6 Highest Paying Non-Physician Healthcare Jobs

Whether you’re thinking of entering the healthcare industry or have been working in the industry for a long while, you should know that there are plenty of ways that you can do your part without having to work bedside. This isn’t something you should feel ashamed about either. There are tons of non-physician jobs with great prospects that are in need of fresh blood right now, and if you feel like you have the skills needed to fill them, you should give them a look. Some of them offer very good pay as well. Let’s look at some of the highest paying non-physician jobs in healthcare.

Medical and Health Services Manager

Medical and health services managers play a crucial role in healthcare organizations. Their first goal is to make sure that patients get the level of service that they deserve. They’re in charge of managing an organization’s finances and making decisions that will make their organization more efficient without affecting the quality of care.

As a medical and health services manager, you might be asked to manage whole institutions or manage only one department. You will also need to be able to listen to the needs of the people on the floor and understand how administrative decisions are affecting operations on the ground.

The average medical and health services manager makes about $100,325, and the demand is very high. This could be a great role for someone who has vast experience in the healthcare field and wants to influence how healthcare organizations operate as a whole.

If this is a role that interests you, know that you could become a medical and health services manager by getting an executive Master of Health Administration degree. If you think that would be unattainable because of your current situation, you can look at executive MHA programs online from schools like the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management. This program will give you everything you need to fill the position and your credentials will be just as respected as if you got the degree from a traditional program. This could give you the chance to complete your degree while you still keep your full-time position.

Pharmacist

If you love healthcare but don’t feel like working in a hospital, know that the country is in great need of pharmacists at the moment. Pharmacists play a very crucial role in communities and are compensated handsomely for their efforts. It’s estimated that the average pharmacist makes around $91,661 per year, and this largely depends on where you’re working.

Pharmacists not only have to give people medicine but are also there to educate patients. They have to be able to answer any questions people may have about a certain medication, which requires them to have good knowledge of a wide number of different treatments. They are also in charge of administering vaccines, giving health and wellness advice to people suffering from chronic diseases, and conducting a variety of screenings.

Speech Therapist

If you want to work in an unconventional field with lots of demand, you should give speech therapy a look. Speech therapists are often asked to work with children, but they can work on people of all ages. 

Their role is to diagnose speech problems and help fix them. They have to deal with people suffering from disorders like autism or people recovering from a serious brain injury or stroke. Some speech therapists work in healthcare facilities, but almost half of them will be asked to work in schools.

To work in this field, you need to be a great communicator, but you also need to have a lot of patience. You will need to have great people skills and an empathetic side too. It’s estimated that the average speech therapist earns $80,032 per year.

Psychiatrist

If you’ve always been fascinated by the human psyche and what makes humans tick, then you should consider a career as a psychiatrist. This is a great job for someone with a lot of patience, integrity, and an inquisitive nature. The average psychiatrist in this country makes around $243,467 per year.

Dental Hygienist

Dental hygienists are also in great demand in this country, and this could be a great career path for you if you’re looking for something that pays well but won’t require that you get a master’s or a doctorate. All you need to work as a dental hygienist is a bachelor’s degree or dental hygiene diploma. From then on, you can expect to make $70,647 on average.

Dental hygienists are there to assist dentists, but their job is about more than cleaning patients’ teeth before treatment. They also play a crucial role in educating patients, and they will do things like performing x-rays and helping diagnose certain issues. This is a job with tons of different responsibilities, and it’s great for someone who is curious and wants to be involved in healthcare without having to spend four years or more on a school bench.

Orthodontist

If dentistry interests you but you want something that will give you more responsibility and better pay, you could also become an orthodontist. Orthodontists treat issues with teeth or jaw misalignment. They will look at a patient’s condition and help them choose which solutions would be the best for them, whether it’s a retainer, traditional braces, or teeth aligners.

The average orthodontist makes about $184,829 per year, which is one of the highest paying jobs not only in healthcare, but across all professions. This is a very demanding career path, however, as you’ll at least need to have a master’s degree and to pass the National Dental Specialty Board certification exam. You should also know that some schools will require that you have a few years of experience as a general dentist before you can apply, so be ready for that.

As you can see, there are tons of great career opportunities in healthcare for people who don’t want to work as physicians. We suggest that you give all these options a second look and see if any of them fit your skills, personality, and aptitudes.