How Business-Savvy Professionals can Benefit from the Growth in Healthcare Jobs
By Jess Scherman on 05/16/2016
Lately it’s felt impossible to escape the constant talk about the huge surge of healthcare jobs in America. We know we need more nurses, more physicians, more lab workers and virtually everything in between!
Not only are baby boomers beginning to retire from the field, but as they grow older, they begin to require more medical attention. This is already starting to result in an outpouring of vacant healthcare positions that need to be filled.
But what about those of us who don’t have experience or education in healthcare? Is there still a way to capitalize on the significant growth in healthcare-related job openings?
Yes! In fact, there are several opportunities for non-medical professionals to work in healthcare. For business-savvy professionals specifically, there is ample opportunity in healthcare management. Read on to learn more about this in-demand field.
What you should know about the surge in healthcare jobs
If you’ve been paying attention to the news over the last few years, you’re no stranger to the discussion about job growth and hiring trends since the recession hit. Many have made it a habit to scan the most recent data as tracked in the country’s job report, released on the first Friday of each month.
Those who scour the reports each month can agree on one unanimous claim: The country has never seen healthcare numbers like this before!
More than 15 million people now work in the healthcare sector, which accounts for every one in nine American jobs. In just 12 months, healthcare providers added nearly 500,000 jobs. Reported in mid-2015, this was the largest one-year swing in more than two decades!
Hospitals specifically — one healthcare work environment that actually lost jobs back in 2013 — have experienced explosive growth in healthcare job openings. In addition to the aforementioned dual impact of baby boomers, this growth can also be attributed to the Affordable Care Act’s impact in expanding healthcare coverage. The country’s recovery from the recession is also a likely contributor, which has encouraged more citizens to move forward with healthcare procedures they may have otherwise put off when they were worried about their employment status.
What is healthcare management?
All of the hospitals and other medical facilities mentioned above are businesses. These businesses employ hundreds of medical professionals, but they also need business-savvy professionals to ensure everything operates smoothly. This is where healthcare management comes into play.
You might assume this subject is offered as part of a health sciences program, but it’s actually a sector of business. Healthcare management degree programs focus on instilling a strong business foundation while also providing the kind of insider knowledge you’ll need as a non-medical professional working in a healthcare environment.
The field of healthcare management — also referred to as healthcare administration — centers around planning, directing and coordinating medical and health services. This can include managing an entire facility, a specific clinical area or department or a medical practice for a group of physicians. The overarching goal of healthcare management professionals is to improve efficiency and quality in delivering healthcare services.
Working in healthcare management can land you a number of different job titles depending on the facility or area of expertise in which you work. Some possible positions include clinical manager, health information manager, nursing home administrator and assistant administrator. Approximately 37 percent of healthcare management professionals are employed in hospitals, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
This career path presents a promising opportunity to put your business experience to good use within the booming healthcare field. You’ll utilize your skills in leadership, financial management, policy management, law and ethics. And in doing so, you can capitalize on the monumental growth of healthcare jobs in America today without pursuing education in the medical realm.
In fact, the BLS projects healthcare management jobs to increase at a rate of 17 percent through 2024, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. Add to that a median annual salary of $94,500, and you’ll be enjoying a stable and rewarding career!*
Can you find a future career in healthcare?
The BLS predicts that approximately 2.3 million new healthcare jobs will emerge in the next decade. Now that you know a portion of those positions will be available to business professionals like yourself, can you start to envision your future career in the healthcare field?
If the answer is yes, it’s time to discover how you can qualify yourself for these coveted business careers in healthcare. Check out our article to learn more: What Can You Do With a Healthcare Management Degree? The Business Behind the Medicine.
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*Salary data represents national, averaged earnings for the occupations listed and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries and employment conditions in your area may vary.
