6 Entry-Level Healthcare Jobs to Kick-Start Your Career

It’s pretty obvious why healthcare is an appealing career for many people: The industry is stable, and you also get to help heal patients. Unfortunately, many classic healthcare positions, such as doctors and dentists, come with time-consuming educational requirements and high debt requirements that are decidedly not appealing. If you’re looking for a healthcare role where you can get to work more quickly, check out these six entry-level healthcare jobs that require minimal extra schooling.

All data is taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Caregiver

• 2018 Median Pay: $24,060
• Typical Entry-Level Education: High school diploma or equivalent
• Number of Jobs, 2018: 3,253,000
• Job Outlook, 2018-28: 36% (Much faster than average)

Sometimes called home health aides, caregivers take care of clients who need help with everyday tasks such as getting dressed, eating meals and getting to doctor’s appointments. They help patients with mental or physical conditions that prevent them from completing these tasks on their own. Many caregivers work with seniors, but they may take on clients of all age ranges. Caregivers may visit clients in their private homes or work at skilled nursing facilities, such as senior living complexes.

Medical Assistant

• 2018 Median Pay: $34,800 per year
• Typical Entry-Level Education:Postsecondary nondegree award
• Number of Jobs, 2018: 686,600
• Job Outlook, 2018-28: 23% (Much faster than average)

Medical assistants help with both administrative and clinical tasks in doctor’s offices. They may help record patient histories, schedule appointments, fill out insurance forms and measure vital signs. Some medical assistants fulfill more administrative duties, while others work on the clinical side. They should not be confused with physician assistants, who can examine, diagnose and treat patients under the supervision of a physician.

Licensed Practial Nurse

• 2018 Median Pay: $47,480
• Typical Entry-Level Education:Postsecondary nondegree award
• Number of Jobs, 2018: 728,900
• Job Outlook, 2018-28: 11% (Much faster than average)

While this position may require a little more education than some of the other roles on this list, it’s a great entry-level position for anyone looking for hands-on clinical work. Licensed practical nurses (sometimes called licensed vocational nurses) administer basic patient care under the supervision of a registered nurse. Depending on the state, they may be able to do tasks such as giving medication and administering IVs if they have the proper training. (Learn more about the different types of nurses in our guide.)

Medical Secretary

• 2018 Median Pay: $35,870
• Typical Entry-Level Education:High school diploma or equivalent
• Number of Jobs, 2018:576,520
• Job Outlook, 2018-28: not available

As the title suggests, medical secretaries perform administrative tasks within a medical environment. Some typical duties include taking phone calls, scheduling appointments, greeting patients in the front office, handling correspondence, maintaining files, paying vendors and billing patients. Their responsibilities may overlap somewhat with medical assistants, but medical secretaries do not help with clinical tasks, which is the key difference between these two positions.

Medical Biller and Coder

• 2018 Median Pay: $40,350
• Typical Entry-Level Education:Postsecondary nondegree award
• Number of Jobs, 2018:215,500
• Job Outlook, 2018-28: 11% (Much faster than average)

Medical billers and coders — sometimes called health claims specialists — process health insurance claims for doctors’ offices, hospitals and other healthcare facilities. It’s their job to determine what treatments took place during the visit and what codes correspond with those treatments. They submit the insurance claims and follow up to make sure they are paid. If you’re looking for a true desk job in healthcare, this is a good option.

Pharmacy Technician

• 2018 Median Pay: $33,950
• Typical Entry-Level Education:High school diploma or equivalent
• Number of Jobs, 2018:420,400
• Job Outlook, 2018-28: 7% (Faster than average)

If you’ve always wanted to work in a pharmacy, becoming a pharmacy technician might be an excellent entry-level career move. Pharmacy technicians collect information needed to fulfill a prescription, measure amounts of medications, package medicines, organize inventory, enter customer or payment information and more. Pharmacy techs work under the supervision of a pharmacist, who reviews the prescriptions before they are administered to patients.

If you’re hoping to start your healthcare career quickly, any of these six entry-level healthcare jobs will get you into the workforce sooner rather than later. If you’re looking for scrubs for your new healthcare care job, be sure to shop all of our collections, including our dental scrubs and veterinary scrubs.