Looking for a job in health care? If this is the case but you haven’t got enough money or time to attend medical school, you might like to know which are the best paying medical jobs with least education required. Being a doctor is not the only option you have, health care is a vast area with different specialties, and some are well paid and don’t require a lengthy education. As we will demonstrate below providing detailed facts and figures, even though some medical jobs don’t require a four-year degree, they still pay good wages. Some of these professions include radiology technicians, lab technicians, physical therapy assistants and nurses. Even so, as in any career path, you must apply yourself and work hard; plus, with additional schooling and training you stand a better chance of getting a better-paying job. The fact that these jobs don’t demand a Bachelor’s Degree doesn’t mean that you will do away with studying. Every trade requires a certain degree of specialization; studying and training are inevitable. In compiling our list we chose degrees in the medical field that take around two years to complete plus taking a certification exam after graduation. Furthermore, we used the latest data (2012) published in the Occupational Outlook Handbook of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (part of the United States Department of Labor) So, let’s take a look at the countdown and find out which are the best paying medical jobs with least education. 5. Diagnostic medical sonographer; cardiovascular technologist and technician Median annual wage: $60,350 Degree required: Associate’s degree These professionals perform ultrasounds, sonograms or echocardiograms to help diagnose medical conditions or provide data for the patient’s full examination. Their job consists of operating high-tech imaging machines and then analyzing those images so as to offer preliminary findings to the attending physicians. 4. Registered nurse Median annual wage: $65,470 Degree required: Associate’s degree Being a nurse is the job in our countdown which has the closest relationship to patients. Patient care is in fact an essential part of a registered nurse’s job, and what makes it a very rewarding profession. Nurses work in hospitals, schools, clinics, physician offices and other health care facilities and they may specialize in different areas including neonatology, addiction, geriatric, and rehabilitation. 3. Nuclear medicine technologist Median annual wage: $70,180 Degree required: Associate’s degree These health-care professionals prepare and administer radioactive drugs for patients that need to undergo certain scans which require a specific contrast between different areas of the body. They also operate such scanners and analyze the images as sonographers do. 2. Dental hygienist Median annual wage: $70,210 Degree required: Associate’s degree Dental hygienists work in a dentist’s office, cleaning patient’s teeth and also educateing them on oral hygiene. Besides removing plaque and looking for oral diseases (such as gingivitis), they also take dental x-rays and apply fluoride or sealant. 1. Radiation therapist Median annual wage: $77,560 Degree required: Associate’s degree Radiation therapists administer radiation to treat diseases such as cancer. They operate the machines, inform patients about the treatment, monitor patient’s reactions and keep records of their progress. They work mainly in hospitals and cancer treatment centers. Source
