About one in ten Utah workers is employed in healthcare. Where do these healthcare workers work? The broad industry sector of healthcare is divided up into four sub-industries. Most people think if you are in healthcare, you work at a hospital.
Not so. Only about 27 percent, or 30,900, of all 114,400 Utah healthcare industry jobs, are in hospitals. Did you know there are different hospital types?
Most hospitals are “general medical and surgical” but nearly 4,000 workers are employed in psychiatric and substance abuse facilities, and there are a number of rehabilitation and transitional care hospitals as well.
The largest healthcare sub-industry sector is “ambulatory healthcare services.” It accounts for 40 percent of total healthcare workers, or 46,100. These are the doctors offices in clinics, outpatient care centers, laboratories, home health care, and others. In Utah, nearly4,900 establishments were active in this sub-sector. Most of these offices are small in terms of employment.
Another 21,300 employees work in the sub-sector of “nursing and residential care facilities.” In 2008, nearly 500 of these establishments were active around the state.
The last sub-sector is social assistance. It includes individual and family services, vocational rehabilitation services, emergency and other relief services, and childcare services. Combined, about 14 percent of total healthcare workers, or 16,100, are employed in this industrythat has about 960 firms.
Yes, and it is largely the only industry growing at this time. Healthcare is generally recession-resistant, not recession-proof. Still, the industry continues to grow even in light of the shrinking broader economy. In 2008, employment in healthcare grew by an annual rate of 5.3 percent. Compared to Utah’s overall total growth rate of 0.1 percent, that’s growth at light speed. As population grows and baby boomers age (the first baby boomers reach age 65 in 2011), the demand for healthcare continues to increase. Regardless of the method of healthcare reform that is currently being implemented, people will still need healthcare services.
The next group of healthcare occupations includes the technologists and technicians. These job titles reported median wages from $23,000 to about $65,000. There is a mix of training requirements for the technologists and technicians that assist the practitioners. Some require very little training and some must have a bachelor’s degree and be licensed. These 15 occupations include cardiovascular technologists and technicians, LPNs, lab technologists and technicians, nuclear medicine technologists, opticians, radiologic technologists and technicians, and others.
Healthcare workers that support the above two groups are the aides and assistants. They work in the following healthcare areas: dental, home health, medical (assistants), transcriptionists, nurse aides, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and others. Typically, assistants earn more than aides. Wages in these support titles typically earn $20,000 to $30,000 per year, but some, like the occupational assistants and physical therapy assistants, make around $40,000.
Healthcare will become an even more important industry as America’s population ages and needs more health-related attention. People are not only working longer but living longer. This industry will provide great career opportunities for that segment of the workforce interested in serving in healthcare.
For more information on the healthcare industry in Utah see the industry fact sheet on line: http://jobs.utah.gov/opencms/wi/statewide/ifsheets/healthcare.pdf
*Managers are classified in another category but included with the professional for convenience.
