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Thinking about a job in healthcare? Healthcare careers not only offer a wide range of opportunities with strong job growth, but also provide high salaries and room for advancement.
The healthcare industry doesn’t mess around. It accounts for over 18% of the entire U.S. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) with national health expenditure projected to surge by 70% to $7.7 trillion by 2032, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The demand is only increasing, and in many of the highest-paying healthcare jobs too. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook projects 1.9 million healthcare job openings each year up to 2033. If you’re wanting to start a career in healthcare, now is the time.
In this career guide, we’ll be breaking down the most in-demand healthcare careers, including everything from doctors, nurses, and mental health professionals to emergency services and even lesser-known professions like certified anesthesiologist assistants.
We’ll be digging into what they do, the skills needed, how to get started and courses to take, and what you can expect to earn for each role using salary data recorded from real healthcare professionals in our Salary Database and other data sources like Glassdoor and the BLS.
Job Title | Role | Skills Needed | Entry-Level Education & Training | Salary |
| General Practitioner (Family Medicine) | Diagnoses and treats a wide range of health issues for all ages | Broad medical knowledge and communication skills | Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and 3-year residency | $80K - $350K+ |
| Internal Medicine Physician | Specializes in adult health and treats chronic illnesses | Diagnostic skills, analytical thinking, and communication skills | MD or DO and internal medicine 3-year residency | $298K - $486K |
| Surgeon | Operates on patients for treatment | Precision and decision-making skills under pressure | MD or DO and 5-7 years of surgical residency | $250K - $1.5M |
| Pediatrician | Provides medical care for infants and children | Patience and the ability to talk to kids | MD or DO and 3 years of pediatric residency | $255K - $400K |
| Oncologist | Diagnoses and treats cancer through chemotherapy and other treatments. | Oncology-specific knowledge and attention to detail | MD or DO and internal medicine 3-year residency with 2-3 years of oncology fellowship | $400K - $525K |
| Anesthesiologist | Manages pain relief and vital functions during surgeries | Physiology knowledge and patient monitoring skills | MD or DO and anesthesiology 4-year residency | $400K - $625K |
| Cardiologist | Specializes in diagnosing and treating heart and blood vessel conditions | Cardiology expertise and ability to interpret tests | MD or DO and 3-year internal medicine residency with 3-year cardiology fellowship | $390K - $623K |
| Radiologist | Interprets medical images (X-rays, MRIs, CT scans) to diagnose illnesses | Imaging interpretation skills and technology proficiency | MD or DO and 4-5-year radiology residency | $216K - $403K |
| Dermatologist | Diagnoses and treats skin, hair, and nail conditions | Detail-oriented and patient communication skills | MD or DO and 3-4-year dermatology residency | $333K - $620K |
| Physician Assistants (PAs) | Works under physician supervision to diagnose and treat patients | Medical knowledge, diagnostic reasoning, and patient communication skills | Master’s degree from an ARC-PA accredited PA program and licensure (PANCE) | $68K - $220K |
Job Title | Role | Skills Needed | Entry-Level Education & Training | Salary |
| General Practitioner (Family Medicine) | Diagnoses and treats a wide range of health issues for all ages | Broad medical knowledge and communication skills | Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and 3-year residency | $80K - $350K+ |
| Internal Medicine Physician | Specializes in adult health and treats chronic illnesses | Diagnostic skills, analytical thinking, and communication skills | MD or DO and internal medicine 3-year residency | $298K - $486K |
| Surgeon | Operates on patients for treatment | Precision and decision-making skills under pressure | MD or DO and 5-7 years of surgical residency | $250K - $1.5M |
| Pediatrician | Provides medical care for infants and children | Patience and the ability to talk to kids | MD or DO and 3 years of pediatric residency | $255K - $400K |
| Oncologist | Diagnoses and treats cancer through chemotherapy and other treatments. | Oncology-specific knowledge and attention to detail | MD or DO and internal medicine 3-year residency with 2-3 years of oncology fellowship | $400K - $525K |
| Anesthesiologist | Manages pain relief and vital functions during surgeries | Physiology knowledge and patient monitoring skills | MD or DO and anesthesiology 4-year residency | $400K - $625K |
| Cardiologist | Specializes in diagnosing and treating heart and blood vessel conditions | Cardiology expertise and ability to interpret tests | MD or DO and 3-year internal medicine residency with 3-year cardiology fellowship | $390K - $623K |
| Radiologist | Interprets medical images (X-rays, MRIs, CT scans) to diagnose illnesses | Imaging interpretation skills and technology proficiency | MD or DO and 4-5-year radiology residency | $216K - $403K |
| Dermatologist | Diagnoses and treats skin, hair, and nail conditions | Detail-oriented and patient communication skills | MD or DO and 3-4-year dermatology residency | $333K - $620K |
| Physician Assistants (PAs) | Works under physician supervision to diagnose and treat patients | Medical knowledge, diagnostic reasoning, and patient communication skills | Master’s degree from an ARC-PA accredited PA program and licensure (PANCE) | $68K - $220K |
