1. Physician Assistant
Job outlook through 2022: 38%
Number of new jobs through 2022: 33,300
Median annual wage: $97,280
While physician assistants work under doctors' supervision, they typically perform many of a doctor's functions, including conducting physical exams, diagnosing medical conditions, providing treatments and prescribing medicine. Assistants typically are required to have a master’s degree.
2. Dentist
Job outlook through 2022: 16%
Number of new jobs through 2022: 23,300
Median annual wage: $149,310
Dentistry has many specializations. Pediatric dentists work with children; endodontists perform root canals; orthodontists straighten teeth; prosthodontists provide permanent replacements for missing teeth. In all cases, dentists need to have a degree from an accredited dental school, with most specialties also requiring a one-to-two year residency.
3. Dental Hygienist
Job outlook through 2022: 33%
Number of new jobs through 2022: 64,200
Median annual wage: $71,970
Requiring only an associate degree, dental hygienists provide a variety of services at a dentist's practice, such as examining and cleaning teeth, applying dental sealants and taking and developing x-rays.
4. Physical Therapist
Job outlook through 2022: 36%
Number of new jobs through 2022: 73,500
Median annual wage: $89,340
Physical therapists work to rehabilitate patients who are recovering from injuries or who are chronically ill. Therapists supervise and help patients perform exercise programs, use medical equipment to improve patients' movements and work to prevent patients from receiving additional injuries. Physical therapists need a doctoral degree. (For more, read: 5 High Paying, Low Stress Jobs .)
5. Registered Nurse
Job outlook through 2022: 19%
Number of new jobs through 2022: 526,800
Median annual wage: $69,790
Half a million new registered nurses will be needed over the next few years to provide patient care, consult with doctors and other professionals, analyze test results and administer medication. There are three educational routes to becoming a registered nurse: earn a bachelor’s degree, an associate degree or a nursing school diploma.
6. Occupational Therapist
Job outlook through 2022: 29%
Number of new jobs through 2022: 32,800
Median annual wage: $80,000
Occupational therapists have a number of duties, such as helping patients learn how to walk with leg braces or maneuver in a wheelchair. They will also help to design workplaces or home spaces to remove hazards, reduce the potential of accidents and allow patients to live independently. You will need a master’s degree to enter this profession.
7. Physician
Job outlook through 2022: 18% (physicians and surgeons)
Number of new jobs through 2022: 123,000 (physicians and surgeons)
Median annual wage: $194,990
By far the highest-paying job on the list, physicians specialize in a variety of fields, such as anesthesiology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and psychiatry. They also may choose to become general internists or serve as family and general physicians. Physicians will need a medical school degree and are expected to have residencies and internships that could last anywhere from three to eight years, depending on the specialty.
8. Occupational Therapy Assistant
Job outlook through 2022: 43%
Number of new jobs through 2022: 12,900
Median annual wage: $57,260
Another job on this list that only requires an associate degree, occupational therapy assistants help patients perform therapeutic activities, take progress notes and maintain equipment. They also assist in such administrative duties as client billing and scheduling appointments. While it may appear as though there aren't a lot of openings for occupational therapy assistants compared to other specialties, it should be noted that the job represents a very small segment of the healthcare sector.
9. Nurse Practitioner
Job outlook through 2022: 34%
Number of new jobs through 2022: 37,100
Median annual wage: $97,900
Nurse practitioners, also known as advanced practice registered nurses, usually work independently of physicians. They perform the same duties as other registered nurses, but will also provide primary care by evaluating patients, ordering and examining lab results and determining treatment options. In addition to a nursing degree, nurse practitioners also usually need a degree in a specialty area.
10. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
Job outlook through 2022: 46%
Number of new jobs through 2022: 27,000
Median annual wage: $68,390
This career has the highest growth rate on the list, as well as being the third job that only requires an associate degree. Diagnostic medical sonographers take ultrasounds or sonogram images of abdominal cavities, breast tissue and the female reproductive system, the nervous system and muscles and joints.