Healthcare Careers That Make Good Money

Trade Schools Home > Articles > Medical Careers That Offer High Pay & Low Stress

7 High-Paying Medical Careers That Offer Low Stress

Last Updated September 2, 2021

Ready for a low-stress career in health care that pays over $55K a year? It's possible to achieve that goal with less than four years of college-level training. Plus, many of the career options are associated with high satisfaction and strong job growth.

Get Ready for an Enjoyable Career in Less Than 4 Years

Preparing for high-paying, low-stress medical careers is a lot easier than you probably ever imagined. Just think about how awesome it would be to pursue health care jobs that pay well and offer solid opportunities, job security, personal fulfillment, and low-stress work environments. That sounds pretty amazing, doesn't it? Well, what's even more incredible is that a lot of those jobs require less than four years of education.

Many schools offer short certificate, diploma, and associate and bachelor's degree programs. In less time than you thought possible, you can open yourself up to impressive health care job opportunities. And a lot of those jobs are projected to have a large number of openings in the upcoming years.

So with a short amount of training from a vocational school, college, or university, you could be in a great position to go after a career that you'll love—a career that rewards you for taking care of other people and helping to improve their lives. If that sounds great, then keep reading to find out what those jobs are and what you can expect from them.

The medical careers list that we've compiled covers seven jobs that you can prepare for quickly. Additionally, these jobs offer a combination of good pay, low stress, and strong job satisfaction. (Read more to find out how we determined those factors.) For each position included, you can discover the average salary, estimated job growth, and entry-level education that is typically required (as well as the average time it takes to complete that training as a full-time student). And you can explore job satisfaction and stress-level considerations for each job as well as for other related careers that you may want to look into. In just a few minutes, you might uncover the career path that you were meant to follow!

You can also check out the top 10 highest-paying medical careers that require at least a master's degree.

Salary information is based on May 2019 data from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program. Job growth is based on employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for the decade from 2018 to 2028.

High-Paying Medical Careers That Offer Low Stress

1. Biomedical Engineer

Medical Technology Schools Biomedical engineering is a field in which science and math meets health care. If you want to use your analytical abilities and technical aptitude to improve the health and well-being of other people, then this could be an ideal career choice for you. Biomedical engineers work with engineers, scientists, doctors, nurses, and other professionals from various backgrounds to design, improve, maintain, and repair medical devices like cardiac pacemakers and joint-replacement implants. Some of them also help develop artificial organs and tissue-engineered skin that is used for grafting procedures.

As a biomedical engineer, you may find job opportunities with hospitals, universities, research labs, manufacturing companies, and government agencies. You could also focus on a particular area of specialty, such as diseases, organ systems, or technology. Depending on the direction that you decide to take your career in, you might be responsible for developing software for medical equipment, designing new devices, researching emerging technologies, or improving imaging technology. There are certainly a lot of interesting possibilities, all of which have an important role in modern medicine.

Average annual salary: $97,090
Estimated job growth: 4 percent
Entry-level education: Bachelor's degree (3 or 4 years)

Job satisfaction and stress-level considerations:

Related careers: Medical laboratory technologist or technician and polysomnographic technician

2. Dental Hygienist

Dental Hygienist Schools Instead of medical school, consider taking a dental hygiene program that can help prepare you to join the rewarding dental industry. With as little as two years of schooling, you could begin a career that offers both earning potential and ample job opportunities. You could help people live healthier and happier lives by assisting with maintaining and improving their oral health.

You could be responsible for educating patients about proper oral care and helping them feel relaxed while their teeth are being cleaned or repaired. Other responsibilities could include cleaning and polishing teeth, taking and developing x-rays, applying fluoride and sealants, reviewing and updating records and treatment plans, and assisting the dentist with other tasks and procedures as required. This could be the good-paying, low-stress career that you desire.

Average annual salary: $77,230
Estimated job growth: 11 percent
Entry-level education: Associate degree (2 years)

Job satisfaction and stress-level considerations:

Related careers: Dental assistant and dental office administrator

3. Ultrasound Technician

Ultrasound Tech and Sonography Ultrasound technicians, or diagnostic medical sonographers, typically enjoy some of the most fulfilling and least stressful medical careers that also pay quite well. And it doesn't take that much schooling to get ready to enter the field. In two years or less, you could learn how to use ultrasound technology to produce live images of internal organs and body parts using high-frequency sound waves. Ultrasound technology is non-invasive and considered one of the safest diagnostic procedures in medicine.

Although ultrasound technology is most commonly associated with pregnancy monitoring, it has many other useful purposes. These include diagnosing tumors, evaluating heart conditions, detecting blood clots, determining organ health, and finding the cause of abdominal pain. The work that you complete is critical for physicians and other health care professionals who need to appropriately diagnose and treat their patients. This line of work can certainly provide you with a high level of pride.

Average annual salary: $75,780
Estimated job growth: 14 percent
Entry-level education: Associate degree, diploma, or certificate (1 to 2 years)

Job satisfaction and stress-level considerations:

Related careers: Cardiovascular technologist

4. Radiologic Technologist

X-Ray Technician Schools Imagine having a job that physicians and medical professionals rely on in order to accurately diagnose and treat their patients. That's the job of a radiologic technologist, also known as an x-ray technician. Using sophisticated modern scanning technology, you are responsible for producing high-quality images of patients' body parts.

Once you have determined that you have accurate and clear images, it is likely that you will prepare a report and update the patient's file for review by the professional who has ordered the test. You may also be responsible for cleaning and maintaining the equipment that you are using. If you want one of the good jobs in the medical field that offers low stress, great pay, and advancement opportunities, then this could be it.

Average annual salary: $63,120
Estimated job growth: 9 percent
Entry-level education: Associate degree (2 years)

Job satisfaction and stress-level considerations:

Related careers: Dialysis technician, EEG technician, and EKG technician

5. Dietitian or Nutritionist

Fitness & Nutrition Schools The population is starting to become increasingly concerned with living healthy lifestyles, which often involves implementing better eating habits. That's one of the main reasons why dietitians and nutritionists are expecting a strong job outlook. Now is a great time for you to share your appreciation for healthy living with other people. You can help them make positive changes that improve the quality of their lives.

So one thing that you may be asking is, "What's the difference between a dietitian and nutritionist?" The answer largely comes down to regulations. Dietitians face much more stringent regulations than nutritionists do. A dietitian must complete an approved program that results in a bachelor's degree. And you must complete other requirements, including a supervised clinical internship, in order to earn a registered dietitian (RD) designation, which is required in many states and by most employers.

The title nutritionist is not as regulated. Even though you can earn a certified nutrition specialist (CNS) credential, it is not as commonly required by employers or legislated by states. So both dietitians and nutritionists are experts in food and nutrition, but which path you choose to take depends on the career opportunities that you wish to seek after you complete your schooling. No matter your choice, you could have one of the least stressful healthcare jobs out there.

Average annual salary: $62,330
Estimated job growth: 15 percent
Entry-level education: Bachelor's degree (3 or 4 years)

Job satisfaction and stress-level considerations:

Related careers: Alternative health care practitioner and personal fitness trainer

6. Occupational Therapy Assistant

People of all ages and backgrounds who experience challenges related to physical, developmental, emotional, and mental conditions and diseases rely on the expert care of occupational therapy assistants. In this meaningful line of work, you could offer all kinds of rehabilitation assistance. This could include teaching a child with spina bifida how to use equipment in order to gain mobility, helping an adult perform exercises in order to recover after an injury, working with a stroke patient in order to show him or her how to transfer from a bed to a wheelchair, or assisting a schizophrenia patient with life-skills training.

Whether you are employed at a private practice, hospital, care home, school, or other personal care or rehab setting, you will work under the supervision of a licensed occupational therapist (OT). You will follow the OT's treatment plans and provide feedback and make recommendations based on the progress that your patients make. This can be a very rewarding line of work for those interested in offering compassionate care in which you help others develop and improve upon the abilities that they require in order to live productive and independent lives.

Average annual salary: $61,880
Estimated job growth: 31 percent
Entry-level education: Associate degree (2 years)

Job satisfaction and stress-level considerations:

Related careers: Nursing assistant and patient care technician

7. Physical Therapist Assistant

You could make a real difference for other people while earning a good living, loving your career choice, and enjoying job security. These are all things that you could achieve by becoming a physical therapist assistant. As an important member of a rehabilitation team, you could help patients regain movement, restore function, and eliminate or reduce pain.

Following a physical therapist's care plan, the treatments you offer could range from therapeutic exercise and soft-tissue massage to electrotherapy and ultrasound. You could also teach patients how to use equipment like canes, crutches, and walkers. And there are a variety of work settings in which you could find job opportunities. These include hospitals, private clinics, sports and fitness facilities, home care agencies, nursing homes, and schools.

Average annual salary: $58,520
Estimated job growth: 26 percent
Entry-level education: Associate degree (2 years)

Job satisfaction and stress-level considerations:

Related careers: Massage therapist and sports medicine professional

How We Determined High Pay, Low Stress, and Job Satisfaction

To define high pay, we looked at the average pay of the two main health care occupational groups: (1) support workers and (2) practitioners and technicians. OES data indicates that the average salary of these professionals was $31,010 and $83,640, respectively. So any job that pays more than the average could be included as high-paying. Next, we had to look at job satisfaction and stress levels.

The most common factors that workers cite as contributing to increased satisfaction and reduced stress include: good pay, ample opportunities, regular or flexible work hours, little to no overtime or travel requirements, minimal hard deadlines, limited physical demands, low risk for work-related injuries, and comfortable work environments. So we considered all of those factors while compiling the job list above.

Highest-Paying Medical Careers That Require More Schooling

Highest-Paying Medical Careers That Require More Schooling The seven medical careers listed above are all excellent jobs that you can achieve with a bachelor's degree or less. But what if you want to commit to earning an advanced degree? Are the job opportunities that much better? Well, the reality is that the highest-paid medical professionals hold at least master's or doctoral degrees. So the hard work and effort that goes into earning those credentials can certainly pay off.

Here are the top 10 highest-paying medical careers that require at least a master's degree. Beside each profession, you'll see the average annual salary as of May 2019 (based on OES data), as well as the estimated job growth during the decade from 2018 to 2028 (based on BLS employment projections).

Anesthesiologist: $261,730 / 7 percent
Surgeon: $252,040 / 1 percent
Obstetrician/gynecologist: $233,610 / 2 percent
Internist: $201,440 / 4 percent
Family or general practitioner: $213,270 / 10 percent
Psychiatrist: $220,430 / 16 percent
Pediatrician: $184,410 / 2 percent
Dentist: $178,260 / 7 percent
Nurse anesthetist: $181,040 / 17 percent
Podiatrist: $142,680 / 6 percent

Build Your Confidence and Move Toward a Prosperous Future

As you can see, high-paying medical careers that offer job satisfaction and low-stress work environments are real. And they are achievable with the right combination of training, experience, and motivation. So start making a plan today that can help lead you toward your dreams. It's as easy as entering your zip code below in order to see which schools are offering programs close to you. Make your future happen now!