What kind of income can you expect from your allied health position? Check out our comprehensive list of healthcare salaries!

The allied health professionals working in the medical field carry major responsibilities in direct and indirect patient care. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) maintains the information about all job growth, including the allied health professions

Pharmacists, either hospital or retail-based, earn about $106,600 a year. The aging US population has many medical conditions, which are managed by medications. This makes a patient’s pharmacist a key caregiver.

Physician assistants support an overseeing physician. They conduct physicals, prescribe routine medications, interpret diagnostic tests and earn about $86,400 annually. This job is expected to flourish, especially in rural and inner-city areas, where the demand for healthcare is high. There are 33,000 new physician assistants expected to be practicing by 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Radiology technicians take x-rays, computed tomography (CAT) scans, and magnetic resonance (MRI) scans. An increase in diagnostic studies has expanded the demand for this allied health professional. They earn about $54,300 a year.

Radiation therapists make about $77,300/year. The main role of these healthcare employees is to deliver radiation treatments to cancer patients. These allied health professionals are important in the treatment of cancerous diseases, which are on the rise in the US population.

Sonographers represent another radiology department professional. These allied health professionals take ultrasound images for diagnostic purposes, including prenatal ultrasounds. The BLS projects that about 27,000 new sonographers will be actively employed in the US by 2022.

Laboratory technologists earn about $55,600 a year. Their main role is collecting and evaluating body fluids and tissue. This is important in diagnosing medical conditions and maintaining general good health. A 13% growth in employment is expected by 2020 in this field.

Nuclear medicine technologists help conduct nuclear scans to diagnose and treat patients with certain diseases and illnesses. This allied health profession works under the auspice of radiology department. The average annual salary for this position is $68,600.

Physical therapists assess and treat a patient’s mobility after an illness or injury. They help patients improve their mobility and return to as normal a life as possible. Physical therapy is a growing profession that is expected to expand about 36% by 2022. The average annual salary is $76,300.

Occupational therapists earn $70,700/year. They teach patients in recovery how to navigate the normal activities of daily life. An expected growth rate of 29% in this allied health field is expected over the next 7 years.

Respiratory therapists play a key role in breathing and lung health. They are vital in assessing and caring for patients with respiratory conditions. Equipment maintenance is an important component of the $54,300/year allied health job.

Dental hygienists earn about $68,200 annually. While not usually in a hospital setting, dental hygienists can treat a multitude of oral issues, and are therefore a crucial part of allied health.

Audiologists are vital to assessing a patient’s hearing. Those in this profession usually work in conjunction with a physician’s evaluation. The annual salary for this allied health profession is $66,700.

Dieticians or nutritionists are an allied health profession that is key in controlling the dietary needs and weight management issues for inpatients and outpatients. The annual salary for this job is about $53,300.

Home health aides and personal care aides earn about $20,800 or $10.01/hour. Personal care aides earn a slightly lower salary than home health aides. These positions are actively growing with more patients looking to be cared for in the comfort of their own home. These jobs are expected to increase by 48% and 40%, respectively.

The Outcome

This is a comprehensive (but not complete) list of the allied health professions that are actively growing and increasing the medical workforce in the US. Of the all jobs predicted to flourish, 43% will be jobs in allied health. Many jobs with the most projected growth are in assistant or aide level roles, such as physical therapy assistant and home health aide.