Education and Healthcare Careers That Are Growing Fast - and Paying Accordingly

Education and healthcare are vastly different industries in many ways, but the professionals in both fields share many traits. After all, most people working in healthcare and education exude empathy, passion, and drive. That said, it’s important to understand that both fields contain many niches and career paths that differ vastly.

Your path toward either industry starts with the degree you earn. That’s why it’s so important to research the job market in your desired field to ensure you can equip yourself adequately. Today, some niches within education and healthcare are growing much faster than others.

Follow along as we highlight the fastest-growing and increasingly lucrative education and healthcare careers.

Fast-Growing Healthcare Careers

Healthcare has always provided many great opportunities for driven, compassionate professionals. However, you can boost your earning potential and job security by choosing one of many fast-growing healthcare jobs, including:

Chief Nursing Officer

While hospitals and clinics need administrative leaders, the leaders within each department are vital to a healthcare organization’s functionality. Few healthcare leaders directly affect patients as much as Chief Nursing Officers do. Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs) not only train and lead nurses, but they also ensure compliance and handle key administrative tasks.

This includes scheduling, overseeing budgets, and representing the nurses in board meetings. Nurses are the unsung heroes of hospitals and clinics, and CNOs operate at the highest level in the field. To become a CNO, you must earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).

The demand for CNOs has grown by over 10%, though it can be higher, especially during shortages. CNOs earn six-figure salaries, which drives many nurses to earn advanced degrees and new credentials.

Nurse Practitioner

Nurse practitioners have always been vital parts of healthcare, but their role has recently grown much more prominent. This position has grown by 40% and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Lucrative and prestigious, you can earn a salary comparable to that of a doctor as a nurse practitioner.

That’s appropriate, considering the many similarities between a doctor and a nurse practitioner’s responsibilities. To become a nurse practitioner, you must first earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, get licensed, and then work toward an advanced degree. The journey may be long and arduous, but the six-figure earnings make the investment worthwhile.

Speech-Language Pathologist

Speech-language pathology (SLP) offers more versatility than many people even know. Of course, SLPs treat people dealing with social and cognitive communication disorders. However, they also treat people with swallowing disorders, impaired hearing, and communication modality difficulties.

So many people can benefit from SLP, and that’s why the field is projected to grow by 15% over the next 10 years. The current median annual salary for SLPs is just over $95,000, but that may increase with the demand. A Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology can help boost your earnings and fortify your resume.

Fast-Growing Education Careers

Working in education has always been fulfilling, but it hasn’t always been financially rewarding. That said, many specialties can lead to higher earnings and unique career opportunities. The fastest-growing education careers currently include:

Special Education Teacher

Special education teachers have always been among the most valuable educators, but funding hasn’t always reflected that. Today, special education teachers are paid more than general educators in some states, like Illinois. That may not be the case everywhere, but special education teachers are certainly in demand throughout the country.

As society has progressed, people who previously would have been forced into general education now qualify for special education. This gives students with disabilities a fair shot and ensures they receive the appropriate education. Naturally, this has also increased the demand for special education teachers.

To become a special education teacher, you must earn a bachelor’s degree and a special certification. Upon completing the exam and meeting the qualifications, you can help meet the demand for special education teachers.

Health Specialties Teacher

Health specialties teachers have recently seen a 24% growth, making it one of the fastest-growing post secondary education fields. The title may seem broad, and that’s because it is in many ways. They teach courses in everything from public health and medicine to dentistry and veterinary medicine.

Health education specialists must at least earn a bachelor’s degree in health education or public health. Of course, an advanced degree will stand out on a resume, and it can increase your earning potential. The field’s growth currently shows no signs of slowing down.

Post-Secondary Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement Teachers

The law enforcement professionals that each community relies on all started in the classroom. Post-secondary criminal justice and law enforcement teachers work hard to prepare the next generation of criminal justice professionals. The rising demand for law enforcement professionals has naturally raised the demand for criminal justice educators.

While the field isn’t growing by a ton at the moment, post-secondary criminal justice education will grow alongside law enforcement itself. We can’t have police officers, probation officers, investigators, and beyond without post-secondary criminal justice educators.

Set Yourself Up for a Safe and Lucrative Career

Whether you want to work in education or healthcare, you must thoroughly research your desired field. Job security is just as important as your salary, so it’s worth pursuing growing niches, like special education and speech-language pathology. There’s no better time than now to earn the credentials that will set you up for a long, lucrative career that you’re passionate about.