The medical field is big, with many interesting and rewarding jobs. One good thing about working in this field is that it offers a fair amount of financial security.
If you want a well-paying job in medicine, it’s important to know your options to make an educated choice. People looking for high-paying jobs can do many different things in the medical field. Here are some of the best-paying medical jobs for you to think about.
Dentist ($167,160 per year)
Dentists are doctors who focus on care for the mouth and teeth. They treat problems with teeth, gums, and other parts of the mouth. They teach parents how to care for their child’s teeth and gums, get rid of decay, fill cavities, and fix or pull out broken teeth.
They also look for diseases in the mouth. Some doctors may do surgery on the bones, teeth, or soft tissues. You need a Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (D.M.D.) or a Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) to practice dentistry (D.D.S.).
Dentists with either degree have the same training and must take the same courses. People who want to attend dental school must have at least three years of a college education. Moreover, they must take the Dental Admission Test (DAT) to be considered.
Internal Medicine Physician ($292,646 per year)
An internal medicine doctor also called an internist, is a doctor who focuses on problems with the organs inside the body. They don’t help with surgery because their main job is to find out what’s wrong. They usually work with adults and often specialize in different parts of the body.
They can also help you stay healthy and treat everything from rashes to ear infections. They only help adults, and they aren’t surgeons.
You can choose either an internist or a family doctor as your primary care doctor (PCP). Both can help with a wide range of health problems. Internists know a lot about what’s going on with the health of adults. Family doctors take care of both children and adults, so they need to know a lot more.
Nurse Anesthetist ($116,695 per year)
An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) specializing in giving anesthesia is called a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). Nurse anesthetists work with surgeons, anesthesiologists, dentists, and other medical professionals to ensure that patients are given anesthesia safely.
In some medical practices or health care facilities, nurse anesthetists are the only anesthetists on call. Some CRNAs are self-employed, meaning they don’t work under the supervision of a doctor.
A certified registered nurse anesthetist is also in charge of keeping patients stable during specific procedures and watching their recovery. Some of their jobs are to look at a patient’s medical history and give anesthesia to the epidural area, the spine, or nerves directly.
Obstetrician-Gynecologist ($239,120 per year)
An OB-GYN is a doctor who focuses on pregnancy and women’s health (female reproductive health). To become an OB-GYN, you must go to medical school and get a license to practice medicine. To get into medical school, applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree.
OB-GYNs have many duties, but they usually include the following.
- Checking for health problems like sexually transmitted diseases or problems with reproduction
- Putting in orders for tests, looking at the results, and suggesting treatment plans
- Talking about family planning and giving care before and after birth
- Getting ready for birth, including surgery
- answering the patient’s questions and talking about health issues
- Reviewing a patient’s past and making changes to medical records as needed
Optometrist ($125,440 per year)
Optometrists are self-reliant, top-notch health care professionals licensed to find, diagnose, and treat eye and visual system diseases and disorders. They must also provide outpatient care for those people with eye-related issues.
They do everything that ophthalmologists do except performing surgery. Optometrists work in hospitals, clinics, the ophthalmic industry, teaching institutions, and research projects. However, they do most of their work in clinical practice, hospitals, and public health centers.
Most eye doctors work full-time. Some may work evenings and weekends to fit the needs of their patients.
Pediatrician ($198,420 per year)
A pediatrician is a type of doctor who cares for and treats children from birth to age 18. They have a lot of training in figuring out, preventing, and treating problems that might happen to kids.
They care about the emotional and social health of babies, kids, teens, and young adults, as well as their physical health. This could mean taking care of common illnesses and infections in children, giving them routine exams and well-child checks, or talking to their parents about behavior problems.
To work as a pediatrician, you need a bachelor’s degree and a higher degree in medicine. In addition to a major like chemistry, biology, or math, a pre-med program can help students prepare to go to medical school after graduation.
Pharmacist ($126,550 per year)
A pharmacist is a medical professional who knows how different medicines work, how they interact, and how to prescribe them correctly. Pharmacists must also do these tasks.
- Working with doctors to talk about what might or might not work with each other
- Keeping track of and maintaining an accurate stock of a pharmacy’s medicines
- Recommending over-the-counter remedies for minor health problems
To become a pharmacist, you must get some clinical and academic training. In the U.S., pharmacists need to have a doctorate in pharmacy (a PharmD) and undergo clinical training before they can work.
Most pharmacists get paid by the hour instead of a salary for the whole year. Their pay can vary depending on where they work, what certifications they have, what areas they specialize in, and where they choose to work.
Physician Assistant ($113,689 per year)
A physician assistant or physician associate (PA) is a licensed health care professional who works under the supervision of a licensed doctor to diagnose and treat medical illnesses and conditions.
When the PA needs help with a consultation, this collaboration between the PA and the doctor can happen remotely through electronic means. Physician assistants can work in a doctor’s office, a hospital, or a clinic. Depending on where they work, their duties will be different.
The relationship between the doctor and the physician assistant helps and encourages both to give patients the best care possible. A physician assistant needs a high level of education, similar to what a doctor needs. If you want to work as a physician assistant, your state must certify you and give you a license.
Podiatrist ($136,661 per year)
Podiatrists are doctors who look for and treat problems with the foot and ankle. They might treat sprains, breaks, arthritis, warts, corns, calluses, cysts, ingrown toenails, bone spurs, flat feet, deformities, complications from diabetes, and more.
Some podiatrists also do surgery, while others focus on a certain area, such as sports medicine, pediatrics, dermatology, or geriatrics.
How much a podiatrist makes depends on how long they’ve been in business and where they work. Podiatrists who run their businesses might make more than those who work for care centers and hospitals.
Radiation Therapist ($94,000 per year)
Radiation therapists give people with cancer radiation treatments. They run machines called linear accelerators that send out X-rays to kill or shrink cancer cells in the body. Radiation therapists work closely with radiation oncologists (cancer doctors), oncology nurses, and dosimetrists as part of cancer treatment teams.
Radiation therapists make different amounts of money depending on where they work, how long they have been in the field, and if they work in a hospital, cancer center, or other health facilities. Radiation therapists who work in specialized centers make more money than those who don’t.
To be a radiation therapist, one needs to have at least an associate’s degree in radiologic sciences or any other field. Radiation therapists must participate in a program approved by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists after their degree (ARRT).
Speech-Language Pathologist ($85,820 per year)
Speech pathologists help people who have trouble communicating, can’t speak, or swallow well. They diagnose and treat speech problems caused by things like stroke, hearing loss, cleft palate, developmental disorders like autism, brain injuries, and disorders of the nervous system like Parkinson’s.
Communication problems can range from being unable to talk to stuttering or pitch problems. Some speech pathologists focus on certain patients or conditions, like children or the elderly.
Speech pathologists who work in nursing homes or health care facilities usually make more money than those who work in schools. Speech pathologists are in high demand because of the growing number of older people, children with autism, and people who have been hurt or had a stroke.
Veterinarian ($109,920 per year)
A veterinarian is a type of doctor who focuses on taking care of animals. This includes figuring out what’s wrong with people, treating, preventing, and caring for injuries. They give shots and medicines, and they also do surgeries.
They also check up on animals regularly to ensure they are healthy and advise pet owners on how to take the best care of their animals. Veterinarians need a Bachelor’s degree and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M).
Most veterinary schools don’t have a preferred field of study for the bachelor’s program, but they require science classes like biology, chemistry, physics, and math. Different schools may have different requirements, and some may require that you take advanced science courses like biochemistry, animal behavior, and mammalogy.
Conclusion
People who like to feel good about what they do might like working in the medical field. Medicine and health care help save lives and make people live longer. Aside from these motivations, medical careers offer good financial compensation.