Healthcare Schools, Online Degrees and Programs

Health care is one of America's largest industries, accounting for more than 14.3 million jobs in the country. Ten of the 20 fastest-growing careers are in the health care professions. You can join this high-growth field by enrolling in health care career programs.

How to Prepare for a Career in Health Care

According to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), health care professionals can enter their fields with an online associate's degree or two-year diploma. For other fields, students may need to complete a bachelor's or master's degree--especially for advanced roles in health administration. Health care programs offer online two-year programs in nursing, dental assisting, billing and coding, pharmacy assisting, and many other fields. Graduates and students in health care degree programs may take internships with health care companies while pursuing additional career training. Online degree programs prepare students for careers in:

  • allied health
  • alternative medicine
  • dental assisting
  • health administration
  • home health care
  • medical assisting
  • medical billing and coding
  • medical technology medical transcription
  • occupational therapy
  • pharmacy assisting
  • physical therapy
  • sports medicine
  • eterinary assisting.

Health Care Wages

Wages vary by profession and specialty. In 2008, median hourly wages were $30.71 for registered nurses, $15.53 for dental assistants, and $14.32 for medical assistants.

Health Care Career Outlook

The BLS predicts that an additional 3.2 million jobs will be created in health care fields between 2002 and 2018. Solid job increases are predicted in health care fields including dental assisting (36 percent growth), and home health aides (46 percent).

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