There are many different career options within healthcare, each with their own unique roles
and responsibilities, but which ones pay you the most for your time?
Let’s find out.
Dr. Jubbal, MedSchoolInsiders.com.
Although money should never be your primary motivation when choosing a career, it is still
an important part of the decision-making process.
Another important factor to consider, however, is time - not just the amount of time it takes
to get into that career, but also how much time you put in each week to earn your salary.
These are the 10 healthcare jobs with the highest hourly pay.
Number ten on our list is physical therapist.
Physical therapists are healthcare professionals who help patients improve mobility and manage
pain through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education.
They play an important role in preventative care, rehabilitation, and the treatment of
patients with chronic conditions, illnesses, or injuries.
They can work in a variety of different settings including private offices and clinics, hospitals,
and nursing homes.
Physical therapists make an average of $91,000 per year and work an average of 40 hours per
week giving us an average rate of $44 per hour.
To become a physical therapist in the United States, you must earn your DPT, or Doctor
of Physical Therapy degree, from an accredited program and pass a state licensure exam.
Most physical therapy programs are three years in length and require applicants to obtain
a bachelor’s degree before admission.
Some programs offer a 3+3 format where you take 3 years of specific undergraduate and
pre-physical therapy courses before advancing into the three-year DPT program; however,
most programs follow the more common 4+3 model.
Number nine is radiation therapist.
Radiation therapists are healthcare professionals who work alongside radiation oncologists to
treat cancer.
They are the ones who run the machinery and administer the radiation treatments to the
patient.
Common duties include explaining treatment plans to patients and answering questions,
performing x-rays to determine the exact location of the area requiring treatment, examining
machines to ensure they are safe and working properly, and delivering radiation therapy.
Most radiation therapists work in hospitals or outpatient cancer treatment centers.
Radiation therapists earn an average annual salary of $94,000 per year and work an average
of 40 hours per week, yielding an average hourly wage of $45.
To become a radiation therapist, you must gain certification from the American Registry
of Radiologic Technologists by completing either an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s
degree in radiation therapy and passing a state licensing exam.
Number eight is nurse practitioner.
Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have completed additional training in
the diagnosis, treatment, and management of disease.
NPs work in a variety of different specialties so their roles and responsibilities can vary
significantly.
Most nurse practitioners work under the supervision of a physician; however, some states allow
NPs to practice independently without supervision, which may pose an increased risk to patient
safety, which I’ve discussed in other videos.
Nurse practitioners earn on average $112,000 per year and work an average of 40 hours per
week, translating to an average hourly rate of $54 per hour.
If you are already a registered nurse, there are two pathways to becoming a nurse practitioner.
There is the Master of Science in Nursing, or MSN, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice,
or DNP.
MSN programs typically last 1-2 years whereas DNP programs usually take 3 or more years
to complete.
Once you have completed an accredited program, you must pass a national board certification
to become licensed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse.
To learn more about the ins and outs of being an NP and more details on the training process,
check out So You Want to Be a Nurse Practitioner
Number seven is physician assistant.
Physician assistants are midlevel providers who assist doctors in the diagnosis, treatment,
and management of patients.
Much like nurse practitioners, physician assistants can work in a variety of specialties, so their
roles and responsibilities are dependent on many factors.
Physician assistants earn on average $115,000 per year and work an average of 40 hours per
week, giving us an hourly wage of $55 per hour.
To become a physician assistant, you must first earn a bachelor’s degree and complete
prerequisite coursework in basic and behavioral sciences.
In addition, many PA programs also require prior healthcare experience with hands-on
patient care.
Common examples include being a medical assistant, emergency medical technician, or paramedic.
Most PA programs are around 26 months in duration and award master’s degrees.
Once you graduate from an accredited PA program, you are eligible to take the Physician Assistant
National Certifying Exam, or PANCE, and become a certified physician assistant.
To learn more, check out So You Want to Be a Physician Assistant.
Number six is optometrist.
An optometrist is a healthcare professional who provides primary vision care.
Not to be confused with ophthalmologists who are medical doctors, optometrists practice
optometry which involves giving eye exams, writing prescriptions for glasses or contact
lenses, identifying abnormalities in the eye, and treating certain diseases of the eye like
glaucoma and macular degeneration.
Optometrists take home $118,000 per year on average and work an average of 40 hours per
week, yielding $57 per hour.
To become an optometrist, you must first earn a bachelor’s degree and complete prerequisite
coursework in biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, and physics.
You must also take the Optometry Admission Test, or OAT, and gain shadowing experience
with at least one optometrist.
Optometry school is typically four years long and grants you a Doctor of Optometry, or OD,
degree.
Some optometrists choose to do an additional one-year residency to further subspecialize;
however, it is not required.
To practice as an optometrist, you will also need to pass the National Board of Examiners
in Optometry test and obtain state licensure.
Number five is pharmacist.
Pharmacists are healthcare professionals who focus on the safe and effective use of medications.
They dispense prescription medications and offer expertise to patients and other healthcare
professionals on how to use or take the medication, correct dosing, and potential side effects.
The average pharmacist earns $129,000 per year and works an average of 40 hours per
week giving us an hourly wage of $62 per hour.
To become a pharmacist, you typically need at least two years of college education; however,
most aspiring pharmacists earn their bachelor’s degree before applying to pharmacy school.
Before applying to pharmacy school, you also need to pass the Pharmacy College Admissions
Test or PCAT.
This exam covers topics including writing, biological processes, chemical processes,
and clinical reasoning.
Once you complete these requirements, pharmacy school typically lasts 3-4 years and awards
you with a PharmD degree.
There are also “0 to 6” programs that allow high school students to gain both their
bachelor’s and PharmD degrees in 6 years; however, these programs are more competitive
than the more traditional pharmacy school training pathway.
We cover more on the competitiveness of pharmacy, dentistry, and other medical professions in
a prior video.
Number four is podiatrist.
Podiatrists are the experts in issues of the foot, ankle, and lower leg.
This includes problems such as foot pain, abnormal growths, injuries, diabetic foot
issues, and nerve damage.
Podiatrists make an average of $134,000 per year and work an average of 40 hours a week,
yielding an hourly wage of $64.
It should be noted that depending on practice type, podiatrists may work as little as 30
hours per week and as much as 60 hours per week.
To become a podiatrist, you must first earn a 4-year bachelor’s degree and complete
standard prerequisites.
Similar to medical school, getting into podiatry school also requires you to take the MCAT.
So, if you thought applying to podiatry school would spare you from the MCAT, think again.
Podiatry school, just like medical school, is four years long, and will grant you the
designation of Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, or DPM.
You’ll cover similar foundational training to MD and DO students in your first two years
but focus more heavily on podiatry during years three and four.
After podiatry school, most states require a 3-year residency covering medical and surgical
training; however, the duration does vary by state.
After podiatry residency, there are also options to specialize further with podiatry fellowship
including sports medicine, limb salvage and preservation, and reconstructive foot and
ankle to name a few.
To learn more, check out So You Want to Be a Podiatrist.
Number three is dentist.
Dentists are the experts in oral health.
They diagnose and treat problems of the teeth, gums, and other tissues in the mouth and guide
patients on the importance of proper diet, brushing, flossing, and other aspects of dental
care.
Dentists have an average salary of $164,000 per year and work an average of 40 hours per
week giving us an average hourly wage of $79.
It should be noted that most dentists work in private practice, so compensation and hours
worked per week can vary greatly.
To become a dentist, you must first complete four years of college and take the Dental
Admissions Test, or DAT.
This test is composed of four sections that assess your knowledge of the natural sciences,
perceptual ability, reading comprehension, and quantitative reasoning.
After completing these requirements, dental school is 4 years long and awards you with
either your Doctor of Dental Surgery, or DDS, or Doctor of Dental Medicine, or DDM.
For those who know they want to pursue dentistry in high school, there are also BS/DDS programs
lasting anywhere from 5- to 8-years that allow students to gain their bachelor’s and dental
degrees at the same time.
After dental school, there are residency programs available to specialize further; however,
they are not required to practice general dentistry.
Number two is nurse anesthetist.
Nurse anesthetists, or CRNAs, are nurses who have completed additional training in anesthesia
administration.
In general, nurse anesthetists work alongside anesthesiologists to administer anesthesia;
however, some states allow them to work independently without a supervising anesthesiologist.
Nurse anesthetists earn on average $184,000 per year and work an average of 40 hours per
week, translating to $88 per hour.
To become a nurse anesthetist, you must complete a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing
degree, or BSN, pass the NCLEX exam, and gain experience working as an RN.
Most graduate nurse anesthetist programs require at least 1-3 years of experience in an intensive
care unit or critical care setting.
As of 2022, the minimum degree requirement of CRNAs is a Doctor of Nursing Practice,
or DNP, or Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice, or DNAP.
Depending on the school, nurse anesthetist programs are generally 2 to 3 years in duration.
After CRNA school, you must obtain certification from the National Board of Certification and
Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) and obtain state licensure.
Last but not least, the number one healthcare job with the highest hourly rate is doctor
- not a Doctor of Nursing practice, or Doctor of Physical Therapy, but an MD or DO physician.
Doctors are the leaders of the healthcare team and use their extensive medical knowledge
to diagnose and treat patients.
The average primary care physician has an annual salary of $242,000 per year and works
51 hours per week giving us an hourly rate of $91.
The average specialist earns $344,000 per year and works 52 hours per week giving us
an hourly wage of $127 per hour.
It should be noted that physician compensation varies wildly both between specialties and
within specialties with the highest-paid physicians earning over $200 per hour.
We cover the top 6 specialties with the highest hourly rate and the 10 specialties with the
lowest hourly rate in previous videos - links below.
To become a doctor in the United States, you must first earn your bachelor’s degree in
university, then medical school for 4 years, then complete residency - lasting anywhere
from 3 to 7 years - followed by fellowship for additional sub-specialization.
That being said, getting into medical school and becoming a doctor is much easier said
than done.
Of all the various medical professions, becoming a physician is the longest, most challenging,
and by far the most competitive.
The path of getting into medical school is arduous, with complexities, nuances, and roadblocks
that can stop even the most ambitious of premedical students.
If your dream is to become a doctor but you find yourself overwhelmed, be sure to check
out the Med School Insiders Premed Roadmap to Medical School Acceptance course.
Our team of top physicians came together and built this course from the ground up to streamline
your entire college experience into a single high-yield resource.
This is the guide we wish we had back as premeds ourselves, as it would have helped us avoid
countless mistakes and made the process much smoother and less stressful.
This isn’t an elementary guide either.
This was created by top physicians who secured acceptances to multiple top programs, including
schools that fought over us by throwing large merit-based scholarships to sway our decision.
It’s a great position to be in, and we’ll show you how it’s done.
If you’re ready to optimize your path to becoming a doctor and take control of your
future, learn more at MedSchoolInsiders.com or click the link in the description below.
Members of this channel get an exclusive members-only discount.
Thank you all so much for watching.
If you enjoyed this video, be sure to check out the Top 6 Doctor Specialties with the
Highest Hourly Rate or the 10 Doctor Specialties with the Lowest Hourly Rate.
Much love, and I’ll see you guys there.