As the human population ages, the health care industry must strive to meet the demands of inevitable changes. Simply put, we will always have evolving health care needs, so in turn, we will always need professionals to care for and assess our health.
The health care industry is among the fastest growing — with the employment of health care occupations expected to grow about 19 percent between 2014 and 2024.
But in order to address the complexities of modern health science, it’s imperative that any prospective health professional seek proficiency in their respective field. Postgraduate education is generally required to begin working in health care — and there are a variety of health care specializations from which you can obtain an advanced degree in the health sciences field.
The Evolving Health Care Job Market
While health care professionals are always in demand, some specialists are particularly and consistently sought after more than others.
High on the list are registered nurses, which are in fact among the most in-demand professionals in the country. The three million nurses in America comprise the largest portion of the health care workforce, and in the coming years, research shows that there will be a nation-wide nursing shortage due to a variety of factors: The Atlantic states that “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1.2 million vacancies will emerge for registered nurses between 2014 and 2022.”
Orthodontists, dentists, and nurse anesthetists are other areas of health care that have high rates of job growth and enjoy some of the highest salaries in the industry.
Job Salaries Across the Health Care Landscape
Job salary rates for the industry are somewhat across the board, from below national wage average for health care support occupations, such as home health aides and medical transcriptionists, to quite above the national average for surgeons and anesthesiologists. But according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, the annual wage for technical jobs and practitioners in the health sciences was around $63,000 in 2016.
Health care jobs that require some form of master’s or advanced degree (excluding professionals on the M.D. track) for entry-level positions boast very high salaries: Nurse practitioners and physician assistants at over $100,000 per year, occupational therapists at over $80,000 per year, and genetic counselors at over $70,000.
For those who pursue an advanced degree in public health, there are a variety of career paths with varying salaries: Biostaticians make an average of $81,000 per year, epidemiologists make an average of $70,000 per year, and health and safety engineers make an average of $86,000.
WVU’s Health Sciences Program Offerings
WVU has five departments within the health sciences that have a variety of programs to prepare students for a range of health care professions.
- WVU’s School of Dentistry has degrees available at the doctorate level, the Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.), baccalaureate and degree completion programs for dental hygienists, and master's-level residency programs to specialize in endodontics, orthodontics, and more.
- The School of Nursing offers a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing, as well as a Master of Business Administration and Master of Nursing Science dual degree program for those seeking to pursue a career in nursing administration.
- WVU’s School of Pharmacy curriculum leads to a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. This program promotes a dynamic research environment for seasoned and novice investigators.
- The School of Public Health offers a Master of Public Health, a Master of Science, and PH.D. programs in Epidemiology as well as Occupational & Environmental Health Sciences.
- For those interested in a Doctor of Medicine, WVU's School of Medicine is home to cutting-edge research (with 60 research labs in the facility) that focuses on rural medicine (a field of particular value for the state of West Virginia) and is dedicated to lead the way in research requiring knowledge of social, environmental, and demographic factors.
With the expanding health care industry showing no signs of slowing down, it’s important that aspiring medical and health professionals evaluate the list of academic options available to them. With adequate training and advanced education, a student has the chance to tackle the challenges of our modern population’s health care needs.
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As an aspiring leader in the field of public health, it's important to choose the right graduate program for you. We invite you to explore our newest interactive resource — Impacting Social Change in the Field of Public Health!
