A Career in Healthcare: is it right for me?

Choosing to pursue a career can be a daunting task.

Right off the bat, it’s a decision that spurs several questions: Will I be able to find a job in my chosen career? Will my job pay well? Will I like my job?

With these questions in mind, consider a career in healthcare.

Skilled healthcare professionals are in demand. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one in five new jobs created this year will be in the healthcare industry.

For instance, with the aging baby boomer population, the need for nurses is expected to increase by more than 25 percent in the next decade. Added to that, a large portion of today’s nursing workforce plans to retire in the next 10 years. More than half of nurses surveyed in 2006 said they plan to retire between 2011 and 2020. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing offers more facts and figures about the demand for jobs in healthcare.

What kind of money will I make?

Jobs in healthcare pay well. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates the U.S. median salary in 2010 for Registered Nurses was $64,690 per year, with an average projected job growth until 2020 of 26 percent.

Other median annual incomes in healthcare:

• Physical Therapist Assistant salary: $49,690

• Diagnostic Medical Songorapher salary: $64,380

• Radiological Technoligst salary: $54,340

• Surgical Technologist salary: $39,920

• Respiratory Therapist salary: $54,280

• Phlebotomist salary: $30,790

• Medical Assistant salary: $28,860

• Health Promotion Manager: $45,830

A job in healthcare is also rewarding beyond the paycheck. You provide crucial care that will have a lasting impact on the lives others. You might even have a chance to save someone’s life. Above all, healthcare professionals help people. What’s more rewarding than that?

Where should I get my degree?

Well, here are some facts about us: At Nebraska Methodist College, 98 percent of our graduates find a job within six months of graduation. On top of that, we have a 93 percent freshman retention rate and award $2.5 million in scholarships and grants to students each year from institutional, state and federal sources.

We are a leading nursing and allied health college located in Omaha, Nebraska, offering on campus and online degrees in healthcare.

If you are a prospective student, download a free Career Strategies in Healthcare E-Guide to learn more about the advantages of a career in the healthcare industry.