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  • There are many different career options within healthcare, each with their own unique roles

  • and responsibilities, but which ones pay you the most for your time?

  • Let’s find out.

  • Dr. Jubbal, MedSchoolInsiders.com.

  • Although money should never be your primary motivation when choosing a career, it is still

  • an important part of the decision-making process.

  • Another important factor to consider, however, is time - not just the amount of time it takes

  • to get into that career, but also how much time you put in each week to earn your salary.

  • These are the 10 healthcare jobs with the highest hourly pay.

  • Number ten on our list is physical therapist.

  • Physical therapists are healthcare professionals who help patients improve mobility and manage

  • pain through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education.

  • They play an important role in preventative care, rehabilitation, and the treatment of

  • patients with chronic conditions, illnesses, or injuries.

  • They can work in a variety of different settings including private offices and clinics, hospitals,

  • and nursing homes.

  • Physical therapists make an average of $91,000 per year and work an average of 40 hours per

  • week giving us an average rate of $44 per hour.

  • To become a physical therapist in the United States, you must earn your DPT, or Doctor

  • of Physical Therapy degree, from an accredited program and pass a state licensure exam.

  • Most physical therapy programs are three years in length and require applicants to obtain

  • a bachelor’s degree before admission.

  • Some programs offer a 3+3 format where you take 3 years of specific undergraduate and

  • pre-physical therapy courses before advancing into the three-year DPT program; however,

  • most programs follow the more common 4+3 model.

  • Number nine is radiation therapist.

  • Radiation therapists are healthcare professionals who work alongside radiation oncologists to

  • treat cancer.

  • They are the ones who run the machinery and administer the radiation treatments to the

  • patient.

  • Common duties include explaining treatment plans to patients and answering questions,

  • performing x-rays to determine the exact location of the area requiring treatment, examining

  • machines to ensure they are safe and working properly, and delivering radiation therapy.

  • Most radiation therapists work in hospitals or outpatient cancer treatment centers.

  • Radiation therapists earn an average annual salary of $94,000 per year and work an average

  • of 40 hours per week, yielding an average hourly wage of $45.

  • To become a radiation therapist, you must gain certification from the American Registry

  • of Radiologic Technologists by completing either an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s

  • degree in radiation therapy and passing a state licensing exam.

  • Number eight is nurse practitioner.

  • Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have completed additional training in

  • the diagnosis, treatment, and management of disease.

  • NPs work in a variety of different specialties so their roles and responsibilities can vary

  • significantly.

  • Most nurse practitioners work under the supervision of a physician; however, some states allow

  • NPs to practice independently without supervision, which may pose an increased risk to patient

  • safety, which I’ve discussed in other videos.

  • Nurse practitioners earn on average $112,000 per year and work an average of 40 hours per

  • week, translating to an average hourly rate of $54 per hour.

  • If you are already a registered nurse, there are two pathways to becoming a nurse practitioner.

  • There is the Master of Science in Nursing, or MSN, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice,

  • or DNP.

  • MSN programs typically last 1-2 years whereas DNP programs usually take 3 or more years

  • to complete.

  • Once you have completed an accredited program, you must pass a national board certification

  • to become licensed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse.

  • To learn more about the ins and outs of being an NP and more details on the training process,

  • check out So You Want to Be a Nurse Practitioner

  • Number seven is physician assistant.

  • Physician assistants are midlevel providers who assist doctors in the diagnosis, treatment,

  • and management of patients.

  • Much like nurse practitioners, physician assistants can work in a variety of specialties, so their

  • roles and responsibilities are dependent on many factors.

  • Physician assistants earn on average $115,000 per year and work an average of 40 hours per

  • week, giving us an hourly wage of $55 per hour.

  • To become a physician assistant, you must first earn a bachelor’s degree and complete

  • prerequisite coursework in basic and behavioral sciences.

  • In addition, many PA programs also require prior healthcare experience with hands-on

  • patient care.

  • Common examples include being a medical assistant, emergency medical technician, or paramedic.

  • Most PA programs are around 26 months in duration and award master’s degrees.

  • Once you graduate from an accredited PA program, you are eligible to take the Physician Assistant

  • National Certifying Exam, or PANCE, and become a certified physician assistant.

  • To learn more, check out So You Want to Be a Physician Assistant.

  • Number six is optometrist.

  • An optometrist is a healthcare professional who provides primary vision care.

  • Not to be confused with ophthalmologists who are medical doctors, optometrists practice

  • optometry which involves giving eye exams, writing prescriptions for glasses or contact

  • lenses, identifying abnormalities in the eye, and treating certain diseases of the eye like

  • glaucoma and macular degeneration.

  • Optometrists take home $118,000 per year on average and work an average of 40 hours per

  • week, yielding $57 per hour.

  • To become an optometrist, you must first earn a bachelor’s degree and complete prerequisite

  • coursework in biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, and physics.

  • You must also take the Optometry Admission Test, or OAT, and gain shadowing experience

  • with at least one optometrist.

  • Optometry school is typically four years long and grants you a Doctor of Optometry, or OD,

  • degree.

  • Some optometrists choose to do an additional one-year residency to further subspecialize;

  • however, it is not required.

  • To practice as an optometrist, you will also need to pass the National Board of Examiners

  • in Optometry test and obtain state licensure.

  • Number five is pharmacist.

  • Pharmacists are healthcare professionals who focus on the safe and effective use of medications.

  • They dispense prescription medications and offer expertise to patients and other healthcare

  • professionals on how to use or take the medication, correct dosing, and potential side effects.

  • The average pharmacist earns $129,000 per year and works an average of 40 hours per

  • week giving us an hourly wage of $62 per hour.

  • To become a pharmacist, you typically need at least two years of college education; however,

  • most aspiring pharmacists earn their bachelor’s degree before applying to pharmacy school.

  • Before applying to pharmacy school, you also need to pass the Pharmacy College Admissions

  • Test or PCAT.

  • This exam covers topics including writing, biological processes, chemical processes,

  • and clinical reasoning.

  • Once you complete these requirements, pharmacy school typically lasts 3-4 years and awards

  • you with a PharmD degree.

  • There are also “0 to 6” programs that allow high school students to gain both their

  • bachelor’s and PharmD degrees in 6 years; however, these programs are more competitive

  • than the more traditional pharmacy school training pathway.

  • We cover more on the competitiveness of pharmacy, dentistry, and other medical professions in

  • a prior video.

  • Number four is podiatrist.

  • Podiatrists are the experts in issues of the foot, ankle, and lower leg.

  • This includes problems such as foot pain, abnormal growths, injuries, diabetic foot

  • issues, and nerve damage.

  • Podiatrists make an average of $134,000 per year and work an average of 40 hours a week,

  • yielding an hourly wage of $64.

  • It should be noted that depending on practice type, podiatrists may work as little as 30

  • hours per week and as much as 60 hours per week.

  • To become a podiatrist, you must first earn a 4-year bachelor’s degree and complete

  • standard prerequisites.

  • Similar to medical school, getting into podiatry school also requires you to take the MCAT.

  • So, if you thought applying to podiatry school would spare you from the MCAT, think again.

  • Podiatry school, just like medical school, is four years long, and will grant you the

  • designation of Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, or DPM.

  • Youll cover similar foundational training to MD and DO students in your first two years

  • but focus more heavily on podiatry during years three and four.

  • After podiatry school, most states require a 3-year residency covering medical and surgical

  • training; however, the duration does vary by state.

  • After podiatry residency, there are also options to specialize further with podiatry fellowship

  • including sports medicine, limb salvage and preservation, and reconstructive foot and

  • ankle to name a few.

  • To learn more, check out So You Want to Be a Podiatrist.

  • Number three is dentist.

  • Dentists are the experts in oral health.

  • They diagnose and treat problems of the teeth, gums, and other tissues in the mouth and guide

  • patients on the importance of proper diet, brushing, flossing, and other aspects of dental

  • care.

  • Dentists have an average salary of $164,000 per year and work an average of 40 hours per

  • week giving us an average hourly wage of $79.

  • It should be noted that most dentists work in private practice, so compensation and hours

  • worked per week can vary greatly.

  • To become a dentist, you must first complete four years of college and take the Dental

  • Admissions Test, or DAT.

  • This test is composed of four sections that assess your knowledge of the natural sciences,

  • perceptual ability, reading comprehension, and quantitative reasoning.

  • After completing these requirements, dental school is 4 years long and awards you with

  • either your Doctor of Dental Surgery, or DDS, or Doctor of Dental Medicine, or DDM.

  • For those who know they want to pursue dentistry in high school, there are also BS/DDS programs

  • lasting anywhere from 5- to 8-years that allow students to gain their bachelor’s and dental

  • degrees at the same time.

  • After dental school, there are residency programs available to specialize further; however,

  • they are not required to practice general dentistry.

  • Number two is nurse anesthetist.

  • Nurse anesthetists, or CRNAs, are nurses who have completed additional training in anesthesia

  • administration.

  • In general, nurse anesthetists work alongside anesthesiologists to administer anesthesia;

  • however, some states allow them to work independently without a supervising anesthesiologist.

  • Nurse anesthetists earn on average $184,000 per year and work an average of 40 hours per

  • week, translating to $88 per hour.

  • To become a nurse anesthetist, you must complete a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing

  • degree, or BSN, pass the NCLEX exam, and gain experience working as an RN.

  • Most graduate nurse anesthetist programs require at least 1-3 years of experience in an intensive

  • care unit or critical care setting.

  • As of 2022, the minimum degree requirement of CRNAs is a Doctor of Nursing Practice,

  • or DNP, or Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice, or DNAP.

  • Depending on the school, nurse anesthetist programs are generally 2 to 3 years in duration.

  • After CRNA school, you must obtain certification from the National Board of Certification and

  • Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA) and obtain state licensure.

  • Last but not least, the number one healthcare job with the highest hourly rate is doctor

  • - not a Doctor of Nursing practice, or Doctor of Physical Therapy, but an MD or DO physician.

  • Doctors are the leaders of the healthcare team and use their extensive medical knowledge

  • to diagnose and treat patients.

  • The average primary care physician has an annual salary of $242,000 per year and works

  • 51 hours per week giving us an hourly rate of $91.

  • The average specialist earns $344,000 per year and works 52 hours per week giving us

  • an hourly wage of $127 per hour.

  • It should be noted that physician compensation varies wildly both between specialties and

  • within specialties with the highest-paid physicians earning over $200 per hour.

  • We cover the top 6 specialties with the highest hourly rate and the 10 specialties with the

  • lowest hourly rate in previous videos - links below.

  • To become a doctor in the United States, you must first earn your bachelor’s degree in

  • university, then medical school for 4 years, then complete residency - lasting anywhere

  • from 3 to 7 years - followed by fellowship for additional sub-specialization.

  • That being said, getting into medical school and becoming a doctor is much easier said

  • than done.

  • Of all the various medical professions, becoming a physician is the longest, most challenging,

  • and by far the most competitive.

  • The path of getting into medical school is arduous, with complexities, nuances, and roadblocks

  • that can stop even the most ambitious of premedical students.

  • If your dream is to become a doctor but you find yourself overwhelmed, be sure to check

  • out the Med School Insiders Premed Roadmap to Medical School Acceptance course.

  • Our team of top physicians came together and built this course from the ground up to streamline

  • your entire college experience into a single high-yield resource.

  • This is the guide we wish we had back as premeds ourselves, as it would have helped us avoid

  • countless mistakes and made the process much smoother and less stressful.

  • This isn’t an elementary guide either.

  • This was created by top physicians who secured acceptances to multiple top programs, including

  • schools that fought over us by throwing large merit-based scholarships to sway our decision.

  • It’s a great position to be in, and well show you how it’s done.

  • If youre ready to optimize your path to becoming a doctor and take control of your

  • future, learn more at MedSchoolInsiders.com or click the link in the description below.

  • Members of this channel get an exclusive members-only discount.

  • Thank you all so much for watching.

  • If you enjoyed this video, be sure to check out the Top 6 Doctor Specialties with the

  • Highest Hourly Rate or the 10 Doctor Specialties with the Lowest Hourly Rate.

  • Much love, and I’ll see you guys there.

There are many different career options within healthcare, each with their own unique roles

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