Occupations in Field
Projected Income
(Annual Mean
Wage)
*******
Education Required
Home Health Aides
21,760
*********
Diploma + minimum of 16hours of
supervised practical training
Dental Assistants
34,140
Diploma
Medical Assistants
29,760
Generally On the Job Training,
Certifications are available
Physical Therapy Assistants
and Aides
49,810
Aide – Diploma On the Job Training
Assistants – Associates Degree
Nursing and Psychiatric
Aides
25,140
Diploma +Training Program
Occupational Therapy
Assistants and Aides
31,090 – Aide
51300 – Assistant
Social and Human Service
Assistants
30,100
Aide – Diploma+ On the Job
Training
Assistant – 2 yr program
accredited by the Accreditation
Council for Occupational Therapy
Education
Varies by Job – Associates,
Bachelors, and Master’s Degrees
Available
SERVICE OCCUPATIONS
Licensing/Credentials Required
(by State)
***********
Competency evaluation or state
certification program varies by state.
National Certification available via
The National Association for Home
Care and Hospice.
Only required for expanded
functions such as radiological
procedures. Provided via the Dental
Assisting National Board
Not required but certification is
available via the American
Association of Medical Assistants.
Aide – Certification not required
Assistant – Complete an accredited
program and pass the National
Physical Therapy Assistant Exam
Required for those employed in
nursing care facilities. Requirements
include 75 hours of training and
passing a competency examination
Varies by state. National
Certification available via The
National Board for Certifying
Occupational Therapy.
Not required. More formal education
will improve chances for
advancement.
********
*************
**********
MEDICAL RECORDS &
INFO. OCCUPATIONS
Medical Records and
Health Information
Technicians
35,010
Associates Degree
Not required but generally
preferred. Offered by The American
Health and Information
Management Association, The
American Academy of Professional
Coders, The Board of Medical
Specialty Coding, and the
Professional Association of
Healthcare Coding Specialists.
Medical Transcription
33,530
2 yr Associate Degree OR 1 year
Certificate Program
Not required but 2 voluntary
designations are offered by the
Association for Healthcare
Documentation Integrity
******************
**********
TECHNICAL
OCCUPATIONS
*******************
Diagnostic Medical
Sonographers
64,900
2 yr Associate Degree / some 4 yr
programs are available
No state requires certification but
employers may prefer it. Available
via The American Registry for
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Radiologic Technologist/
Technician
53,240
2 yr Associate Degree / some 4 yr
programs are available. Programs
accredited by the Joint Review
Committee on Education in
Radiologic Technology
Requirements vary by state. The
American Registry of Radiologic
Technologists offers voluntary
certification which requires
completion of an accredited
program and passing an
examination.
Dental Hygienist
68,680
2 yr Associate Degree accredited by
Licensure is required in all 50 states.
the Commission on Dental
Accreditation.
Medical/ Dental/
Ophthalmic laboratory
technicians
Respiratory Therapy
Technician (Therapists)
Dental – 37,980
Medical – 38,610
Opthalmic – 29,610
46,340
Diploma + On the Job Training.
Certificate or Associates Degree
Requires completion of a 2 yr
program and passing written and
clinical examinations. The written
examination is offered by the The
American Dental Association's
(ADA) Joint Commission on National
Dental Examinations
Licensure not required.
Licensure is required. National
certification offered by National
Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).
Surgical Technologists
41,310
Certificate or 2 yr degree program
accredited by the Commission on
Accreditation of Allied Health
Education Programs (CAAHEP).
Radiation Therapists
78,290
Associates or Bachelors Degree
accredited by the American Registry
of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)
Recreational Therapists
41,440
Bachelors Degree
Pharmacy Technicians
29,330
Diploma + Certificate
National certification available via
The National Board of Surgical
Technology and Surgical Assisting
upon completion of an accredited
program and passing an
examination.
Licensure requirements vary by
state. National certification is
available via the American registry
of Radiologic Technologists after
completing an accredited program
and passing an examination.
Licensure not required in most
states, but certification is preferred
by employers. Certification is
available via the National Council for
Therapeutic Recreation Certification
Certification not required. Voluntary
certification is available via the
Pharmacy Technician Certification
Board
Cardiovascular
Technologists and
Technicians
50,720
Associates or Bachelors Degree
accredited by the Commission on
Accreditation of Allied Health
Professionals (CAAHEP)
Clinical laboratory
technologists and
technicians
Emergency Medical
Technicians / Paramedics
Technicians - 38,190
Technologists - 56,870
Technician – Associates degree
Technologists – Bachelors degree
33,300
Diploma + training program. 3 levels
of training (EMT-basic, EMTintermediate, and paramedic)
Licensed Practical and
Licensed Vocational Nurses
41,360
State approved training program.
Nuclear Medicine
Technologists
69,050
Associate or Bachelors Degree from
a school accredited by Joint Review
Committee on Education Programs
in Nuclear Medicine Technology.
Fitness Instructors /
Personal Trainer
35,290
Specific training is required.
Forensic Science Technician
55,040
Bachelors Degree + hands on
training
Diploma + training in an accredited
program
Massage Therapist
Certification generally preferred by
employers. Available via the
Cardiovascular Credentialing
International (CCI), and the
American Registry of Diagnostic
Medical Sonographers (ARDMS).
Licensure requirements vary by
state. Certification is available via
several agencies.
Licensure requirements vary by
state. Most require certification by
the National Registry of Emergency
Medical Technicians at all levels.
Licensure requirements vary by
state but most require the passing of
the NCLEX-PN administered by the
National Council of State Boards of
Nursing.
Licensure requirements vary by
state. Certification is preferred and
is available via the American
Registry of Radiologic Technologists
(ARRT) and from the Nuclear
Medicine Technology Certification
Board (NMTCB).
Licensure not required. Voluntary
certification is available via many
certifying agencies. Ensure the
agency is listed with the National
Commission for Certifying Agencies.
Licensure is not required.
Required in some states. Generally
requires completion of an accredited
program and passing a written
********
PROFESSIONAL
OCCUPATIONS
**************
Audiologists
69,840
Doctoral Degree
Chiropractors
79,820
Bachelors Degree + Completion of a
4 yr Chiropractic Program.
Dentists
158,770
Bachelors Degree + 4yr Dental
Program
Dieticians and Nutritionists
54,340
Bachelors Degree
Medical and Health Service
Managers
93,670
Masters Degree or higher
examination. The examination may
be state specific or may be either the
the National Certification
Examination for Therapeutic
Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB)
or the Massage and Bodywork
Licensing Examination (MBLEx).
**************
Licensure is required. Requirements
vary by state but can be found with
your state’s board of health.
Licensure is required. Requirements
vary by state but all require the
completion of a 4 yr Chiropractic
program and passing examinations
administered by the National Board
of Chiropractic Examiners.
Licensure is required. Requirements
vary by state but all require the
completion of a 4 yr Dental program
and most require passing the
National Board Dental Examinations.
Licensure required in most states.
Requirements vary by state. The
Commission on Dietetic Registration
of the American Dietetic Association
awards the Registered Dietitian
credential.
Licensure only required for
administrators of assisted living or
nursing care facilities. Voluntary
certification as a Registered Health
Information Administrator from the
American Health Information
Optometrists
106,750
Bachelors Degree + 4 yrs at
Optometry Program.
Pharmacists
109,380
A Pharm. D. degree from an
accredited school of Pharmacy
Physicians and Surgeons
180,870
Bachelors Degree + 4 yrs of Medical
School+3-8 yrs of Internship/
Residency
Podiatrists
133,410
Bachelors Degree + 4 yrs at a college
of podiatric medicine.
Psychologists
86,510
Doctoral Degree
Speech-language
Pathologists
69,880
Masters Degree
Marriage & Family Therapist 47,530
Masters Degree or higher
Management Association is
available.
Licensure is required. Requires
completion of Doctor of Optometry
program in addition to passing The
written and clinical examinations of
the National Board of Examiners in
Optometry.
Licensure is required. Generally
requires a Pharm. D. degrre in
addition to passing examinations
administered by the National
Association of Boards of Pharmacy
(NABP).
Licensure is required. Requires
completion of medical school and
passing of United States Medical
Licensing Examination.
Licensure is required. Requirements
generally include a degree from a
school of podiatric medicine and
passing both written and oral exams
specific to the state.
Licensure is required. Requirements
vary by state and type of patient
care.
Licensure is required in most states.
Certification is available via the
American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association
Licensure is required. Requirements
generally include completion of a
Masters Degree level program,
additional supervised clinical
Physical Therapists
77,990
Master’s Degree or higher
Occupational Therapists
73,380
Master’s Degree or higher
experience and passing of a stateapproved examination
Licensure is required. Requirements
generally include graduating from
an accredited program and passing
the National Physical Therapy
Examination.
Licensure is required. Requirements
generally include graduating from a
program accredited by the
Accreditation Council for
Occupational Therapy Education
(ACOTE) and passing a national
certifying exam administered by the
National Board for Certifying
Occupational Therapy.