The health care field continues to experience robust job growth. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an average of about 1.9 million jobs in health care are projected each year through 2034. This article reviews how the industry is evolving, emerging job opportunities, and the education and skills required to succeed in these roles.

Strong Outlook for Health Care and Nursing Jobs

With population changes, technical advances, growing health needs, and an expected surge of workers permanently leaving their jobs, it’s an exciting time to be in the medical field. A confluence of factors will contribute to growth in this field:

  • A growing population: The U.S. population will grow to approximately 383 million by 2054, according to the Congressional Budget Office. More people mean a greater need for health care services.
  • An aging population: Research suggests that by 2054, 23% of the U.S. population will be 65 or older, outpacing growth of younger age groups. The aging population puts a greater demand on health care services because older people typically have greater health care needs than younger people.
  • Retiring health care workers: Research suggests the aging workforce is resulting in continued high retirement rates through 2030, contributing to a steady demand for health care workers.
  • Chronic conditions: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 129 million Americans have at least one major chronic disease — including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension — while 42% have two or more chronic conditions.
  • Medical advances: Improvements in technology and medicine — including the use of electronic health records — are propelling job growth in specific areas of health care.

Is a Shortage of Health Care Workers Driving Job Demand?

Shortages of primary care physicians, behavioral health professionals, nurses, direct care workers, and other health care workers in the U.S. continue to persist. The long-standing shortage and continued high turnover among health care workers have led to increasing demand for them.

According to a report by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the nation faces a projected shortage of between 13,500 and 86,000 physicians by 2036. This acute physician shortage in the face of growing demand creates job opportunities for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other health care workers.

Here’s a look at several areas showing promising opportunities as a result of these factors, along with the education, skills, and background required to enter or advance in these roles.

Nursing Remains a Growing Field

The BLS predicts that nursing will continue to be a growing medical career field through 2034. This growth spans most health care settings, including hospitals, health clinics, doctors’ offices, residential care facilities, and ambulatory care settings.

The demand for nurse practitioners (NPs) is expected to grow 40% through 2034. Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) are increasingly needed to provide both preventive and primary care due to the confluence of a shortage of doctors and an aging population.

It’s not just the population of patients that’s aging — the nursing workforce itself is getting older. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing predicts an exodus of nurses from the workforce as they retire at the precise time when demand for nurses is rising.

>>Learn why APRNs are critical to improving access to care in the U.S.

For existing registered nurses (RNs) who want to expand their skill set or take advantage of this opportunity, various paths are available:

  • Earn a bachelor’s degree: RNs with a bachelor’s degree in nursing may have better job prospects. For current RNs looking to advance their careers, a bachelor’s degree in nursing, such as an RN-to-BSN, is considered a standard requirement.
  • Specialize in gerontology: NPs specializing in geriatric care should remain in high demand as more elderly people live longer.
  • Share nursing knowledge: Earning an online master’s degree in nursing could help prepare you to pursue career advancement in the field of nursing education.
  • Pursue executive roles: Professional nurses may want to consider managerial or leadership roles in nursing. A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and an Executive Leader Graduate Certificate are two programs that can help nurses prepare for leadership roles.

>>Read More: Learn the top reasons to earn an RN-to-BSN degree with Purdue Global

Management Jobs in Health Care Expected to Increase

For health care workers already in the industry, the question is how to continue evolving their skills and experience to enhance their career outlook. Advancing into management is a pathway to consider, as employment of medical and health services managers is expected to grow 23% from 2024 to 2034 — much faster than average.

There are several ways to pursue a leadership career in health care. Most medical and health services managers have at least a bachelor’s degree before entering the field. However, master’s degrees are common and sometimes preferred by employers. Degrees to consider:

Addictions and Behavioral Health Counselors Are Needed to Meet Demand

Employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 17% through 2034. According to the 2024 United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), roughly 48.4 million Americans aged 12 and older battled substance use disorder during 2024, while over 21.2 million adults suffered from a mental health disorder and substance use disorder, or co-occurring disorders.

Prepare to Work in Addictions:

Education programs in addictions include:

Prepare to Work in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA):

Programs to help you advance in a field helping people and families with behavior disorders include:

Licensing and education requirements vary from state to state, so it’s important to look for an accredited education provider offering addictions programs approved by NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, and applied behavior programs approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board®.

Technology Drives Opportunity, Creates New Specialties

Advances in technology — such as telemedicine/telehealth, wearable fitness and health-tracking devices, centralized medical software, and improved medical analysis — are creating new job opportunities within health care.

The field of health care IT is growing and changing rapidly, even more so because the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (or HITECH Act) placed a greater emphasis on electronic medical records and electronic health records. Entirely new technology-driven specialties have emerged, such as health informatics, health information management, information security, and records management.

>>Read More: Learn about the flourishing field of health informatics

Seizing Opportunity in a Transforming Industry

As the U.S. population ages and the prevalence of chronic conditions rises, the demand for skilled professionals — from advanced practice nurses and behavioral health counselors to health informatics specialists — has never been greater.

By pursuing education and embracing the digital transformation of care, aspiring and current health care workers can prepare for a career in a field that is not only growing but is also essential to the nation's well-being.

If you're interested in starting or advancing your career in health care, Purdue Global offers online health science and nursing degrees that can prepare you for a variety of roles. Request more information today to get started.

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Purdue Global

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