What is the most underpaid healthcare profession?

Asked by: Una Frami  |  Last update: September 1, 2025
Score: 4.3/5 (61 votes)

In addition, technician and technologist jobs in the healthcare field tend to pay the least.

What is the lowest paid health profession?

Medical Genetics and Genomics

Even though they are the lowest paid, medical geneticists work 40 to 50 hour workweeks, which translates to a reasonable work-life balance. Plus, there's variety and flexibility in their day-to-day. No two days are the same for clinical geneticists.

What profession is the most underpaid?

Here is a list of the most underpaid jobs in America.
  • Power Plant Operators. ...
  • Fast Food Workers. ...
  • Machinists/Tool and Die Makers. ...
  • Childcare Workers. ...
  • Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. IM Score: 41. ...
  • 13. News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists. IM Score: 42. ...
  • Cooks. IM Score: 44. ...
  • Construction Laborers and Helpers. IM Score: 46.

What are the lowest paying jobs at a hospital?

Dietary aides help to prepare, serve and deliver meals and snacks to patients. Housekeeping is a low paying job, but is vitally important to the overall wellness of the patient population and their environment. Admitting clerks rank among the low paying positions in the hospital.

What is the highest paid healthcare profession?

There are plenty of jobs to choose from if you decide to pursue a health care career. From surgeons to podiatrists and nurse practitioners, here's a list of the top-paying health care positions according to the US BLS [1]: Physician or surgeon - $229,300. Dentist - $159,530.

Why DOCTORS are UNDERPAID

26 related questions found

What is the least stressful healthcare job?

13 high-paying low-stress medical careers
  • Biomedical engineer. ...
  • Dental hygienist. ...
  • Radiation therapist. ...
  • Speech-language pathologist. ...
  • Pediatric nurse practitioner. ...
  • Pharmacist. ...
  • Ultrasound technician. ...
  • Optometrist.

Which healthcare field is most in demand?

Nurse practitioners are at the top of the best healthcare careers list. Nurse practitioners (NPs) are ranked by U.S. News as the #1 Best Job of 2024. Jobs for nurse practitioners are expected to increase by a whopping 45 percent between 2022 and 2032.

What is the easiest field in healthcare?

Easiest Healthcare Degrees
  1. Phlebotomy. ...
  2. Physical Therapy Assistant. ...
  3. Dental Hygiene. ...
  4. Health Information Management. ...
  5. Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) ...
  6. Medical Billing and Coding. ...
  7. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)

What is the most stressful healthcare job?

Here are the top 10 most stressful jobs in healthcare according to the Occupational Information Network.
  • 8 | Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses. ...
  • 7 | Patient Representatives. ...
  • 6 | Nurse Midwife. ...
  • 5 | Nurse Anesthetists. ...
  • 4 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ...
  • 3 | Acute Care Nurses. ...
  • 2 | Anesthesiologist Assistants. ...
  • 1 | Urologists.

What is the lowest paying medical specialty?

Diabetes and endocrinology specialists are the lowest-paid physician specialty in 2024, according to Medscape's 2024 "Physician Compensation Report" released April 12. The report surveyed 7,000 physicians across 29 specialties from Oct. 2 to Jan. 16.

What is the most overpaid profession?

Here is a list of the most overpaid jobs in the world.
  • Congressional Representatives. IM Score: 18. ...
  • Recruiters. IM Score: 19. ...
  • CEOs. IM Score: 20. ...
  • Life Coaches. IM Score: 21. ...
  • High School Football Coaches. IM Score: 22. ...
  • Pharmaceutical Executives. IM Score: 23. ...
  • University Administrators. IM Score: 24. ...
  • Real Estate Agents. IM Score: 25.

Are nurses underpaid?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for registered nurses was $77,600 in 2021. Physicians and surgeons had a median annual wage of $208,000. These figures are substantially lower than the ideal salary of $270,000, as identified in the survey.

What is the most undervalued profession?

Top Ten Most Underappreciated Jobs
  • ONE: Sanitation Workers. ...
  • TWO: Janitors/Maintenance Workers. ...
  • THREE: Mail Delivery Workers. ...
  • FOUR: Landscapers/Snow Plowers. ...
  • FIVE: Bus Drivers. ...
  • SIX: Teachers. ...
  • SEVEN: Construction Workers. ...
  • EIGHT: Nurses/Paramedics.

What is the happiest job in healthcare?

Plastic Surgery. Plastic surgeons top the list as the happiest medical specialty, with 71% considering their life outside of work happy. Being a plastic surgeon means you'll be able to make a difference in people's lives from all kinds of backgrounds.

What is the shortest residency with the highest pay?

Wondering what the shortest residency with the highest pay is? It's emergency medicine, followed by obstetrics-gynecology. Physicians in these roles earn around $270,000 annually.

What is the most difficult job in healthcare?

Top Five Hardest Medical Professions
  • Neurosurgeon. Average Annual Salary: $271,470. Years Of Education: 14-16 years. ...
  • Cardiothoracic Surgeon. Average Annual Salary: $423,250. ...
  • Anesthesiologist. Average Annual Salary: $339,470. ...
  • Orthopedic Surgeons. Average Annual Salary: $378,250. ...
  • Trauma Surgeon. Average Annual Salary: $343,990.

Which profession has the highest burnout rate?

Top Professions with the Most Burnout
  • Design Professionals. ...
  • Entrepreneurs & Corporate Professionals. ...
  • Lawyers. ...
  • Academic STEM Professionals. ...
  • Journalists. ...
  • Retail Workers. ...
  • Military Personnel. ...
  • Teachers & Educators. Teachers invest so much in their students, often at the expense of their own well-being.

What is the #1 best healthcare job?

Here are the best health care jobs of 2025:
  • Nurse Practitioner.
  • Physician Assistant.
  • Speech-Language Pathologist.
  • Veterinarian.
  • Nurse Anesthetist.
  • Veterinary Technologist and Technician.
  • Physical Therapist.

What 2 year medical degree pays the most?

The highest-paid job requiring a two-year healthcare degree is registered nurses (RNs), with a median annual salary of $86,070 in 2023. There are approximately 3.3 million registered nurses in the United States as of 2023, highlighting the significant demand for this role in the healthcare sector.

What is the shortest degree in healthcare?

For example, the education for an LPN, medical assistant or phlebotomy technician can take as little as one year. Other positions that require an associate degree, like the position of a respiratory therapist, can take up to two years to complete.

What healthcare jobs are in high demand right now?

They accounted for six of the top 25 jobs: Veterinarian, physician, clinical psychologist, radiologist, registered nurse and director of clinical services. An aging U.S. population, retirements among workers and low risk of A.I. replacement have led to high labor demand, experts said.

What is the least competitive medical job?

2. What Is The Least Competitive Medical Field? Psychiatry, internal medicine, and emergency medicine have the lowest competition. However, when it comes to which medical field is the least competitive, the answer is challenging to find.

What is the easiest medical job that pays well?

Here are the highest-paying medical jobs that don't require a college degree:
  • Medical Administrative Assistant: 43,380.
  • Medical Assistant: $42,000.
  • Phlebotomist: $41,810.
  • Dialysis Technician: $40,851.
  • Pharmacy Technician: $40,300.
  • Certified Nursing Assistant: $38,130.
  • Medical Transcriptionist: $37,060.
  • Housekeeping: $35,020.

Which health profession has the most shortages?

Primary care: This field, which includes general practitioners, family medicine doctors and internists, faces the highest demand. The shortage of primary care physicians is driven by an aging population, an increase in chronic diseases and a growing need for preventative care.

What is the fastest growing field in healthcare?

Fastest-growing healthcare jobs
  • Physical therapist.
  • Dental hygienist.
  • Respiratory therapist.
  • Advanced practice registered nurse.
  • Speech-language pathologist.
  • Radiation therapist.
  • Pharmacist.
  • Optometrist.