2021 hiring trends
office and administration
healthcare.
The pace of hiring in healthcare doesn't show any signs of slowing down. In fact, the BLS reported that six of the 10 fastest-growing occupations over the next decade are related to healthcare — and that's not taking into account the impact of the pandemic and response efforts, which have only fueled an increase in demand for healthcare workers.
Accompanying that overwhelming growth in employment is continued disruption in the space, with the rapid adoption of telemedicine, the emergence of new skill sets for clinical and nonclinical workers alike and breakthroughs in science, technology and information management continuing to dictate how — and where — care is delivered. Bottom line: Healthcare companies today will have to work even harder than before to find top talent in the field.
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Here are some of the most in-demand healthcare roles for the year ahead.
clinical case managers
An important piece of the healthcare-delivery puzzle, clinical case managers serve as key advocates to connect people with the affordable healthcare they need — from coordinating a patient's clinical care to helping them navigate insurance and hospital bureaucracies. As such, demand isn't going to wane for these empaths anytime soon: Not only were there more than 117,000 jobs posted in the past 12 months, but demand for this role is expected to increase by nearly 15 percent over the next decade.
That demand isn't distributed equally across the country, however. So for those employers looking to hire clinical case managers in California, know that in the past year there were more jobs posted in your state (18,558) than the next two leading markets — Texas (9,459) and Florida (8,293) — combined.
clinical/medical social workers
With two out of three employees nationwide stating they feel more stressed than before the pandemic, the events of 2020 have laid bare the importance of mental health and well-being. That makes the work of clinical and medical social workers even more valuable, and demand is rising accordingly — a 20 percent increase is forecast over the next 10 years.
And with the rise of telehealth in today's healthcare landscape, hiring managers should note that competition for talent won't just be coming from physical care centers. Over the past year, e-counseling platforms have done the majority of hiring in the space. So only the employers that offer a flexible working environment and other perks stand the best chance of snagging highly qualified social workers away from the virtual world.
occupational health registered nurses
Whether they're called occupational health nurses, occupational and environmental nurses or employee health nurses, these healthcare pros have one critical mission: designing and promoting a safe and healthy work environment for employees — while also helping to maintain a healthy bottom line for the company. That means having a deep knowledge base focused on the intersection of healthcare and business operations.
With employee safety top of mind at companies across every sector, and especially in the manufacturing and logistics space, it's no surprise that demand for nurses of this stripe is growing. Given that there were more than 4,000 jobs posted in the past year, businesses are going to have a lot of work to do to source and hire qualified occupational health nurses in the years ahead.
Demand for skilled pharmacists remains high: There were more than 58,000 pharmacist jobs posted in the past year, with a further five percent growth expected in the next decade. And while that demand is felt throughout the country, salaries vary considerably across different markets. Consider the fact that pharmacists in California, where demand is highest, earn nearly 15 percent more on average than those employed in Florida, the state with the third-highest demand.
In 2021, the competition for pharmacists shows no signs of relaxing, so be prepared to come to the table with a strong compensation and benefits package in hand.
telehealth registered nurses
Telehealth is here to stay in 2021 and beyond, with 66 percent of employers planning on making virtual health and well-being offerings a permanent benefit offering at their businesses. Pair that with 10 solid years of year-over-year job growth for registered nurses, and it's no surprise that telehealth registered nurses will have no shortage of opportunities in the coming year.
Employers looking to prep their nursing team for success in the telehealth realm should consider upskilling opportunities to keep them on board. Although no specific certifications are required for telehealth registered nurses, they're required to possess the knowledge and competencies needed to provide care to patients in ambulatory care settings, making the Ambulatory Care Nursing Certification (RN-BC) a strategic credential for any registered nurse to have.
Adaptation and disruption will continue to loom large in the healthcare field in 2021. So for large hospital complexes, rural clinics and everything in between, hiring challenges will continue to intensify in the year ahead — unless, of course, you start getting proactive and rethinking every aspect of your talent acquisition strategy. By maximizing efficiency and ensuring your offerings are competitive, you'll lessen the risk of losing out on the best candidates out there.
salary key
This guide presents nationwide pay information for today's most prevalent and in-demand healthcare positions.
Compensation data for these roles is organized by hourly rates across three levels of professional experience:
one year of experience
five years of experience
senior-level
advanced practice entry-level mid-level senior-level
nurse practitioner $43.06 $51.06 $59.80
physician assistant $47.05 $53.20 $59.80
cardiac catheterization technician $27.38 $32.12 $36.95
dialysis technician $15.62 $18.12 $20.89
medical assistant $14.67 $16.78 $18.78
medical lab technician $18.82 $22.10 $25.35
pharmacist $53.52 $61.36 $68.37
pharmacy technician $15.44 $18.18 $20.58
phlebotomy technician $13.84 $16.50 $19.05
polysomnographer $21.54 $26.80 $31.11
radiology technician $24.26 $28.24 $32.03
surgical technologist $18.69 $21.83 $24.47
ultrasound/sonographer $29.83 $34.92 $40.56
cardiac catheterization technician
polysomnographer
ultrasound/sonographer
case management $32.20 $37.39 $42.91
critical care/ICU $30.55 $35.58 $40.39
emergency room $31.29 $36.41 $41.43
home care $31.46 $36.61 $41.67
licensed practical nurse (LPN) $19.91 $23.54 $26.56
medical-surgical $31.59 $36.74 $41.99
operating room $31.59 $36.74 $41.99
outpatient clinic $29.85 $34.77 $39.38
registered nurse (RN) $32.52 $36.85 $41.75
critical care/ICU
medical-surgical
For salary information and titles specific to your region, contact your local Randstad representative today.