The Top 10 Fastest-Growing Healthcare Professions in the US

The healthcare field in the United States is one that is rapidly growing and always in demand. Driven by the needs of an aging population, advancements in medical technology, and shifts in healthcare policy, there is a need in most, if not all, areas of healthcare. The top fastest-growing healthcare professions are paving the way for emerging trends in patient safety and care, healthcare delivery, and development.

1. Nurse Practitioner (NP) – 38% growth by 2032

NPs are advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) and a crucial aspect of the healthcare system. As versatile practitioners, NPs can practice in most specialties, such as pediatrics, psychiatry, and gerontology. As NPs are nurses first, they have a positive bedside manner and are taught from the beginning to provide patient-focused holistic care. NPs are often the sole practitioner in rural areas, which contains up to 20% of the United States population.

• Qualifications Required: The first step to becoming an NP is to become a registered nurse (RN) by attending an accredited nursing program and passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Graduates can then enroll in a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) NP program and once completed, would need to pass a national board certification exam.
• Day-to-Day: An NPs daily role may look different depending on the specialty, but it usually begins with a patient assessment and includes diagnosing, treating, and managing patient conditions. NPs can also prescribe medication and have extensive training in pharmacology.
• Examples of Core Skills: Critical thinking, complex problem-solving, active listening, and active learning.

2. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) – 38% growth by 2032

CRNAs are another type of APRN with specialized training in anesthesia and analgesia. Depending on the state, many CRNAs are able to practice independently in full authority, where otherwise they will practice under the supervision of an anesthesiologist. CRNAs were the first anesthesia providers in the United States military and are still the primary anesthesia providers both in the military and for veterans.

• Qualifications Required: CRNAs also start off as RNs who have attended an accredited nursing program and passed the NCLEX. From there, prospective CRNAs would require at least one year of working in critical care prior to applying to a nurse anesthesia educational program. Most likely, this would result in obtaining a DNP and passing a national board certification exam. By the time nurse anesthesia students graduate, they have an average of 9,369 hours of total clinical experience.
• Day-to-Day: CRNAs start their day by reviewing their patient load, particularly the patient charts and medical histories. This helps the CRNA develop personalized anesthesia plans to meet each patient’s needs. Broadly speaking, the CRNA administers anesthesia or analgesia, monitors the patient’s vital signs, and oversees the patient’s recovery.
• Examples of Core Skills: Critical thinking, complex problem solving, operations monitoring, active listening, active learning, time management.

3. Medical and Health Services Manager – 28% growth by 2032

While medical and health services managers could be medical professionals (e.g., nurse managers would need to be nurses), this is one healthcare profession that does not require it. These managers plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in medical facilities such as hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, and public health agencies.

• Qualifications Required: Typically, medical and health services managers would need a bachelor’s degree, but some employers may prefer a master’s degree. Work experience may sometimes substitute for education. Applicable work experience would include either an administrative or a clinical role in a hospital or other healthcare facility.
• Day-to-Day: Medical and health services managers manage either their facility or a specific unit and handle setting and carrying out of policies, goals, and procedures. Their role also includes hiring, scheduling, and evaluating staff, handling the budget, and ensuring their facility is compliant with state and federal guidelines.
• Examples of Core Skills: Management of personnel and resources, complex problem solving, critical thinking, active listening, persuasion, judgment and decision making, negotiation.

4. Physician Assistant (PA) – 27% growth by 2032

PAs are healthcare providers who work interdependently with physicians in all medical specialties and settings.

• Qualifications Required: Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree prior to applying to an accredited PA school, with recommended experience in patient care, such as a medical assistant, emergency medical technician (EMT), or paramedic. PAs are educated at the master’s degree level and last approximately 27 months (three academic years). Once they graduate, they are eligible to take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE).
• Day-to-Day: A PAs role may look different depending on the specialty, but it involves diagnosing, treating, and managing patient care. PAs also often assist in surgery, perform clinical research, and can prescribe medication.
• Examples of Core Skills: Critical thinking, reading comprehension, judgment and decision making, complex problem-solving, and active learning.

5. Epidemiologist – 27% growth by 2032

An epidemiologist is a public health professional who studies the causes and patterns of disease and injury to reduce the risk of negative health outcomes. Quite literally, an epidemiologist is someone who studies (-ologist) what comes upon or befalls (-epi) people (-demos). Epidemiologists became a well-known profession during the COVID-19 pandemic, where their work helped to shape the focus of prevention and treatment by studying the virus.

• Qualifications Required: To become an epidemiologist, one must obtain a master’s degree in a field such as public health or attend a program specific for aspiring epidemiologists. Prior to that, it is ideal to obtain a bachelor’s degree in a similar science, such as biology, public policy and social services, or social science.
• Day-to-Day: Epidemiologist’s work at the local, state, and national government level, in hospitals, academia, or in research. Much of their work revolves around studying and analyzing data and preparing reports, but work is also done in the field to either educate the public or carry out studies.
• Examples of Core Skills: Complex problem solving, critical thinking, science, systems analysis and evaluation, mathematics, active listening, reading comprehension.

6. Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) – 23% growth by 2032

OTAs assist occupational therapists in providing treatments and procedures to help patients with their ability to perform activities of daily living. Examples include either instructing or assisting in instructing patients and families on the care and use of adaptive equipment, aiding patients in dressing and grooming themselves, and assisting in selecting the appropriate therapy activities to meet each patient’s individual needs.

• Qualifications Required: OTAs typically require an associate’s degree from an accredited OTA program. The program consists of classroom education and working in the field with patients. Upon graduation, graduates would then sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBOT) exam.
• Day-to-Day: For an OTA, daily life consists of working with the supervising occupational therapist on the day’s patients, working one-on-one with patients or with patients and their families, and documenting the patient’s status and progress.
• Examples of Core Skills: Service orientation, time management, monitoring, active learning, active listening, instructing.

7. Home Health and Personal Care Aide – 22% growth by 2032

Home health and personal care aides provide direct patient care under the supervision of another healthcare professional, such as a nurse. Usually working in facilities serving patients with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or the elderly, home health and personal care aides assist patients with their daily tasks, such as bathing and dressing, perform vital signs, and may be responsible for changing bandages or dressings.

• Qualifications Required: Typically, home health and personal care aides will only require a high school diploma or equivalent, but some positions, such as a certified nursing assistant, will require additional training and/or certification (e.g., first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)).
• Day-to-Day: Home health and personal care aides revolve their day around assisting and caring for others, communicating with supervisors or peers, documenting/recording information, and establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships.
• Examples of Core Skills: Active listening, service orientation, social perceptiveness, critical thinking, monitoring, instructing.

8. Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) – 19% growth by 2032

PTAs assist physical therapists in providing treatments and procedures to help patients improve their ability to move their bodies, often after an injury or an illness. Examples include instructing patients in proper body mechanics and in ways to improve functional mobility, administering active or passive manual therapeutic exercises (e.g., therapeutic massage, aquatic physical therapy, light therapy), and assisting in fitting patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or other supportive devices.

• Qualifications Required: PTAs typically require an associate’s degree from an accredited physical therapy education program. The program consists of classroom education and working in the field with patients. Upon graduation, graduates would then sit for the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy exam.
• Day-to-Day: For PTA, daily life consists of working with the supervising physical therapist on the day’s patients, working one-on-one with patients or with patients and their families, and documenting the patient’s status and progress.
• Examples of Core Skills: Service orientation, time management, monitoring, active learning, active listening, instructing.

9. Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) – 19% growth by 2032

SLPs assist both adults and children with speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders by aiding in prevention, assessment, and diagnosis. They may also work with the hard of hearing or deaf and with patients who exhibit severe expressive and/or language disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder or progressive neurological disorders.

• Qualifications Required: To become an SLP, one must earn a bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g., communication sciences and disorders, linguistics, education, psychology) and then complete graduate school with a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. From there, graduates must complete a clinical practicum and apply for the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP).
• Day-to-Day: Depending on where the SLP works and their clientele, most of their day is spent meeting with patients, performing assessments and creating treatment plans, and providing individual therapy or group therapy.
• Examples of Core Skills: Active listening, critical thinking, social perceptiveness, learning strategies, and monitoring.

10. Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor – 18% growth by 2032

Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors counsel, advise, and treat patients with alcohol, tobacco, or drug disorders, as well as other problems, such as gambling and eating disorders, and mental health disorders. Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors, otherwise known as addiction counselors, especially work with patients to rebuild personal and professional relationships after addiction. Mental health counselors will treat a variety of conditions, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, grief, and stress.

• Qualifications Required: Most substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors need at least a bachelor’s degree, but it is recommended that they have a master’s degree in social work, mental health counseling, psychology, or a similar field. Mental health counselors usually need to first complete a bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g., psychology) before applying for a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree.
• Day-to-Day: A typical day for a substance abuse, behavioral disorder, or mental health counselor includes counseling patients, either individually or in a group setting. They also work with patients and their families to best support them in their recovery and develop, recommend, and review treatment goals and plans.
• Examples of Core Skills: Active listening, critical thinking, empathetic speaking, social perceptiveness, and monitoring.

The top 10 fastest-growing healthcare professionals in the United States represent a diverse range of roles within the healthcare continuum. Providers such as Nurse Practitioners, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, and Physician Assistants fill the gaps for many patients in underserved or rural areas. The increasing need for more Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Assistants and Speech-Language Pathologists highlights the emphasis on rehabilitation and therapeutic services. The critical support roles of Home Health and Personal Care Aides are essential for our aging and disabled population, whereas Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors are helping to combat the opioid epidemic and provide the necessary support to those combating addiction, promoting mental well-being, and improving holistic wellness. In our post-COVID era, Epidemiologists are even more necessary to perform disease surveillance and promote public health. Medical and Health Services Managers tie it all together by ensuring the above medical professionals can efficiently provide safe, accessible, and high-quality patient care within their healthcare facilities. The growth of these professions shows that the future of healthcare is committed to positive patient outcomes, effective communication, and addressing the individual needs of patients, their families, and their communities.