Throughout the recession and in the years since the economic recovery in the United States, jobs in health care have remained some of the most growth-oriented and secure. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the federal government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), healthcare professions are expected to continue their explosive growth in the next decade.
In fact, the government expects that health care positions will grow at an average rate faster than all other types of occupations. With 2.3 million new jobs expected in the healthcare industry by 2024, it’s a worthwhile investment of time to research the healthcare professions that provide the most job security.
Measuring Job Security for Healthcare Jobs
One of the primary ways data scientists measure job security is the amount of time an employee can expect to spend with an employer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics collects information through its Current Population Survey that asks respondents how many years they’ve spent working at their employer. However, another variable that researchers can use to measure job security is the growth expected for a job and whether that growth will exceed the overall number of new jobs offered in all positions.
Specialized Jobs within Healthcare with Job Security
Some of the most common jobs in healthcare are jobs for nurses, home health aides, and dental hygienists. However, there are a variety of highly specialized jobs in healthcare that offer the potential for significant job security due to a scarcity of trained individuals who can fill those positions.
For example, the BLS expects more than 50 percent growth of new jobs for industrial-organizational psychologists, which are a subset of workers within the psychology profession. Jobs for general psychologists are expected to increase by 19 percent in the next decade, which is much faster than average. Expected increases in jobs for specialized psychologists like industrial-organizational psychologists is much greater.
Jobs That Require Little Training and Offer High Job Security
Although the income a worker might expect from a job as a personal care aide, home health aide, or medical secretary might be below the national average in certain regions, research suggests these and similar jobs will see significant growth over the next decade. According to research published by the federal government’s National Center for Biotechnology Information, the need for home health care jobs has been on a significant upward trend because of an aging population, as well as the increase of chronic conditions present in the average population.
Related resources: Top 10 Online Master’s in Health Informatics Degree Programs
Healthcare Jobs With Medium Training Required and Job Security
For workers who are willing to spend a year or two in training or in an associate’s degree program, several healthcare positions offer excellent job security and the opportunity to obtain work almost anywhere in the country. Health care workers like diagnostic medical sonographers occupational therapy aides, and physical therapists can expect good wages, as well as job opportunities in any state. Not only does the BLS expect some growth of these positions in all states, but significant growth will occur in all corners of the country in California, Texas, Florida, Minnesota, and New York.
The healthcare industry is considered recession proof for most types of employment within it, and workers in virtually every area of the industry can expect good or excellent job security over the next decade. Specialized positions can lead to multiple job offers for trained individuals, but a future healthcare employee doesn’t need extensive training to find a job with good employment security. Jobs in healthcare from those that require a doctorate or graduate degree to those that only require a few months of training are ready and available for anyone seeking long-term job security.
