So many graduates, but…so many jobs. More jobs than ever and more jobs than employers can fill. Each year 500,000 students graduate from community college with associate degrees. One in four is preparing for a job in health. And no wonder: Job growth is predicted to be huge over the next decade. Can An Associate Degree Get You a High-Paying Dream Job in Health Care? The answer to this question is a definite yes. In fact you can make as much as $92,000 in our #1 top career pick: Radiation Therapist. But before we dive into the details, let’s start by focusing on two different tacks to take in choosing your dream health job. Choose from Med Tech or Patient Care First, consider whether you’re a med tech person or if patient care is more of a calling for you. Med tech is a hot field – with lots of changes on the way, too. Typically there is less patient contact, although in our med tech picks you will interact with patients – doing diagnostic tests. Patient care is more intimate, and professionals in these fields enjoy personal contact with patients. If you enjoy checking for flu symptoms or deeper connections, this is the career area for you. These aren’t the only hot jobs in health care: there are dozens more jobs. Overall the field is expected to grow more than 25% over the next 5-10 years. Visit our career centers to learn more about careers, meet people in the field online in our communities, and get up to speed about these high-paying, fast-paced careers. High-paying jobs for associate’s degree holders can also be found for those with a good bedside – or toothside – manner. Both physician assistants and dental hygienists earn high salaries, compared with pay in other two-year degree jobs. However, to become a physician assistant, you must already have an associate degree. Two more years of education can get you to a PA position. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, associate degree holders in health care, earning in the top 10% of their salary range, can make between $85,000 or more in patient care. 1. Dental Hygienist Dental hygienists remove soft and hard deposits from teeth, teach patients how to practice good oral hygiene, and provide other preventive dental care. They examine patients’ teeth and gums, recording the presence of diseases or abnormalities. Students interested in becoming a dental hygienist should take courses in biology, chemistry, and mathematics. New Jobs by 2016: 50,000 Growth: 30% From surgical robots to DNA sequencing, technology is revolutionizing the way medical experts image, diagnose and treat medical conditions. In these jobs, you’ll be working with energy, in the form of soundwaves, radiation, radioactivity, and other energies, to visualize conditions and, in some cases, treat them. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, associate’s degree holders in health care, earning in the top 10% of their salary range, can make between $67,000 and $92,000 in med tech. 1. Radiation Therapist: $92,000 Radiation therapists work in hospitals or cancer treatment centers, delivering chemotherapy treatment. During their training, they take classes in human anatomy and physiology, physics, algebra, and precalculus. New Jobs by 2016: 30,000 Projected Growth: 15% 2. Nuclear Medicine Technologist: $82,000 Nuclear medicine technologists run scanners that detect and map radiopharmaceuticals (radioactive drugs) in patient’s body to create diagnostic images. During their training, they take classes in the physical sciences, biological effects of radiation exposure, radiation protection and procedures, the use of radiopharmaceuticals, imaging techniques, and computer applications. New Jobs by 2016: 2,900 Growth: 15% 3. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer: $77,500 Sonography, or ultrasonography, is the use of sound waves to generate an image for the assessment and diagnosis of various medical conditions, including pregnancy. Course work includes classes in anatomy, physiology, instrumentation, basic physics, patient care, and medical ethics. New Jobs by 2016: 8,700 5. Cardiovascular Technician: $67,400 Cardiovascular technicians usually work in hospital cardiology departments, where they help doctors diagnose and treat cardiac heart patients. They perform ultrasounds, monitor heart rates, and review doctors’ interpretations and patient files. New Jobs by 2016: 12,000 Growth: 26% 4. Radiologic Technologists: $68,900 Radiologic technologists take X-rays and administer nonradioactive materials into the patient’s bloodstream for diagnostic purposes. Two-year degree programs provide both classroom and clinical instruction in anatomy and physiology, patient care procedures, radiation physics, radiation protection, imaging, medical terminology, positioning of patients, radiobiology, and pathology. New Jobs by 2016: 30,000 Growth: 15% Source
