These medical jobs are high paying and require no more than an associate’s degree

Originally published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, by Hunter Boyce

The health care industry is home to some of the U.S. economy’s highest paying jobs. While many of those sky-high salaries require an advanced degree and lots of certifications, some health care industry opportunities come with great pay and far less demanding requirements. To make the job hunt as painless as possible, Nursing Process — an organization that provides nursing students with information on programs and schools — has broken down the best high-paying medical jobs that require minimal schooling for success. Here are the top five:

Radiation therapist

Typically only requiring an associate degree and little to no on-the-job training, radiation therapy is a booming job field with high pay. The field features roughly 1,100 job openings annually and an annual pay range of $60,080 to $132,930. This position is perfect for those interested in working with oncologists by administering radiation treatments to patients with cancer.

Nuclear medicine technologist

A nuclear medicine technologist earns a whopping $57,830 to $109,070 every year, and the job field only requires an associate degree for entry. While the role of a nuclear medicine technologist varies, these health care professionals generally administer radiopharmaceuticals.

Dental hygienist

With 15,600 annual job openings, dental hygienists enjoy a much larger job market that many of the other health care positions featured on this list. Requiring only an associate degree, these professionals generally take home anywhere from $54,200 to $104,420 every year. This role is perfect for those interested in working under the supervision of a dentist during dental care treatments and examinations.

Diagnostic medical sonographer

Diagnostic medical sonographers perform procedures featuring sonographic equipment that utilize high-frequency sound waves to create images of a patient’s designated body part. These professionals make roughly $53,790 to $105,340 each year with no more than an associate degree.

Magnetic resonance imaging technologist

Health care heroes interested in working with patients and technology should consider the magnetic resonance imaging technologist role. With an associate degree, these technologists earn $52,880 to $104,210 every year.

Top 10 Recession-Proof Jobs

Originally published at gobankingrates.com

With an uncertain economic landscape, inflation that is still running hot and fear of a recession, it’s no surprise that 31% of American workers express concern about their employers potentially planning budget cuts or layoffs, according to a Dec. 14 Workforce Confidence survey by LinkedIn. But against this backdrop, there are reasons to be optimistic, as some jobs are recession-proof, according to a study.

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“Overall, this year’s shocks will re-open economic wounds that were only partially healed post-pandemic. In short, the worst is yet to come and, for many people, 2023 will feel like a recession,” the International Monetary Fund noted in a recent report.

Yet not all is gloom and doom for American workers. Although, as GOBankingRates has reported previously, some jobs are particularly vulnerable to cuts during a recession, there are also so-called “recession-proof” jobs that are likely to keep you employed regardless of what the economy does. A Payscale report describes them as those where “employers are spending more to fill these roles due to labor scarcity and increased competition.”

“The jobs on the list tell a story, with a mix of essential service jobs and office jobs, where the opportunity to continue working remote is also part of what is driving the market,” according to the report.

Payscale compiled a list of the most recession-proof jobs by wage growth. Here are the top 10, along with median employee-reported annual pay and expected job growth:

1. Waiter/Waitress

• Median pay: $19,900
• Salary growth: 30%

2. Private Banker

• Median pay: $93,000
• Salary growth: 25%

3. Media Director

• Median pay: $108,000
• Salary growth: 23%

4. Police, Fire or Ambulance Dispatcher

• Median pay: $44,500
• Salary growth: 19%

5. Sales Consultant

• Median pay: $56,800
• Salary growth: 18%

6. Microbiologist

• Median pay: $59,900
• Salary growth: 16%

7. Marketing and Business Development Director

• Median pay: $119,000
• Salary growth: 16%

8. Dock Worker

• Median pay: $41,100
• Salary growth: 15%

9. Electrocardiogram Technician

• Median pay: $40,400
• Salary growth: 15%

About the Author - Yaël Bizouati-Kennedy is a full-time financial journalist and has written for several publications, including Dow Jones, The Financial Times Group, Bloomberg and Business Insider. She also worked as a vice president/senior content writer for major NYC-based financial companies, including New York Life and MSCI. Yaël is now freelancing and most recently, she co-authored  the book “Blockchain for Medical Research: Accelerating Trust in Healthcare,” with Dr. Sean Manion. (CRC Press, April 2020) She holds two master’s degrees, including one in Journalism from New York University and one in Russian Studies from Université Toulouse-Jean Jaurès, France.