Top 10 High Paying Allied Health Careers For People Without a Bachelor's Degree

Allied health jobs make up about 60% of the healthcare workforce, and will probably continue to be a huge part of the industry, with millions of new jobs added in years to come. They usually have fewer educational requirements than other jobs in healthcare, and leave open lots of room for advancement. And the certification and education required can often be acquired online through an accredited institution. Here are 10 of the most high-paying jobs in this field that you can get without having a college degree—and their median salaries.

1. Dental Hygienist: $71k

Help steer patients toward good dental—and overall health. You’ll need an accredited associate’s degree program in order to take the exams required to earn your credentials and get licensed. Eventually, you might want to pursue more advanced degrees.

2. Registered Nurse: $66k

Get in with your associate’s and advance by earning your bachelor’s degree in this in-demand profession. As nurses are in such high demand, many employers will help you with tuition to advance.

3. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer: $66k

You’ll need a good grasp of math and physics to take pictures of patients’ insides, and some employers require professional certification. But you can usually land this job with an associate’s or post-secondary certificate.

4. Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA): $55k

Assist an occupational therapist to get a hold within an in-demand profession. This job has super high growth and only requires a license and an associate’s to start.

5. Medical Equipment Repairer: $44k

Also called “biomedical equipment technicians,” these folks typically need an associate’s degree in biomedical tech or engineering, but these positions do allow for flexible scheduling and nontraditional hours.

6. Phlebotomist: $31.9k

Get yourself a post-secondary certificate from a phlebotomy program, and get started drawing patients’ blood for lab testing.

7. Surgical Technologist: $45k

Only a few states regulate the educational requirements for this field. You’ll only need a post-secondary certificate or an associate’s degree to assist surgeons during operations, prepare the operating theatre, and assist in post-op care.

8. Radiology/MRI Technician: $67.3k

Radiologic techs will often be required to have an associate’s degree, as will MRI techs. It is also possible to begin as a radiologic tech and then specialize in operating MRI machinery as your career develops.

9. Medical Records and Health IT: $38.8k

Medical records and health information technicians need an associate’s or a post-secondary certificate. Many employers will require professional certification. There are kids coming out of fancy four-year colleges who will earn less!

10. Clinical Lab Tech: $49k

Clinical laboratory technicians make great money for only being required to begin with an associate’s degree. Just don’t confuse this job with that of a laboratory technologist, who makes more money, but would require a bachelor’s degree. This job is also projected to grow 18% in the coming few years. So get in while the going’s good.