The United States spends more on health care than any other industrialized nation in the world. In fact, according to the National Coalition on Health Care, health care expenditures average out to $7600 per person. And that’s every year. What does this mean for you?  Well, if you’ve always dreamed of working in the medical field there’s no better time than now to get into it. The medical and health care industry is one of the fastest growing fields in the nation, which means you’ll have a well-paid, secure career ahead of you should you decide to get a health care associate degree.

The great thing about getting a health care associate degree is that as our population ages, jobs are only going to continue to open up.  Unlike many fields where foreign outsourcing continues to be a concern, the health and medical industry is not one of them. If you get your associate degree in health care, you shouldn’t ever have to worry about finding a job. You’ll be able to go almost anywhere and work.

You have a lot of options in this field and getting a health care associate degree is only a start. While this degree will get you an entry-level position at a small practice, your job prospects and salary potential will go up significantly if you continue on to get your Bachelor’s Degree in health care.

With a health care associate degree, however, you could work in office management making sure that the practice is running smoothly from day to day. Your job would be to focus on daily processes to make sure they’re running as efficiently as possible. You might be responsible for balancing that practice’s budget, and making sure that patient files are staying organized and secure. If you decide you’d like to get into management, then you will be responsible for managing the team behind the scenes. You’ll work closely with doctors to make sure that patients are getting the best experience, and your role will be similar to that of a human resources professional.

Now, it’s hard to say just how much you can make in this field. There are so many avenues you could pursue, so a lot depends on just how far you want to go. With a health care associate degree, your entry-level earnings could be anywhere from $25,000 to $40,000, depending on the size of the practice and your responsibilities. If you continue on with your education and get your Bachelor’s Degree in health care, your wages could jump to $80,000 to $100,000 or more. Again, a lot depends on the size of the clinic.  The more doctors, the more you get paid.

Your options are also pretty wide open as to where you can work with this degree. Yes, hospitals and private practices are standard fare, but with a health care associate degree you can also work for non-profits, long-term care facilities, retirement communities, or healthcare offices.

If you love working with people and have a strong desire to work in the medical field, then a health care associate degree might be the perfect choice for you. It’s a fast growing, well-paid field, so if you’re organized and good at working with many different people then don’t wait to get going on this great career!