10 Fastest Growing Jobs in Health Sciences

What are the fastest growing careers in Health Science?

Health Science careers include jobs in planning, managing, and providing therapeutic services, diagnostic services, health informatics, support services, and biotechnology research and development.

Here is a list of 10 fastest growing careers in the Health Science career cluster with substantial job demand.

1. Nurse Practitioners: Projected Job Growth: 25.70%
   Diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team. May focus on health promotion and disease prevention. May order, perform, or interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x rays. May prescribe medication. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
2. Home Health Aides: Projected Job Growth: 17.12%
   Monitor the health status of an individual with disabilities or illness, and address their health-related needs, such as changing bandages, dressing wounds, or administering medication. Work is performed under the direction of offsite or intermittent onsite licensed nursing staff. Provide assistance with routine healthcare tasks or activities of daily living, such as feeding, bathing, toileting, or ambulation. May also help with tasks such as preparing meals, doing light housekeeping, and doing laundry depending on the patient's abilities.
3. Physical Therapist Assistants: Projected Job Growth: 16.83%
   Assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with state laws, assist in the development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, document the progress of treatment, and modify specific treatments in accordance with patient status and within the scope of treatment plans established by a physical therapist. Generally requires formal training.
4. Medical and Health Services Managers: Projected Job Growth: 16.13%
   Plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.
5. Anesthesiologist Assistants: Projected Job Growth: 15.92%
   Assist anesthesiologists in the administration of anesthesia for surgical and non-surgical procedures. Monitor patient status and provide patient care during surgical treatment.
6. Physician Assistants: Projected Job Growth: 15.92%
   Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants.
7. Speech-Language Pathologists: Projected Job Growth: 14.43%
   Assess and treat persons with speech, language, voice, and fluency disorders. May select alternative communication systems and teach their use. May perform research related to speech and language problems.
8. Phlebotomists: Projected Job Growth: 11.89%
   Draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, or research. May explain the procedure to patients and assist in the recovery of patients with adverse reactions.
9. Veterinary Technologists and Technicians: Projected Job Growth: 10.85%
   Perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals. Prepare vaccines and serums for prevention of diseases. Prepare tissue samples, take blood samples, and execute laboratory tests, such as urinalysis and blood counts. Clean and sterilize instruments and materials and maintain equipment and machines. May assist a veterinarian during surgery.
10. Physical Therapists: Projected Job Growth: 10.74%
    Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.

This list was developed to provide meaningful information, so only occupations with a minimum number of available jobs were included.

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