Physicians are among the highest-paid professionals around, but a career as a medical doctor requires a decade or more of education and training. There are plenty of other jobs that assist physicians that pay well but don’t require more than a bachelor’s degree.
1. Cardiovascular Perfusionist
A cardiovascular perfusionist is a technician who works either in operating rooms or intensive care units. The main duties of a cardiac perfusionist involve assisting doctors by monitoring a patient’s heart and lung functions, including blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate. To become a cardiac perfusionist, you need a bachelor’s degree in a health- or science-related subject and then must complete an accredited cardiac perfusionist training program and pass a certification exam. Cardiac perfusionists are among the highest-paid non-clinical medical employees, with salaries for experienced perfusionists averaging more than $100,000 a year.
2. Radiology Technicians
Radiologists are medical doctors that work with X-ray and MRI equipment. They have to go through the same long, rigorous training programs that other doctors go through at radiation therapist schools. However, with a bachelor’s in radiology degree online, you can hold a number of other careers in radiologic technology, including a radiation therapist, which earns an annual salary of around $75,000.
3. Registered Nurse
Registered nurses assist doctors in caring for patients. Among the duties nurses may perform include taking vital signs, changing bandages and drawing blood. While you can become a registered nurse with just a two-year associate’s degree or diploma, having a bachelor’s degree usually will ensure better pay and better chances for advancement. Registered nurses earn an average annual salary of about $65,000.
4. Cytotechnologist
A cytotechnologist is a lab technician that looks at cells to help diagnose diseases such as cancer. Cytotechnologists need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited cytotechnology program, of which there are fewer than 30 in the U.S., and then must pass a certification exam. Cytotechnologists earn an average salary of around $60,000 a year.
5. Respiratory Therapist
Respiratory therapists treat patients with breathing issues, such as children with asthma or adults with emphysema. They perform diagnostic tests and administer breathing treatments. Respiratory therapists need only a two-year associate’s degree, and they must pass a certification exam. The average pay of a respiratory therapist is about $55,000 a year.
These five careers are among the many that assist doctors and provide good pay with ample job opportunities and the ability to advance.
Great post…