Nursing Jobs Still in High Demand During Bad Economy

In the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average registered nurse (RN) salary is $66,530 in the United States. This is $7,000 higher than the average nursing salary five years ago despite the fact that the economy today is worse than it was during that same time period. This is good news for those interested in healthcare professions as it shows that healthcare is fairly recession proof.

While the bad economy seems to have affected the majority of professions, other medical fields are also doing well. The average Physician Assistants salary is $84,830; Pharmacists are making $106,630. There are many more average medical salaries you can check on the Bureau of Labor website. In addition to the above average salaries, the medical industry is expected to increase an estimated 22 percent over the next 7 years, which would be about 600,000 new jobs. This number can increase significantly if the economy rebounds.

In general registered nursing seems to be one of the more popular professions people are choosing these days but medical assisting and medical billing also pay well and are in demand. Most of the hiring today and in the future is expected to come from private medical practices rather than public hospitals but that is expected. Healthcare is clearly a field that will always need servicing no matter what the economic situation.

How Do You Get Into Nursing and Heathcare?

Different states have different nursing requirements but in most states they can be complete in two years. The majority of colleges and universities in the United States offer both two and four year nursing degree programs. Once your education in nursing is complete, you must pass the state certification in order to practice.

The easiest thing to do is to figure out the location you are interested in attending university and then check to see which schools in that area have a nursing program. It takes a lot of studying and dedication to be a nurse but is well worth it according to everyone in the nursing profession that we talk to. Nursing jobs provide a good balance of high salary and self gratification.