Since the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020, people around the world have been forced to make adjustments to the way that they interact, communicate, and work on a daily basis. During this time, workers around the world have been forced to make some difficult decisions when it comes to their careers. Whether you’ve been laid off due to the pandemic or you’ve been inspired to join the fight against COVID, here are the top ten healthcare jobs that don’t require getting a Bachelor’s degree.
1. Medical Transcriptionist
Each day in hospitals and clinics across the US, doctors are struggling to keep up with the high demand for personalized, high-quality care. Each day, doctors see dozens of patients, and keeping up with medical records on top of a busy schedule can often be overwhelming. In an effort to cut down on the time that physicians spend at the office each day, many of them have transitioned to generating voice recordings of each patient’s visit notes and medical records.
That’s where the medical transcriptionist comes in. Medical transcriptionists are workers who listen to voice recordings of doctors’ exam notes and transcribe these notes into an electronic, written medical record. While this profession does require some background in medical terminology, human anatomy and physiology, and strong computer skills, it’s a fairly low-stress career that can often be performed in a remote capacity.
Education Requirements and Average Salary for Medical Transcriptionists
For anyone interested in becoming a medical transcriptionist, there are a variety of online learning options available for this career path. Some schools offer an online certification program while other medical transcriptionist companies offer on-the-job training and the only previous education requirements are a high school diploma or GED.
In the United States, the median annual salary for a medical transcriptionist is $30,100, which comes out to about $14.47 per hour. As a career that can be performed remotely, a strong internet connection and digital setup are required, but workers can save a ton of money on other expenses like pricey commutes, car maintenance, and gas mileage.
2. Medical Assistant
Becoming a medical assistant can open up hundreds of opportunities for workers looking to dip their toes into healthcare jobs. These essential members of the medical team provide important administrative and medical support to nurses and doctors, such as updating medical records, cleaning and sterilizing surgical instruments, assisting doctors during examinations, and more.
These assistant duties are especially important to the efficiency of after-hours and urgent care facilities like Sunshine Urgent Care Services, which provide their patients with fast, high-quality medical services on a walk-in basis.
Education Requirements and Average Salary for Medical Assistants
Those interested in pursuing a career as a medical assistant will require a high school diploma or GED before signing up for an approximately one-year-long online training course that offers continuing education related to the profession. Upon completion of the course, students will be eligible to register for their certification exam offered through the American Association of Medical Assistants. In 2018, certified medical assistants earned an average annual salary of $33,600.
3. Phlebotomist
One of the most important jobs when providing comprehensive medical care to patients is performing routine labwork to look for signs of illness or ensure that a patient’s treatment plan is effective. Although some patients believe that having their blood drawn by a doctor is the most effective method, this job really should be left to the professionals known as phlebotomists.
A phlebotomist is a medical professional that specializes in obtaining blood samples from patients for certain laboratory tests, and they’re an important part of the medical care team.
Education Requirements and Average Salary for Phlebotomists
Training courses for phlebotomy technicians are one of the fastest routes to gaining numerous healthcare jobs. With a variety of options for online and in-person courses available as well as fast-track courses taking just a few weeks, workers looking for a new career path can be on the job in no time. The average annual salary for phlebotomists is around $34,000 per year.
4. Pharmacy Technician
While becoming a pharmacist takes hundreds of thousands of dollars and years to complete a specialty program, pursuing training as a pharmacy technician can quickly and easily get you on the right track toward becoming an integral part various healthcare jobs. Although most pharmacy technicians don’t do as much one-on-one work with patients, their main job responsibilities are an important part of keeping people healthy. Pharmacy technicians provide support to pharmacists in the form of filling prescriptions, processing insurance information, and more.
Education Requirements and Average Salary for Pharmacy Technicians
Becoming a certified pharmacy technician is a simple process that can be completed online in just a matter of months. After completion of a short learning course, students are eligible to sit for Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam or PTCE to become certified. The average annual salary for a pharmacy technician is around $33,000.
5. Paramedic
As the first responders in many medical emergencies, paramedics are an important part of the worlds healthcare jobs. Although this career takes a bit longer and requires more extensive medical knowledge than some of the other careers listed in this article, this job can offer a sense of purpose and fulfillment for those looking for a way to help people.
Education Requirements and Average Salary for Paramedics
Most paramedic courses require completion of a two-year post-secondary degree program and certification exam, but workers that choose to follow this career path can make an annual salary of up to $47,810 each year.