20 Highest Paying Medical Jobs with little Schooling

This blog post provides information on the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling, that is, you don’t have to go through the rigorous hassle of med school to get these jobs. With little education, obviously relating to the medical field, you can get them medical jobs.

As much as so many people want to go to med school and become a professional licensed medical practitioner, not everyone can still get into med school due to various reasons. It could be the competitiveness or high cost, as you may already know, medical programs are among the topmost expensive courses to study.

However, if you aren’t able to get into med school to fulfill your dreams of being a professional physician there can be another way. Well, firstly, if you aren’t able to get into med school you’ve saved yourself the stress that comes with it as well as the expenses.

Well let’s not say that your dreams have been completely squashed, if it really were then I wouldn’t have bothered writing and publishing this article, and you can still progress in the medical field. There are a couple of non-rigorous and less-expensive ways of entering the medical field and they are discussed in this article.

You can attend a community or technical college to pursue a certificate, diploma, or associate degree in other medical programs such as medical coding and billing, medical assistant, etc. which you’d complete between 9 months to 2 years.

See? They don’t take time to complete, also, they aren’t tough, they are cheap, and they pay a decent amount of salary annually. You also still get to be in the medical field, see, you’re still in line with what you are passionate about, and the experience you’d gain can act as a catalyst to get you into med school and finally become a licensed physician as you’ve always wanted.

Anyways, if this has nothing to do with you wanting to get into the medical field and just want a quick job that’ll accept you with little schooling, then keep reading, you just might find this blog post useful. But then, the jobs here are medical-related but you can quickly learn all there is to it, start working, and start earning a decent living in the space of 1 year or even less.

Another thing is, medical jobs are among the high-paying jobs anywhere and the fact that you won’t be needing a bachelor’s degree for these jobs makes them even more exciting to want to get into. The healthcare field is continually growing and if you have any related skills at all, you’re automatically in high demand.

So, compiled here are the list and details of the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling that you should get skilled at, earn your certificate, and get employed in the healthcare industry.

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Highest Paying Medical Jobs with little Schooling

Listed and explained below are the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling and their annual average salary:

  • Medical Assistant
  • Medical Secretary
  • Radiation Therapist
  • Dental Assistant
  • Pharmacy Technician
  • Nuclear Medicine Technologist
  • Phlebotomy Technician
  • Medical Transcriptionists
  • Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
  • Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
  • Physical Therapist Assistant
  • Medical Equipment Repairer
  • Clinical Laboratory Technician
  • Surgical Technologist
  • Registered Nurse
  • Medical Coding Specialist
  • Healthcare Administrator
  • Home Health Aide
  • Health Information Technician
  • Nutritionist

1.      Medical Assistant

Medical Assistant is one of the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling and it is as simple as it is pronounced, your job is simply to assist a physician in a hospital or clinic. They are usually the first people patients meet when they get to a hospital.

The duties of a medical assistant include checking patient’s vital signs, taking and keeping records of patient’s medical histories, explaining treatment procedures to patients, instructing patients about medication and diets, collecting and preparing lab tests, etc.

You can kick start a career in this field by obtaining a certificate or an associate degree from a community college and I recently published a blog post on how to become a medical assistant. The average salary of a medical assistant is $36,542 per year.

Interested in taking this program online? Click here

2.      Medical Secretary

With an annual salary average of $32,653, Medical Secretary is one of the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling. The task here is almost like that of a medical assistant but this time you’ll be handling administrative roles but still have a bit of clinical knowledge.

The tasks involved in this job are making appointments, answering phone calls, bookkeeping, preparing medical and invoice reports, transcribing messages, and processing billing and insurance paperwork. You can earn these skills when you go for an associate degree or certificate.

3.      Radiation Therapist

This job is far more advanced than the first two and comes with an average salary of $80,570 per year making it on the list of highest paying medical jobs with little schooling. Radiation is used for x-rays and in the treatment of certain diseases like cancer which you will be administering on patients.

You can gain the necessary skills by attending a community college and you may want to earn an associate’s degree for this one.

4.      Dental Assistant

Unlike a medical assistant that seems kind of general, a dental assistantship is more direct and you will be working under the supervision of a licensed dentist. You will be responsible for combining dental and administrative tasks including preparing and maintaining the tools of a dentist, organizing patient records, scheduling appointments, and so on.

It’s pretty much the same task as a medical assistant but in this case, you will be trained and equipped with skills relating to the dental field of medicine and how to assist dentists. Being a dental assistant is one of the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling, you can obtain a certificate or an associate degree.

The average annual salary is $36,542

5.      Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy is also another branch of medicine and pharmacists need assistants to make their daily duties much easier. You can kick start a career here by attending a college that offers the program, get skilled, get certified, and start working as a pharmacy technician.

Their salary is at an average amount of $34,000 yearly making it one of the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling. The tasks involved in being a pharmacy technician are handling prescriptions and patient refill requests, maintaining patient confidentiality, providing customer service, explaining prescriptions to patients, and processing billing and insurance coverage.

6.      Nuclear Medicine Technologist

You’d agree with me that this job is quite over the edge and should have a much higher salary compared to the others. Well, it’s kind of higher. At $75,660 average annual salary it is one of the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling and an associate degree will provide you with the necessary skills required to take up the job.

The tasks include preparing radioactive medications and administering them to patients, taking tests, and explaining personal care to patients.

7.      Phlebotomy Technician

Phlebotomy Technician is one of the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling, you can kick start a career in the field with on-the-job training or a certificate but if you want extensive knowledge then you should opt for an associate degree. The average salary is $37,356 per year.

The tasks include drawing patients’ blood for lab tests, blood donations, and intravenous insertions. With this skill, you can work in blood banks, diagnostics centers, and other healthcare settings.

8.      Medical Transcriptionists

Very little schooling is required for this job position and the salary is also high, an average of $36,000 per year. The job is easy and specific but you still need to learn how to properly do it and attending a community college to pursue the program seems like the best choice.

The responsibilities of medical transcripts include making use of electronic systems to keep track of medical reports, carefully listening to voice recordings of doctors, nurses, and others who work in the healthcare industry and writing down what is being said, translating medical abbreviations, and edit drafts provided by speech recognition software.

9.      Diagnostic Medical Sonographer

With an average annual salary of $62,000, Diagnostic Medical Sonographer is one of the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling.

A diagnostic medical sonographer is one who performs imaging tests on patients showing what’s happening in that part of the body on a screen. Other responsibilities include taking the patient’s medical history before examining them and answering any questions they may have.

10. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

These are the guys that respond to medical emergencies such as 911 calls and also provide quick medical assistance to patients. You too can be like them with a little as a certificate or an associate degree to develop your knowledge extensively.

With an average annual salary of $39,656 per year, EMT is one of the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling.

11. Physical Therapist Assistant

The average yearly salary of a physical therapist assistant is $52,000, it is one of the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling and you may want to get a two-year associate degree to be employable for this job position.

As a physical therapist assistant, your job is to help patients reach their physical capability goals after a physical trauma such as an accident or bodily injury. Working under the guidance of a physical therapist, you’ll be helping patients recover from an ailment over time with a specific growth plan and there’s a lot of one-on-one with the patients.

Other responsibilities include:

  • Assist in strenuous exercises
  • Keeping a record of patient progress
  • General cleaning and maintenance
  • Monitor patients’ status and progress over time

12. Medical Equipment Repairer

Equipment used in the medical field usually develop issues and need to be fixed and maintained, now, there are certain people trained and equipped with the skills to repair medical equipment, these people are the medical equipment repairer.

Taking up this career, you will be repairing things ranging from simple walkers to complex machines such as MRI machines. This is one of the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling at $58,820 and you can gain the skills by taking a certificate or an associate degree.

13. Clinical Laboratory Technician

Clinical or medical laboratory technician is one of the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling, the task involves performing tests and analyzing samples like body fluids, tissue, and other samples. With your skills, which you can gain via a certificate or an associate degree, you can work in diagnostics centers, hospitals, and medical labs.

The average salary is $44,574 per year.

14. Surgical Technologist

A surgical technologist gets to experience what real-life surgery looks like without having to go through the regular ten years of training. Your job includes cleaning and preparing the operation room, sterilizing and organizing equipment, stocking and ordering medical supplies, and assisting surgeons during operations.

For you to start a career as a surgical technologist, you need to earn an associate degree or a bachelor’s. The average salary is $56,310 per year.

15. Registered Nurse

Nurses are a huge part of every medical establishment and work closely with the practicing physician. To become a registered nurse you must have a state-specific license, a high school diploma, and a post-secondary education diploma preferably a bachelor’s degree.

As a registered nurse, you will be in charge of checking a patient’s vital signs, inserting and starting intravenous therapy, cleaning wounds and changing bandages, and keeping doctors up to date with a patient’s condition.

The average annual salary is $55,030

16. Medical Coding Specialist

Medical coding specialists are individuals who work within the billing department of healthcare establishments such as clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, rehab facilities, and others. You can kick start a career in this field by completing a training program and obtaining a certification or associate degree.

Responsibilities include classifying and documenting diagnoses, treatments, and procedures for billing and reimbursement from health insurance companies.

The average annual salary is $45,947 per year

17. Healthcare Administrator

A healthcare administrator is one of the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling, paying individuals in the field an average salary of $66,000 per year. Working in this job position won’t get you interacting much with patients, instead, you’d be handling finance and managing the staff of a medical facility.

You will also be in charge of keeping medical and administrative records, overseeing staff, following healthcare laws and regulations in all departments, and creating work schedules for staff.

18. Home Health Aide

If you don’t like the idea of working in a hospital and still want to be involved in the healthcare industry you can consider working as a home health aide. It is one of the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling, where you can make an average salary of $32,000 per year.

As a home health aide, you will be working with elderly patients, the disabled, and assist patients with nutritional problems and personal care. Generally, you’re a home caregiver assisting and making life easier for people.

19. Health Information Technician

Health information technician is one of the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling and the primary duties include managing and organizing healthcare and medical data by ensuring the accuracy, accessibility, quality, and security of medical information within digital systems and in print.

You can enter this field with an associate degree and work in clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. The average salary is $47,861 per year.

20. Nutritionist

Being a nutritionist can earn you an average salary of $53,039 per year and you can enter the field with an associate degree. As a nutritionist, you will help patients plan and incorporate healthier eating habits to support health and wellness.

You will also help diabetic patients and people with food allergy conditions to plan the food they consume.

These are the highest paying medical jobs with little schooling that you may want to consider going for, they are quick to complete, cheaper, and comes with good pay once you get certified. Apply to community colleges for any of these programs as they provide them more.

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