Chiropractor
Median salary: $129,420
Typical requirements: Licensed with two to four years of undergraduate work and a four-year degree from a chiropractic college.
As alternative and complementary treatments are getting more and more popular, the number of chiropractic jobs is likely to go up by 14 percent to 60,000 jobs by 2016. Chiropractors are expected to deal with all aspects of patient care, including diagnosis, lab tests and treatment (mostly through spinal manipulation). Half of chiropractors are self-employed.
Pharmacist
Median salary: $113,145
Typical requirements: Licensed, with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Students do two to three years of undergraduate work followed by three to four years of graduate study at an accredited college of pharmacy.
Pharmacists today deal with drug dispensing; they do less of compounding. Collaborating with other healthcare professionals, they advice and counsel patients. As aging population is on the rise, it requires more medications. They are expected to work any time of the day as most of the hospitals and some community pharmacies work round the clock. They even have to work in the nights and week-ends.
Cardiopulmonary Perfusionist
Median salary: $110,553
Typical requirements: Bachelor's degree followed by one- to four-year perfusionist program and the Certified Clinical Perfusionist credential.
Cardiopulmonary perfusionist works closely with anesthesiologists and surgeons. He handles high tech medical equipment, mainly heart and lung machines, during open heart surgeries, organ transplants and other procedures. Since cardiac surgery is often unplanned, he is on-call position. He should have chemical, mechanical and electrical expertise. He deals mostly with long-term postoperative care.
Optometrist
Median salary: $103,615
Typical requirements: Most optometrists do four years of undergraduate study before completing a four-year program for a Doctor of Optometry degree.
Optometrist diagnoses vision problems, prescribes glasses and contacts and treats eye diseases or problems. He is different from ophthalmologists and opticians. Many optometrists do practice or work for franchised vision stores. Optometry jobs are expected to grow by 11 percent by 2016.
Physical Therapy Director
Median salary: $100,841
Typical requirements: A bachelor's degree and extensive experience in the field.
Most directors are physical therapists, who require a master's in physical therapy.
Physical therapy director (PTD) deals with physical therapists while reporting to higher management. This position requires administrative experience. PTDs rise from the ranks. They are responsible for ordering inventory, budgeting, supervising staff and dealing with administrative tasks. The field is expected to record 20 percent growth by 2016.
Medical Dosimetrist
Median salary: $96,946
Typical requirements: Radiation therapy certification followed by specialized training or a two-year dosimetry program.
As part of a radiation oncology team, medical dosimetrists help treat cancer patients by calculating the radiation dose. Many in the field specialize in dosage distribution through a tough training program and begin their career as radiation therapists. They work for 40 hours a week. The pay jump a radiation therapist gets when he becomes a dosimetrist is roughly $25,000 a year. Medical dosimetrists report to radiation physicists, who oversee all radiation equipment and advice on treatment schedules and dosage. A radiation physicist gets a median salary of mor than $156,000.
Physician assistant
Median salary: $89,431
typical requirements: Bachelor's degree followed by a two-year physician assistant program
Physician assistants (PAs) work under a physician. They take medical histories, examine, and diagnose patients. In some states, they provide primary care as well. By 2016, it is estimated that there will be 18,000 more jobs of Pas.
