Health
Doctors, surgeons, nurses, therapists, and everyone else who keeps people well.
102 careers
Doctors
25Allergist and ImmunologistThirteen years of training for one of the calmest schedules in medicine.Typical pay$266kTo qualify13 to 14 yrsDemandGoodAnesthesiologistYou keep people alive and unaware while someone else operates. Twelve years of training, and among the highest pay in medicine.Typical pay$391kTo qualify12 to 13 yrsDemandGoodCardiologistA heart doctor who diagnoses and treats heart disease, often without ever opening the chest.Typical pay$496kTo qualify14 to 16 yrsDemandGoodDermatologistA doctor for skin, hair and nails. Very well paid, and one of the hardest residencies to get.Typical pay$329kTo qualify12 to 13 yrsDemandGoodEmergency PhysicianYou take whatever comes through the door, in the order it arrives. Eleven years of training for a job measured in shifts.Typical pay$336kTo qualify11 to 12 yrsDemandGoodEndocrinologistThe doctor for hormones: diabetes, thyroid, bones, growth. A long training path for a job that is mostly thinking and talking.Typical pay$257kTo qualify13 to 14 yrsDemandGoodFamily DoctorEleven years of training, then a career looking after the same people from birth to old age.Typical pay$244kTo qualify11 to 12 yrsDemandGoodGastroenterologistThe doctor for everything between the mouth and the other end. Fourteen years of training, and one of the best paid jobs in medicine.Typical pay$236kTo qualify13 to 15 yrsDemandVery highGeriatricianA doctor for people in their eighties and nineties, where the hard part is fewer pills, not more.Typical pay$244kTo qualify11 to 12 yrsDemandVery highHematologistThe blood doctor. Leukemia, lymphoma, clots, anemia and transfusions, with a microscope on the desk and thirteen years of training behind you.Typical pay$236kTo qualify13 to 14 yrsDemandVery highInfectious Disease DoctorThe doctor other doctors call when nobody can work out what the infection is. Thirteen years of training for one of medicine's lower paydays.Typical pay$257kTo qualify13 to 14 yrsDemandModerateInternal Medicine DoctorThe adult body, all of it, and the complicated patients nobody else can sort out. Eleven years of training.Typical pay$257kTo qualify11 to 12 yrsDemandVery highNephrologistThe kidney doctor. Thirteen years of training, then you keep people alive on dialysis and get them to transplant.Typical pay$257kTo qualify13 to 14 yrsDemandModerateNeurologistThe brain and nerve doctor who does not operate. Strokes, seizures, migraines, multiple sclerosis. Twelve years of training and a shortage almost everywhere.Typical pay$249kTo qualify12 to 13 yrsDemandVery highObstetrician-GynecologistDelivers babies and treats everything from fertility to cancer of the reproductive organs. Twelve years of training, surgery, clinic, and births at 3am.Typical pay$293kTo qualify12 to 13 yrsDemandModerateOncologistThe cancer doctor. Thirteen years of training, some of the hardest conversations in medicine, and a field that gets better almost every year.Typical pay$236kTo qualify13 to 15 yrsDemandVery highPalliative Care DoctorTreat pain, breathlessness and fear in people with serious illness, and help them decide what happens next.Typical pay$236kTo qualify12 to 14 yrsDemandGoodPathologistThe doctor who names the disease. You read tissue and lab results, and other doctors act on what you write.Typical pay$312kTo qualify12 to 14 yrsDemandModeratePediatricianThe family doctor for children, from newborn checkups to teenagers. Eleven years of training, and the lowest pay of any doctor on this list.Typical pay$210kTo qualify11 to 12 yrsDemandModeratePsychiatristA medical doctor for the mind. Twelve years of training, and the only mental health job that can prescribe in every state.Typical pay$282kTo qualify12 to 13 yrsDemandVery highRadiation OncologistA cancer doctor who treats with radiation beams instead of a scalpel. Thirteen years of training for one of the highest paid jobs in medicine.Typical pay$421kTo qualify13 to 14 yrsDemandModerateRadiologistYou read the scans other doctors order, and your report is what decides the next move.Typical pay$421kTo qualify13 to 14 yrsDemandModerateRespirologistThe lung doctor, called a pulmonologist in the United States. Thirteen years of training, and you often run the intensive care unit as well.Typical pay$236kTo qualify13 to 14 yrsDemandGoodRheumatologistThe doctor for joints and the immune system: arthritis, lupus, gout, vasculitis. Thirteen years of training, then a career of long puzzles.Typical pay$236kTo qualify13 to 14 yrsDemandGoodSports Medicine DoctorYou keep athletes moving and get them back after injury. It is a full medical degree first, then a residency, then a fellowship.Typical pay$266kTo qualify12 to 14 yrsDemandModerate
Surgeons
12Cardiac SurgeonOperate on hearts. The longest training on this site, and near the top of the pay scale.Typical pay$414kTo qualify14 to 16 yrsDemandModerateEar, Nose and Throat SurgeonEars, sinuses, voice, swallowing and head and neck cancer. One of the few surgical specialties where you also run a clinic.Typical pay$414kTo qualify13 to 14 yrsDemandGoodGeneral SurgeonThirteen years of training to become the person who opens someone up and fixes the problem.Typical pay$414kTo qualify13 to 15 yrsDemandModerateNeurosurgeonOperate on the brain, spine and nerves. The longest training of any doctor in the country, the highest pay in medicine, and a tiny number of jobs.Typical pay$749kTo qualify15 to 16 yrsDemandModerateOphthalmologistThe eye surgeon. Twelve years of training, operations measured in fractions of a millimeter, and patients who can see again the next morning.Typical pay$300kTo qualify12 to 13 yrsDemandModerateOral and Maxillofacial SurgeonThe surgeon for the mouth, jaws and face. Dental school first, then four to six more years, and the highest pay of any dental specialty.Typical pay$352kTo qualify12 to 14 yrsDemandModerateOrthopedic SurgeonFix broken bones, worn-out joints and torn ligaments. Thirteen years of training for one of the best paid jobs in medicine.Typical pay$359kTo qualify13 to 15 yrsDemandModeratePediatric SurgeonSurgery on newborns, infants and children. Fifteen years of training for one of the smallest and hardest specialties in medicine.Typical pay$559kTo qualify15 to 16 yrsDemandLimitedPlastic SurgeonRebuild faces, hands and bodies after cancer, burns and accidents. Cosmetic work is only part of it.Typical pay$559kTo qualify14 to 16 yrsDemandModerateThoracic SurgeonOperate inside the chest: lungs, esophagus, airway and chest wall. One of the longest trainings in medicine.Typical pay$414kTo qualify14 to 16 yrsDemandModerateUrologistThe surgeon for kidneys, bladders and prostates. Thirteen years of training, then some of the best pay in medicine.Typical pay$266kTo qualify13 to 14 yrsDemandModerateVascular SurgeonRepair the arteries and veins that keep people alive. Among the longest training and highest pay in medicine.Typical pay$414kTo qualify13 to 15 yrsDemandModerate
Nursing and patient care
8Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)A few months of training to a job every hospital and nursing home in the country is short of. Hard, physical, human work, and the pay is modest.Typical pay$42kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandVery highLicensed Practical Nurse (LPN)Hands-on bedside nursing about a year after high school, with a real license at the end of it.Typical pay$64kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerateMedical Office AssistantRun the front of a clinic and help with patients at the back. About a year of training, and clinics everywhere are hiring.Typical pay$46kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandVery highMidwifeLook after people through pregnancy, birth and the year after, and provide their everyday reproductive health care too.Typical pay$134kTo qualify6 to 8 yrsDemandVery highNurse PractitionerA nurse with a graduate degree who can diagnose, order tests and prescribe. Six years of school, six figures, and one of the fastest growing jobs in the country.Typical pay$132kTo qualify6 to 8 yrsDemandVery highPhysician AssistantExamine patients, order tests and write prescriptions, after about seven years instead of a doctor's eleven.Typical pay$136kTo qualify6 to 8 yrsDemandVery highRegistered NurseThe biggest health profession in the country. Two years of college can get you licensed, and the license works in most states.Typical pay$98kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandVery highSurgical TechnologistSet up the operating room, guard the sterile field and hand the surgeon the right instrument before they ask. Two years of school.Typical pay$65kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandVery high
Emergency
1Pharmacy
2PharmacistThe last person who checks a prescription before it reaches a patient. Eight years of school, and one of the highest starting floors on this site.Typical pay$141kTo qualify6 to 8 yrsDemandModeratePharmacy TechnicianFill prescriptions, run the counter and keep the pharmacy moving. Under a year of training for a regulated health job.Typical pay$46kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandVery high
Dental and eye care
10Dental AssistantWork chairside next to a dentist, often after less than a year of training.Typical pay$48kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandVery highDental HygienistClean teeth, read gums and catch disease early. Around $98,000 a year for a two year degree.Typical pay$98kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandVery highDental Laboratory TechnicianBuild the crowns, bridges and dentures that go in people's mouths. A craft trade with a scanner in it.Typical pay$50kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedDentistDiagnose and treat teeth and gums, usually in a practice you end up owning yourself.Typical pay$171kTo qualify8 to 10 yrsDemandModerateEndodontistThe root canal specialist. Dental school, then two or three more years learning to save teeth other dentists would pull.Typical pay$228kTo qualify10 to 11 yrsDemandLimitedOpticianTurn an eye prescription into glasses and contact lenses that actually fit. Two years or less to get started, and in many states no license at all.Typical pay$47kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerateOptometristTest eyes, catch disease early, prescribe glasses, contacts and medication. A four-year doctorate, no surgical residency, and clinics in every town.Typical pay$137kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandVery highOrthodontistMove teeth and jaws into place with braces and aligners. A dentist first, then two or three more years of training.Typical pay$289kTo qualify10 to 11 yrsDemandModeratePediatric DentistThe dentist for babies, children and teenagers. Two to three extra years after dental school, mostly spent learning how to handle a frightened kid.Typical pay$228kTo qualify10 to 11 yrsDemandModeratePeriodontistThe gum and dental implant specialist. Three extra years after dental school, and most of the work is surgery.Typical pay$228kTo qualify11 yrsDemandModerate
Mental health
8Addiction CounselorSit with people at the worst point of their lives and help them get out. You can start this one without a degree.Typical pay$59kTo qualify1 to 6 yrsDemandVery highBehavior AnalystWork out why a behavior happens, then change the conditions around it. Six to eight years of school, mostly working with children.Typical pay$118kTo qualify6 to 8 yrsDemandVery highDirect Support ProfessionalHelp people with disabilities live their own lives. You can start within weeks, and the pay is the hard part.Typical pay$46kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandVery highMusic TherapistUse music as clinical treatment in hospitals, schools and hospices. A real degree, a real internship and a national board exam.Typical pay$78kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandGoodPsychologistYou test, diagnose and treat what is happening in someone's mind. A doctorate, an internship and a national exam stand between you and the title.Typical pay$101kTo qualify9 to 12 yrsDemandVery highPsychotherapistTalk therapy as a job. Most people get here with a master's degree and two years of supervised hours, not a doctorate.Typical pay$101kTo qualify6 to 8 yrsDemandVery highSocial WorkerYou sit with people on the worst day of their lives and find them a way through. Licensed, underpaid and badly needed.Typical pay$64kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandModerateYouth WorkerYou are the adult who keeps showing up for kids and teens in group homes, after school programs and shelters. Some jobs hire you at 18, the better paid ones want a degree.Typical pay$60kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandGood
Therapy and rehab
15AcupuncturistTreat pain and illness with needles at specific points on the body. A master's degree, a state license, and usually your own practice.Typical pay$76kTo qualify5 to 8 yrsDemandVery highAudiologistTest hearing and balance, then fit the devices that give it back. A four-year clinical doctorate, and a job in every town.Typical pay$96kTo qualify8 to 9 yrsDemandVery highChiropractorTreat back, neck and joint pain with your hands. Four years of doctoral school, then usually your own clinic.Typical pay$79kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandGoodDietitianThe person hospitals call when food becomes medicine. A master's degree is now the entry ticket.Typical pay$76kTo qualify5 to 7 yrsDemandVery highKinesiologistUse movement as treatment. Test how a body handles effort, then build the program that gets it working again.Typical pay$59kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandVery highMassage TherapistLicensed in about a year, then paid per massage. The work helps people and it wears out your hands, so plan for both.Typical pay$58kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandVery highNaturopathic DoctorA four year medical style doctorate in natural medicine. Licensed in about half the states, and unrecognized in the rest.Typical pay$115kTo qualify8 to 9 yrsDemandLimitedOccupational TherapistHelp people do the ordinary things again: dress, cook, write, drive, go back to work. Six years of school, a license, and work in almost every town.Typical pay$100kTo qualify6 to 7 yrsDemandVery highOrthotist and ProsthetistDesign, build and fit artificial limbs and braces. Part clinician, part craftsperson.Typical pay$81kTo qualify6 to 7 yrsDemandVery highPhysical TherapistGet people moving again after injury, surgery or stroke. Seven years of school for a job that exists in every town.Typical pay$103kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandVery highPodiatristA doctor of the foot and ankle. Own doctorate, own schools, own licensing exam, and only eleven colleges in the country.Typical pay$160kTo qualify11 to 12 yrsDemandLimitedRecreation TherapistYou use activity as treatment: getting someone back to cooking, gardening or shooting hoops after their life changed.Typical pay$62kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandModerateRehabilitation AssistantDo the hands-on half of therapy: the exercises, the practice, the daily work of getting someone moving again. Two years of college.Typical pay$72kTo qualify2 to 3 yrsDemandVery highRespiratory TherapistKeep people breathing: ventilators, oxygen, blood gases and the worst nights in the hospital. Two years of college to get licensed.Typical pay$82kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandVery highSpeech-Language PathologistYou help people talk, be understood and swallow safely, from toddlers to stroke patients. A master's degree is the price of entry.Typical pay$98kTo qualify6 to 7 yrsDemandVery high
Diagnostics and lab
15Cardiovascular TechnologistRun the tests and the equipment that show doctors what a heart is doing. Two years of school.Typical pay$74kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandGoodClinical PerfusionistRun the heart-lung machine during open heart surgery. While the heart is stopped, you are the circulation.Typical pay$160kTo qualify5 to 7 yrsDemandModerateEpidemiologistWork out why people are getting sick, and what would stop it. Mostly data, occasionally an outbreak.Typical pay$87kTo qualify6 to 8 yrsDemandVery highGenetic CounselorRead a family's DNA results, then sit with them and explain what it means for their lives.Typical pay$100kTo qualify6 to 7 yrsDemandVery highHealth Information ManagerOwn the medical record. Who can see it, whether it is correct, how it gets coded and billed, and what happens when a hospital changes systems.Typical pay$124kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandVery highHealth InspectorWalk into a kitchen, a pool or a tattoo shop unannounced and decide whether it is safe for the public. You carry a thermometer and the authority to close the place.Typical pay$90kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandGoodMedical Laboratory ScientistRun the tests that tell doctors what is wrong. Most of a diagnosis starts in your lab, and the patient never meets you.Typical pay$63kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandModerateMedical Laboratory TechnicianRun the routine hospital tests that keep a diagnosis moving. Two years of school, then straight into the lab.Typical pay$63kTo qualify2 to 3 yrsDemandModerateMedical PhysicistMake sure radiation used on patients is exactly right. Physics, a residency, and three board exams.Typical pay$172kTo qualify8 to 12 yrsDemandModerateMedical Records SpecialistTurn what happened to a patient into codes and clean records. Office work, health pay, and no bedside.Typical pay$51kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandVery highNuclear Medicine TechnologistGive a patient a tiny radioactive tracer, then image how the body is working, not just what it looks like. Two to four years of school and one national exam.Typical pay$101kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandModeratePhlebotomistDraw blood, label it right, keep the patient calm. The fastest way into a hospital job in the country.Typical pay$45kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandVery highRadiation TherapistYou run the machine that treats cancer, and you see the same patients every weekday for weeks. A two year degree for six figure pay.Typical pay$105kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandLimitedRadiologic TechnologistYou take the x-rays and scans doctors use to work out what is wrong. Two years of school and you are working in a hospital.Typical pay$80kTo qualify2 to 3 yrsDemandModerateSonographerYou run the ultrasound machine and are often the first person to see what is wrong. Two years of school for pay near six figures.Typical pay$97kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandVery high
Animal health
2VeterinarianEight years of school to treat animals who cannot tell you what hurts. Loved by everyone, and heavy on debt.Typical pay$130kTo qualify7 to 9 yrsDemandVery highVeterinary TechnicianThe nurse of the animal clinic. Two years of school, and you will do more hands-on medicine than you expect.Typical pay$47kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandVery high
Sport and fitness
4Athletic TherapistThe person on the sideline who decides whether an injured player comes off. In the United States the job title is athletic trainer.Typical pay$63kTo qualify6 to 7 yrsDemandVery highLifeguardGet certified at 15, get paid to watch water, and learn how to keep people alive.Typical pay$34kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandVery highPersonal TrainerGet people stronger, one session at a time. No degree needed, but you have to sell yourself.Typical pay$47kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandVery highSports CoachYou run practices, pick the lineup and teach the fundamentals. Most coaching jobs are part time and most coaches have another job.Typical pay$47kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandVery high