High-Growth Health Careers, No Bachelor's Required

Health care careers are booming - and you don't need a bachelor's degree to get in on the action.

By Jennifer Berry

Are you interested in pursuing a career in the booming health care field, but don't want to be stuck in school forever?

Great news: a number of growing health care careers don't require a bachelor's degree. In fact, you could prepare to pursue a health care career in as little as two years.

“Several health care jobs typically require specialized education like a certificate program or degree specifically designed for the health care field,” says Hallie Crawford, certified coach and founder of Create Your Career Path, an Atlanta-based career coaching firm. She adds that not having a bachelor’s degree can be less of an obstacle to finding a health care career than you might think.

Keep reading to learn more about some in-demand career options, no bachelor's degree required.

Career #1 - Medical Assistant

Are you an organized person who's interested in a career that involves keeping a doctor’s office running smoothly?

Good news: you might be well suited for a career as a medical assistant. "You need to be an empathetic person, very interested in helping people in a hands-on, direct way, and able to deal with difficult situations, including difficult patients,” says Crawford.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, medical assistants might work in a doctor’s office to help take patients’ medical histories, schedule appointments, or even give injections as directed by the doctor.

Booming Opportunities: According to the Department of Labor, employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 31 percent (that's 162,900 new jobs!) from 2010 to 2020. One reason for this growth includes the aging baby-boom generation who will need more health care. To help reduce costs, doctors are expected to hire more assistants in place of nurses.

Click to Find the Right Medical Assisting Program now.

Bachelor's Degree Not Required:

According to the Department, "there are no formal education requirements" for this career. However, they do note that employers might prefer medical assistants with formal education. Look into earning a certificate or associate’s degree in medical assisting.

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Career #2 - Medical Records and Health Information Technician

Are you a detail-oriented person searching for an in-demand health care career that doesn’t involve dealing directly with patients?

Consider prepping to pursue a career in medical records and health information technology. ”This might be a good fit for you if you’re detail oriented, patient enough to review details, and manage them effectively, and interested in learning medical terminology,” Crawford says.

As a medical records and health information technician, you might spend your days coding and categorizing patient information, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. You might also maintain patients’ medical histories, and keep patients’ health information confidential and secure.

The Booming Factor: The Department of Labor projects employment of medical records and health information technicians to grow 21 percent from 2010 to 2020. Why? Because as people get older, they might need more health care, which means more insurance reimbursement claims - and more technicians to process them.

Click to Find the Right Health Information Technology Program now.

Bachelor's Degree Not Required:

Want in on this career? The Department notes options for preparing for this career include a certificate or associate's degree in health information technology.

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Career #3 - Massage Therapist

Do you have a lot of physical stamina and a gift for helping people feel comfortable? You might want to pursue a career as a massage therapist.

As a massage therapist, your daily duties might focus on treating clients by manipulating their muscles using one or more massage techniques. You may also help your clients improve their posture, strength, or overall relaxation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Crawford notes that qualified massage therapists may also work at an establishment like a spa or - if you’ve also got a head for business - start your own company and build a loyal clientele yourself.

The Booming Factor: The Department of Labor projects jobs for massage therapists to grow 20 percent from 2010 to 2020. They give a bunch of reasons for this, including an increase of spas, many of which employ massage therapists, as well as the increase in older people interested in massage benefits, like reduced health problems and increased energy.

Click to Find the Right Massage Therapy Program now.

Bachelor's Degree Not Required:

Intrigued? To prepare to pursue this career, the Department says you'll typically need to complete a postsecondary education program - which generally requires 500 hours or more to complete. Depending on which state you work in, you might also need a license.

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Career #4 - Registered Nurse

Are you compassionate, interested in science, and good at keeping your cool in an emergency? You might have the perfect mix of characteristics to pursue a career as a registered nurse.

“This might be a good fit for someone with problem solving skills, people skills, and the interest in and ability to understand complex medical terminology,” says Crawford.

Your daily duties as a registered nurse (RN) might include administering medicine, consulting with doctors about patients’ treatments, and teaching patients and their families how to manage illnesses or injuries at home, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The Booming Factor: The Department of Labor projects employment of RNs to grow 26 percent from 2010 to 2020, or an addition of 711,900 new jobs. One reason for this boom, notes the Department, includes medical advancements that treat more health problems, which in effect leads to a higher demand for RNs.

Click to Find the Right Registered Nursing Program now.

Bachelor's Degree Not Required:

Think this might be the career for you? Two routes to pursuing this career include a diploma or associate’s degree in nursing from an approved nursing program, according to the Department. To practicing as a nurse, you’ll also need to pass the National Council Licensure Examination to get your nursing license.

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Career #5 - Physical Therapy Assistant

Do you want to be the person someone can rely on when they’re recovering from a surgery, illness, or injury? If so, consider pursuing a career as a physical therapy assistant.

As a physical therapist assistant, your typical day might include helping patients do specific exercises, teaching them how to use equipment like walkers, and observing and reporting their status to a physical therapist, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The Booming Factor: The Department of Labor projects employment of physical therapy assistants to grow at an incredible rate - 46 percent from 2010 to 2020! One of the reasons for this growth is that baby boomers are entering the prime age for heart attacks and strokes, which mean more assistants may be needed to help with cardiac and physical rehabilitation.

Click to Find the Right Physical Therapist Assistant Program now.

Bachelor's Degree Not Required:

“It’s okay to not have a bachelor’s degree to get into this line of work,” Crawford says. The Department notes that most states require physical therapist assistants to have an associate’s degree from an accredited physical therapist program. Most states also require physical therapist assistants to be licensed.

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Career #6 - Pharmacy Technician

Do you want to work in the retail setting, but also have an interest in a health care career? If so, consider pursuing a career as a pharmacy technician.

Pharmacy technicians do a variety of things, including taking down the information needed to fill a prescription, counting tablets or mixing medications, and packaging and labeling prescriptions, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

“This could be a good fit for you if you’re detail oriented, customer service oriented, and able to juggle multiple projects or requests at once,” Crawford says.

The Booming Factor: The Department of Labor projects employment of pharmacy technicians to grow 32 percent from 2010 to 2020 - a total of 108,300 new jobs. Reasons for this growth include more medications becoming available to fight diseases, and the growing number of older people - who use more prescription drugs than younger people.

Click to Find the Right Pharmacy Program now.

Bachelor's Degree Not Required:

You’ll need organization and good attention to detail - but you won’t need a bachelor’s degree to get started. In fact, the Department notes many pharmacy technicians learn on the job, while others might earn a certificate in pharmacy technology.

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