3 Fast-Growing Healthcare Jobs for Women | Healthcare News ...

What do dental hygienists, physical therapy assistants and fitness trainers have in common? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they are three of the fastest-growing careers for women in the United States.

The bureau projects increases in demand for these three professions in excess of 30 percent this decade. Experts attribute the growth of these professions to an aging population, a growing desire to make healthy lifestyle changes and an increased emphasis on preventative dental care.

Dental hygienists

Employment of dental hygienists is projected to grow 38 percent this decade, according to the bureau. The agency says that figure is much faster than the average outlook for all occupations. Dental hygienists typically work in dentists? offices. While requirements vary by state, each state requires that dental hygienists be licensed. Dental hygienists typically have associate degrees. The median salary for full-time dental hygienists is approximately $68,000, according to the bureau.

PT assistants

Physical therapy assistants mostly work in hospitals or under physical therapists. The bureau projects a 45 percent growth in jobs for physical therapy assistants. The median wage for physical therapy assistants is just under $38,000, according to the bureau. Most states require physical therapy assistants to have associate?s degrees.

Fitness trainers

Overall, educational and financial barriers for entering the fitness training profession are much lower. Although a growing number of employers require certifications for fitness trainers, there are virtually no state requirements. Pay varies widely, depending on geography and the facilities that use their services. Many fitness trainers report making $50 or more per hour for individual sessions. Those who work independently generally make much more.

Many observers say these professions are attractive to working women because barriers for entry are not improbably high and the jobs generally offer relatively flexible hours.

What the insiders say

Shelley Sun, CEO and co-founder of Bright Star Care, a home healthcare company in suburban Chicago, says her firm has noticed a high demand for physical therapy assistants.

Sun, who says her company current has 120 openings for physical therapy assistants, says the position allows flexibility ?for females to balance both work and home and make a difference in the lives of people.?

Erin McGill, director of training for the National Academy of Sports Medicine in Chandler, Ariz., says that increasingly most people seeking the services of fitness trainers are women, and most women prefer to work with female trainers. It makes them feel more comfortable and less self-conscious, she says.

McGill says 83 percent of clients who obtain their fitness training certificates through her agency are women; a large percentage of them, she says, are between 30 and 44.

?Many of them are married and have kids,? McGill says. ?The children are getting older and they have an opportunity to get back into the workforce and do something they love.?

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? Health Callings, Dice Holdings Inc., 2013

About Lekan Oguntoyinbo

Lekan Oguntoyinbo is an award-winning independent journalist specializing in business, healthcare, agriculture and education. A veteran of several major dailies, including the Detroit Free Press and the Cleveland Plain Dealer, his work has appeared in Black Enterprise, Sports Illustrated, the Washington Post, Workforce magazine and Crain's Detroit Business. He holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of Alabama.

Source: http://career-news.healthcallings.com/2013/03/04/3-fast-growing-healthcare-jobs-for-women/

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