpl/5829a6c5123493b8b95a247a204fd2c5/Hillary_Gaspar_Phillipines_20201203_0442.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] A nurse anesthetist wearing surgical scrubs and a mask checks a monitor in an operating room of a hospital.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/vpfNFPzBBRmjdEpUTs93u/5b81e2aaf086465bb3b9bdff039b3bc4/GettyImages-1404179486.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: Advance Practice Registered Nurse, consulting with a patient.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/3rGeQx4O9dR2mWvGqJhykC/f2d5478b98cb7b83312cf014b66b855e/GettyImages-1173646995__3_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: Health Information Manager, wearing a white lab coat, standing outside the office, preparing information on patient's security.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/1ixeiMF8SG0E4r6WnBpxGe/c629c40a23f688272a27056862fc19ea/Paulina_Mensah_Ghana_20201118_0440__5_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: Clinical Research Coordinators wearing lab coats and gloves, sitting in a lab, working on a desktop computer, and using a microscope, to analyze data conducting a clinical trial.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/1EknjKuQM15Jx6T9xBMj3f/d6661990a29d32d26b10023ff44340b1/GettyImages-563374209.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: Hospital Administrator, wearing a white lab coat and orange top, standing outside an office, preparing to meet with hospital employees.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/6hUZT8mkrYZrwWQLQEK2R6/679f10e71d18c7e7c62aeab76045d9d5/Paulina_Mensah_Ghana_20201118_0440__4_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: Epidemiologist, wearing a dark blue uniform, is sitting in a lab room, working on a laptop computer, reviewing and analyzing information on a human disease outbreak.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/6BeaK4wvkIS69LIzPpcWi2/728eb3cb095af5bbc742ffc53c2782db/Lochan_Khullar_India_201128_0158.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image] A person sits in an armchair and chats using a laptop and headphones.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/7MJY3WGUyMPLQJrOzoWlE7/705ee29e946130ab79d2b37775bf6d65/GettyImages-1224042134.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: A radiation therapist works with equipment while wearing a blue safety vest.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/2QSJskyKUyjA2mJwz4UsUy/7e82dbe68d64281c9704f23edb950494/GettyImages-906006158__1_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured image] A toxicologist in a white lab coat holds a laptop computer while working in a medical lab](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/46Xuzk1cIff6uajTwCdHjp/2dc32dd751a4b1cab2d25b3261c49320/iStock-1044228300__1_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: Public Health Analyst reviewing data on sustainable cities](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/5mZp2q0nEI7oVXPTpsdhWa/b4165e17343476ded135dd57b26add59/Rayan_Braga_Brazil_20201121_0231.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
![[Featured Image]: Food Scientist working on food chemistry to help make it healthier.](https://images.ctfassets.net/wp1lcwdav1p1/7Is3ZqozQg2OugXRP1BB7j/cb8aca40ad22e9bdce447a4574f1ec07/GettyImages-1077785230__1_.jpg?w=330&h=216&q=60&fit=fill&f=faces&fm=jpg&fl=progressive)
