Do you feel called to help people live healthy lives? Whether you want to treat children or adults, consult with patients or deliver treatment, there’s sure to be a career path for you. The medical field is growing with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting more than 2.4 million new jobs in the area by 2030. This leads to greater demand for experienced and skilled professionals for various job positions related to medical diagnosis and treatment.
This comprehensive guide is a source for insights on careers in the medical industry and can aid you in writing a competitive resume tailored to the field. Read on to start by understanding the three different resume formats you can choose from and identify which one is best for your experience level and qualifications.
More Medical job titles
- Admissions Director
- Anesthesiologist
- Bereavement Coordinator
- Billing Specialist
- Biomedical Technician
- Chiropractor
- Clinical Director
- Clinical Research Associate
- Clinical Research Coordinator
- Clinical Reviewer
- Coordinator
- Creative Medical Guide
- Customer Service Representative
- Diagnostic Radiologist
- Dialysis Technician
- Director Of Operations
- Doctor
- EKG Technician
- Emergency Medical Technician
- Grant Assistant
- Healthcare Administrator
- Healthcare Analyst
- Healthcare Management
- Hospice Administrator
- Hospital Administrator
- Hospital Billing Manager
- Hospital Receptionist
- Hospital Secretary
- Medical Assistant
- Medical Coder
- Medical Consultant
- Medical Executive Assistant
- Medical Records Clerk
- Medical Staffing Coordinator
- Medical Technologist
- Medical Transcriptionist
- Nursing Home Administrator
- Ophthalmic Technician
- Optician
- Optometrist
- Orderly Attendant
- Paramedic
- Pediatrician
- Phlebotomist
- Physician
- Program Director
- Public Health Manager
- Speech Language Pathologist
- Supply Technician
- Supply Technician
- Surgical Technician
- Surgical Technologist
- Technician Medical Laboratory Technician
- Ultrasound Technician
- X-Ray Technician
Current trends impacting medical jobs
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used for diagnosis and predictive analysis to virtual consultation using telehealth, the medical industry has recently seen a massive technological boom with the unprecedented increase in the aging population, a demand for more workers in the medical industry will be seen. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities in the health care sector are expected to grow by 16% from 2020 to 2030. With over 20 million employees currently in service and counting, the health care and social assistance industry have surpassed other business sectors. Keeping up with the latest technological advancements and learning to overcome the new challenges emerging with the rise of virtual consultations is essential for anyone in this field.
See What People are Saying About Us
Average salaries and employment outlook for medical workers
The medical sector offers a wide range of employment opportunities such as physicians, surgeons, registered nurses, lab technicians, assistants and managers. The average annual salary of a health care practitioner is $69,870, which is quite higher than the median annual pay of all occupations. However, a medical support worker’s median annual pay is only $29,960, with more employment opportunities around the corner, there’s a promising future for medical workers.
Here is information on the salary and employment outlook of different job roles in the medical industry:
Medical or hospital-level aides
Healthcare centers employ medical aides to help manage the process of dealing with hundreds of patients every day. This includes hospital-level aides such as receptionists and home health aides who monitor the patient’s health at their home. Both part-time and full-time employment of medical aides are in prevalence.
Job Outlook 2020–2030
Medical Receptionist
The employment of receptionists is expected to grow by 4% by 2030 with most receptionists employed in health care industries.
Home Health Aide
With the aging population growing, the employment of home health aides is projected to surge by 33% from 2020 to 2030 which is much faster than other occupations.
Source: Receptionist: Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic
Source: Home Health Aide: Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Professionals in this category include specialists who consult with patients and treat ailments ranging from a cold to renal failure. Some of the jobs available are doctors, pediatricians, optometrists, dialysis technicians and speech pathologists. Many more professionals specialize in different areas in the medical field but here we’ll look at the projections and salary for the ones just mentioned.
Job Outlook 2020–2030
Dialysis Technician
Roles for health technologists and technicians are projected to grow by 1.6%. The employment of dialysis technicians is expected to have an 11% increase from the years 2018 to 2028.
Optometrist
The employment of optometrists is projected to grow by 9% between 2020-2030.
Speech Language Pathologist
The employment outlook for speech language pathologists is projected to grow much faster than average, with a 29% increase in jobs between 2020 to 2030.
Pediatrician
With the increase in older populations and the decrease in birth rates, pediatricians won’t see as much growth as other health care professionals. However, projections from 2020 to 2030 expect a 4% increase in pediatricians’ job outlook.
Doctor
Surprisingly, the projections for physicians are a 3% growth by 2030, which is slower than average.
Source: Health Technologists and Technicians: Occupational Employment and Wages (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), Dialysis Technicians: Payscale, Medical Technology Programs, Learn.org
Source: Optometrists: Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Labor of Statistics)
Source: Speech-language Pathologists: Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Source: Pediatricians: Occupational Employment and Wages (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Source: Physicians and Surgeons: Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Six of the top soft skills needed for medical jobs
There are a plethora of career opportunities in the health care field, and they all require excellent technical and soft skills. Professionals in this industry must have the ability to accurately diagnose and treat patients with tact and friendliness as they may interact with patients of all ages and backgrounds.
The wide-scale advancement in technology for the medical industry requires employees to keep up-to-date with the new developments and strive to continue their education regularly.
Though there are specific technical skills for each area of specialization, the following soft skills are common for all health care practitioners and technicians.
Problem-solving
Working in the health care industry means that you must be excellent at solving problems. Determining the possible cause of a symptom or illness, establishing a diagnosis and developing a treatment plan all require strong problem-solving skills and expertise in the specific area you work in. Sometimes treatment plans don’t work and you must use your critical thinking and research skills to find alternative solutions.Being caring
The ultimate goal of a health care professional is to ensure that patients can live a healthy life by providing them with the care they need. Other than the technical training for each specific job within the industry, care is provided through compassion. Caring for your patients’ well-being is essential for providing quality treatment. A few ways to implement care is by prioritizing the patient’s needs and advocating for them. Treating your patients and getting to know them through the process, not just addressing their symptoms makes for an excellent health care provider.Active listening
One of the most important skills that professionals in the health care field must have is active listening. This skill is necessary to accurately understand what symptoms a patient may be experiencing, which factors of their lifestyle and diet may be causing their symptoms and address their concerns. This is especially important when dealing with patients who are children, elders, or have an impediment that makes communicating challenging.Clear and amiable communication
Because health care providers work with many patients and co-workers on a daily basis, it’s normal that they’ll encounter people from all walks of life. In order to ensure that people who aren’t trained in medicine can understand the diagnostics, instructions and recommendations given, you must demonstrate effective communication skills. These skills will also come in handy when communicating with co-workers, both from within your team, another department or another facility. Effective communication can prevent misunderstandings, a problem that may have severe consequences if treatment was delivered erroneously or difficult news is delivered coldly.Interpersonal skills
Having to deal with a diverse population every day, health care practitioners must develop strong interpersonal skills to interact with everyone they meet. This skill allows medical professionals to provide emotional support, build trust, collaborate with co-workers to carry out treatment plans, be sociable and help patients feel comfortable. Building positive relationships with patients may also boost loyalty and make them want to come back to your office.Patience and attentiveness
Medical workers must exhibit patience to effectively work with patients and staff. They must carefully listen to their patient’s needs, meticulously gather the patient's medical information, understand the severity of their health condition, clarify their doubts and explain the treatment plans. Also, it’s important to observe good bedside manners to gain the trust of the patients of various age groups.
Educational requirements for medical jobs
Education is an integral part of a medical worker’s qualifications, most health care practitioners, technicians and administrators require a bachelor’s degree in medical-related fields like biology or health sciences. The requirement of a master’s degree varies with each role. For instance, practicing physicians and surgeons need a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree and a residency with or without a fellowship in their desired area of specialization, registered nurses must complete the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and other technicians must have an appropriate bachelor’s or master’s degree in medical technology. Certain roles like receptionist or home health aide do not need a college degree and candidates with a high school diploma or GED are accepted.
The most significant part of medical practice is to attain a state-issued license. For that, you must pass national examinations such as:
Nurses: National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN)
Physicians and surgeons: United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)
Lab Technicians: Medical Lab Technician (MLT) by American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS)
Additionally, there are specific certifications that demonstrate your proficiency in your area of specialization. Some common certifications are on occupational safety for health care, which are offered by various universities and education centers under the OSHA standards.
Medical resume examples by experience level
Recruiters only take a few seconds to look over your resume and decide whether to pass you to the next level of recruitment or not. So, it’s important to make your resume a competitive one. For that, you need to identify your best professional features and display them in your resume.
Before writing your resume, make a list of your skills and any previous work experience. This step will help you decide on the best resume format for you. The below section breaks down the process of choosing the right resume format based on your unique qualifications.