According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), we are going to see healthcare jobs grow at a rate of 13% from 2021 to 2031. Considering that is a higher and faster predicted job growth rate than that of any other work field, it is indeed great news for both present and future healthcare workers. Let’s take a closer look at the facts and predictions to see what can be expected as a result of that growth.
2 Million+ More Jobs in Healthcare by 2031
Two million+ jobs will be created by the end of 2031, but there is more. Apparently, the two million jobs mentioned by BLS exclude all existing job roles in healthcare that will be vacated by 2031. This is only an informed estimation of new job roles, of which none existed prior to 2021.It’s only 2023, which means that we are yet to see a bulk of those promised jobs. Nevertheless, the growth of jobs in healthcare from 2021-2022 was nothing short of impressive.
1.9+ Million Replacements Every Year
The total number of healthcare professionals who will be filling vacated job roles in healthcare every year will vary, but the average is estimated to be more than 1.9 million per year. While these are not new job roles, most of these vacated roles will actually create multiple opportunities for healthcare professionals to find employment and make progress in their career.
Under normal circumstances, positions are only vacated when someone retires. Most of the time, it’s the mid to high level leadership positions that become available at that time. In a field like healthcare, it would be impossible to simply replace these experienced veterans of the industry with a fresh recruit with little to now experience. They can only be replaced by someone with sufficient experience and the right qualifications to fit the job role.
Once that vacuum is filled by an adequately experienced and qualified healthcare professional, the job they leave behind will also need to be fulfilled. The cycle continues until one or more fresh recruits are hired to balance things out at different levels. Anyone who is working in healthcare right now should consider getting their respective masters in healthcare degrees to ensure that they don’t end up lacking in the necessary qualifications department when those opportunities open up.
Prospective Career Paths in Healthcare
Doctors, dentists, and nurses will continue to be the most well paid and most in-demand professionals in healthcare indefinitely. However, they are certainly not expected to be the only healthcare professionals who will benefit from the job growth. In fact, there are other jobs in healthcare right now which pay less but offer a higher employment rate. For example, health informaticists and public health experts are not only in high demand right now, but they will also see significant boost in their pay and demand down the line as well.
2022-2023 was comparatively slow in its growth rate in comparison to 2021-2022 due to the slump, but jobs in healthcare continued to grow at a faster rate than any other professional field last year as well. Since the economy is already picking itself back up again, expect healthcare jobs to grow at an even faster rate now.