Healthcare Practitioner Careers 101

If you're interested in becoming a healthcare practitioner, you are in luck. This career field is expected to grow faster than most other occupations. At a growth rate of 23.8%, those interested in becoming a healthcare practitioner can expect an impressive number of job opportunities over the next 6 years. The industry expects to add 5,000 new jobs each year between now and 2016. So what does it take to break into this solid career field? In addition to a certificate or a degree, healthcare practitioners may need to obtain a license to practice or register with the state they plan to work in. These requirements vary greatly by position, so let's start with the types of jobs available in this field.

According to Collegedegreereport.com, healthcare practitioners make up the largest industry in the nation. A whopping 14 million workers belong to this group. Healthcare practitioners (and technical occupations) include physicians, dentists, chiropractors, dental service providers, dietitian/nutritionist, emergency medical technician, medical assistants, nurse/advanced practice nurse, nurses aide/home health aid, eye and vision service provider, pharmacy service provider, physician assistant, podiatric service provider, psychologist (clinical), rehabilitative, respiratory, and restorative service provider, social worker, speech, language, and hearing service provider, and technologist. Alternative healthcare practitioners are also included in this group. These include: acupuncturists, athletic trainers, homeopathics, midwives, naturopaths, orthotics/prosthetics fitters, perfusionists, and psychiatric technicians.

So, the education path will depend on which job you would like to obtain in this industry. For example, physicians, dentists, and psychologists must have an advanced degree and licensure, while other positions such as orderly, medical secretary, or LPN do not require an advanced degree. These positions do, however, require an associate degree, a bachelor's degree or postsecondary vocational training. Here are the education figures for this field:

16.3% of healthcare practitioners have a high school diploma, 15.0% have some college experience, but no degree and 33.8% have a bachelor's degree. 23.8% of healthcare practitioners have a master's degree.

Just about every vocational school, community college, 4-year college or university offers programs in the healthcare field. After you have earned your degree or certificate and you are ready to search for a job, you can begin your search online-- one place to start is through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, at the website listed at the end of this article. Federal, state, and local positions are plentiful as well as healthcare jobs in schools, hospitals, and retirement homes.

For more information about the healthcare practitioner industry, education requirements, and more visit:

The United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics - http://www.bls.gov/

CollegeDegreeReport.com Career Guide - Healthcare Practitioner & Technical Occupations: Employment & Salary Trends for Aspiring Healthcare Practitioners & Technical Occupations

CollegeDegreeReport.com Salary Statistics by City and State - Healthcare Practitioner & Technical Occupations - Career, Salary & Employment Info

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - http://www.hhs.gov/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Job Search - http://www.hhs.gov/careers/