With new functions and regulations appearing this year it is expected that healthcare hiring will be on the rise in 2014. If you’re looking to change careers or start a career in the healthcare field, what are the best avenues to pursue? Here are three of the top entry-level healthcare jobs expected to have growth in 2014.
- Occupational Therapy Assistant. This role is intended to support experienced occupational therapists. OTs help to rehabilitate patients to return to independent living as much as possible after an illness or an injury. Most occupational therapy jobs require several years of experience but working as an assistant can provide you entry level experience that can eventually lead to becoming a licensed occupational therapist or another healthcare opportunity. These positions usually start out paying between $13 and $25 per hour.
- Home Health Aide. The primary benefit of working as a home health aide is the access to flexible hours. Most states don’t require certification which means that you can receive on the job training that can help you long term in your continuing healthcare career. This can transition into nursing or medical assistant opportunities. Current projections put the need for home health aides at over 500,000 jobs by 2016. A home health aide can expect to make between $8 and $12 per hour.
- Medical Billing and Coding. Easy access to training and certification has made this a very popular entry level healthcare job. Jobs are more competitive but that means your experience will be in higher demand as you continue to pursue healthcare jobs. The Affordable Care Act is changing the way medical offices handle records so trained medical coders and billers are at the front lines of the system today. Security and confidentiality along with online patient access to information is a key component to the healthcare environment moving forward. These positions can start anywhere between $9 and $20 per hour.
Are you in the market for an entry-level healthcare opportunity? NRI Staffing specializes in healthcare jobs in DC and can help you today!