Saturday, December 4, 2010

Top 6 (G)

Health Care to Add Millions of New Jobs
1 - PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS
Annual Salary: $81,610
Under the supervision of physicians, assistants complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. The expanding health care industry is chiefly responsible for a projected growth in the number of these jobs over the next decade.
Hiring Bonus: About 103,900 physician assistants are expected to be employed by 2018, an increase of nearly 40 percent from 74,800 in 2008.
Education: Physician assistant education programs can be completed in about two years, if you attend full-time. Most applicants have a college degree and health-related work experience. Experience as a registered nurse, emergency medical technician, or paramedic, for example, is helpful.
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2 - REGISTERED NURSES
Annual Salary: $65,130
These nurses can specialize in many areas including critical care, trauma, transport, home health care, hospice, and radiology.
Hiring Bonus: In some parts of the country, the demand outweighs the supply of registered nurses, who make up the largest health care occupation in the country with some 2.6 million jobs. Remarkably, the number is predicted to jump by 22 percent to 3.2 million jobs for registered nurses in 2018.
Education: You can get started as a nurse by earning an associate's degree in nursing. A bachelor's in nursing (BSN) will open more doors and offer higher-paying opportunities.
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3 - PHYSICAL THERAPISTS
Annual Salary: $74,410
Often referred to as PTs, physical therapists will find demand for them growing at a high rate over the next decade. An aging population and medical improvements in the care of trauma patients will help increase the need for qualified therapists.
Hiring Bonus: It is projected that 241,700 PTs will be employed by the year 2018, an increase of 30 percent from 185,500 in 2008.
Education: A bachelor's degree is required to enter a physical therapist education program accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association. These master's degree programs prepare students to pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). You'll also need to fulfill state requirements in order to work as a PT.
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4 - OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS
Annual Salary: $67,920
This type of therapist helps people improve their ability to perform everyday tasks in living and work settings. Those who work with the elderly appear most in demand these days.
Hiring Bonus: It's projected the number of therapists working in this profession will grow by 26 percent, from 104,500 to 131,300, by the year 2018. Hospitals continue to be one of the largest employers - retaining large numbers of occupational therapists to serve acutely ill patients and to staff outpatient rehabilitation programs.
Education: A master's degree in occupational therapy is generally required to enter the field. Bachelor's degrees in biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, liberal arts, and anatomy are considered relevant majors for people seeking to start careers in this field.
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5 - DENTAL HYGIENISTS
Annual Salary: $66,950
Flexible scheduling is among the benefits of working in this position, which is considered one of the fastest growing careers of the next decade.
Hiring Bonus: About 237,000 hygienists are expected to be employed by 2018, a jump of 36 percent from 174,100 in 2008.
Education: Most dental hygiene programs can be completed in two years or less and offer associate's degrees. To work, hygienists must be licensed by the state in which they practice.
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6 - MEDICAL AND CLINICAL LABORATORY TECHNOLOGISTS
Annual Salary: $54,050
Hospitals are the leading employer of clinical laboratory workers - a key segment of the health care workforce. Medical and diagnostic laboratories, physicians' offices, and ambulatory health care services employ technologists as well, offering flexibility in job settings for people trained in this field.
Hiring Bonus: A growth rate of 14 percent will see the number of technologists jump from 172,400 in 2008 to 193,000 in 2018.
Education: A bachelor's degree in medical technology or one of the life sciences is the most common path of study for entry-level applicants.

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