Healthcare Industry Jobs, Salary
& Career Paths

Nurse practitioners lead at a $132,300 median (BLS OEWS May 2025), followed by physical therapists ($102,760), dental hygienists ($98,100) and registered nurses ($97,550). All four require a license but not an MD: NPs need a graduate nursing degree, PTs a DPT, and RNs an associate or bachelor's degree plus the NCLEX. Advancing from RN to NP is the most common six-figure path.

Registered nurses, surgical technologists, radiologic technologists, respiratory therapists and medical coders are in the tightest supply in 2026. An aging population, pandemic-era retirements and limited program capacity mean hospitals fill these roles slowly, so licensed and certified candidates move through hiring processes fastest, often with signing bonuses.

Almost always. Nurses, therapists, paramedics and most imaging roles require a state license or registry entry before they can legally work. Roles without state licensure, medical assistants, coders, surgical techs and phlebotomists, are screened by national certifications instead: CCMA, CPC, CST and NHA CPT. Our license and certification guides list exactly what each role requires by state.

The national RN median is $97,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025), with a range from $68,940 at the 10th percentile to $137,470 at the 90th. California leads all states at $140,270, followed by Hawaii ($136,320), Oregon ($129,010) and Washington ($124,200). Southern and Midwestern states generally sit $15,000 to $30,000 below the national median, offset by lower living costs.

Licenses are checked directly against the issuing authority: state boards of nursing via Nursys, state medical and pharmacy boards, and state radiology programs. National certifications are confirmed with the issuer, AAPC for CPC, NBSTSA for CST, ARRT for imaging, NHA for CCMA and phlebotomy. Sanctions and exclusion lists (OIG/SAM) are screened before any candidate reaches a shortlist.

Start with a short certificate role and ladder up: CNA programs run 4 to 12 weeks, phlebotomy 1 to 2 months, and medical assisting about 9 to 12 months, each leading to immediate employment. From there, employers commonly fund LPN or RN bridge programs. Medical coding is another degree-free entry: a CPC course plus the AAPC exam takes under a year and supports remote work.

Yes. Health care and social assistance is the largest and fastest-growing U.S. employment sector at 23.9 million jobs, and BLS projects healthcare occupations to add more jobs than any other group through 2034. Median pay spans $42,260 to $132,300 by role, demand is recession-resistant, and licensed clinicians enjoy near-total job security and geographic mobility.