If you are looking for a job in healthcare, one of these 11 healthcare careers that require a master’s degree may be to your liking.
When you think of healthcare careers, you immediately think of the next ten years you would have to spend in school. But not all healthcare jobs require all those years of schooling. In fact, many of them only require a master’s degree, as you will see on our list.
There are many benefits to choosing a career in healthcare. It is one of the noblest paths one can take, and one of the most challenging ones too. Not everyone is cut out for a job in healthcare, but those that find themselves attracted to a medical field can have a long, profitable career. Some careers in healthcare require decades of education and training. But if you don’t want to become a surgeon then you don’t need to look at healthcare careers that require a doctorate degree. There are many entry-level positions in healthcare, so there is something for everyone.
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If working in healthcare is what motivates you and you wish to pursue that dream, you don’t need a degree to do it. Believe it or not, for some of the positions, you only need a high school diploma! Such positions include home aide care, medical assistant, medical biller or a psychiatric assistant aide. You should know that some of these positions pay pretty well. In fact, here’s an entire list of highest paying healthcare jobs without a degree. You can learn more about well-paying health care jobs by degree level here.
If you are motivated by the prospect of financial gain, there are plenty of options to consider when it comes to highest paying jobs with a masters degree in the medical field. Epidemiologists, medical researchers, occupational therapists, and mental health therapists are just some of the career paths that are very profitable if you have a master’s degree. According to WorldWideLearn, physician assistants, speech-language pathologists, nurse anesthetist, and occupational therapists are the highest-paying careers in healthcare you can get with a master’s degree.
If you are interested in pursuing a master’s degree and you need more information, you can take a look at this list of medical master’s programs that Study.com compiled to help you decide.
We focused on finding healthcare careers that require a master’s degree in order to be considered for a position. Apart from holding a master’s degree, these positions also require being state-certified and licensed to work, so you should keep that in mind. Of course, these are careers that require a bachelor’s degree as well. Our list is based on the data we retrieved from Study.com and Best Medical Degrees. It may be possible to find employers who do not seek a master’s degree for your desired position and a bachelor’s degree and a state certification may be enough in that case. But in most cases, you must hold a master’s degree if you wish to pursue one of the following healthcare careers.
11. Infection Preventionist
An infection preventionist is usually required to hold a master’s degree in public health from an accredited university. Their task is to evaluate whether an infection is likely to become a problem and to educate people on how to prevent infections. Sometimes, they are required to inform the public about the need for medications for the purposes of preventing an infection from spreading.
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10. Public Health Consultant
Your job as a public health consultant is to work with the governments and healthcare providers in order to design and implement healthcare policy. They usually work out of office while touring hospitals, clinics, etc. For most states, public health consultants must hold a master’s degree in a relevant subject.
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9. Speech-Language Pathologist
To become a speech pathologist, you must acquire a bachelor’s degree and then a master’s degree. Additionally, you must be state-certified in order to start working. Speech pathologists are responsible for helping children, adolescents or adults who need extra help with speech/language. As a speech pathologist, you can work in a school, private-practice or hospital settings.
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8. Genetic Counselor
To become a genetic counselor, you must obtain a master’s degree. Your job is to help families and to make them aware of potential risks of syndromes and disorders that may be genetically passed to children. You counsel and educate patients in order to determine the best treatments. Depending on the state, you may also need to be certified by passing an exam if you want to start working as a genetic counselor.
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7. Physician Assistant
Physician assistants rank 7th on our list of healthcare careers that require a master’s degree. They provide healthcare under the supervision of doctors. This position is a lot similar to being a physician, minus all the years of schooling. A physician’s assistant will often perform physical exams, provide treatment, and write prescriptions, etc. However, formal education is required for this position. You need a master’s degree for this position as well as a license you get once you pass the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants exam. You must obtain formal training, and these programs are usually available at a master’s level. If you think this sounds appealing, you can learn more by visiting this page.
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6. Biostatistician
Even though there are entry-level positions for those with a bachelor’s degree, most jobs will require at least a master’s degree in mathematics, statistics or similar. Biostatisticians apply mathematics and statistics in the research of life sciences, and these may include medicine and public health. The federal government, pharmaceutical companies, and private research firms are the largest employers for this position.
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5. Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
To become an advanced practice registered nurse, who ranks 5th on our list of healthcare careers that require a master’s degree, you need a bachelor’s degree and work experience as a registered nurse. Then you can complete your master’s degree and become state certified. You can then choose a career path such as a nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, etc. This means more responsibilities and more independent work than before.
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4. Epidemiologist
In order to become an epidemiologist, you must obtain a master’s degree, at least. Your job as an epidemiologist is to analyze health at the population level. There are two types of epidemiologists, those that conduct research and those that apply their knowledge. You may work in a number of setting such as governmental agencies. A part of your job is to monitor data related to outbreaks of certain infections.
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And now, let’s see the top three healthcare careers that require a master’s degree.
3. Medical Researcher
Another healthcare career that requires at least a master’s degree is a medical researcher. If you want to further advance in your career, a Ph.D. is needed. Being a medical researcher requires skills and expertise, and it is this medical field that has led to new treatments for the prevention of diseases. According to NewScientist, your main responsibility as a medical researcher is to improve the health status and longevity of the population. You will achieve this by conducting research. You can learn more about what it’s like to be a medical researcher by clicking on the link.
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2. Occupational Therapist
This is one of the highest paying jobs with a master’s degree in a medical field. The minimum standard for becoming a practicing occupational therapist is holding a master’s degree. Your job is to help people perform the basic daily activities. As a person recovers from an accident or a serious illness, they often need help with some daily activities that they need to relearn. Your task is to help improve someone’s ability to perform these daily activities that may include dressing, eating, etc. Occupational therapists programs will prepare you to understand the patient’s needs and work with diverse populations. According to Study.com, some colleges even offer combined bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in occupational therapy.
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1. Healthcare Administrator
We’ve reached the last one among healthcare careers that require a master’s degree. Even though some health centers may employ people based on their previous experience, and a bachelor’s degree can sometimes be enough, a master’s degree is usually required, and most healthcare administrators have one. Your job is to manage healthcare facilities like hospitals, community health centers, nursing homes, drug-abuse treatment centers, outpatient clinics, etc. You need to coordinate healthcare services, and you are in charge of every department in the hospital. Excellent leadership skills are required for this position, as it is a complex position with many responsibilities. You can find out more about masters degrees in healthcare administration here.
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This wraps it up for our list of healthcare careers that require a master’s degree.
