Allied Health Careers You Can Start Without a College Degree

There are several healthcare careers without a degree that can help you enter the field without spending years in college. Many allied health roles can be started with short-term training and professional certification.

Here are some allied health careers to consider, including training requirements, salary, and job outlook.

Can You Work in Allied Health Without a College Degree?

Yes. Several allied health careers can be started without earning an associate or bachelor’s degree. Medical assisting, phlebotomy, and pharmacy technician roles are examples, although the requirements vary by occupation, employer, and state.

Not needing a degree does not necessarily mean you can start without training. Depending on the career, you may need:

• Career training: A certificate program can teach the clinical or technical skills used in the role.
• Professional certification: Medical assistants, for example, may pursue the CCMA credential, while phlebotomy technicians may pursue the CPT credential.
• State credentials: Some states require pharmacy technicians and other healthcare workers to register, obtain a license, or meet additional requirements.

A college degree is different from all three. It usually takes longer to complete and is required for certain allied health professions, but it is not the only route into allied health.

Allied Health Careers You Can Start Without a College Degree

Several allied health careers can be started without earning an associate or bachelor’s degree. The training needed varies by role, and some employers or states may require additional credentials.

Here’s how five career paths compare using the latest available U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data:

*Some medical assistants enter the occupation with a high school diploma and learn on the job. Pharmacy technician requirements vary by state.

Note: BLS does not report Patient Care Technician as a standalone occupation, so there is no single BLS salary or job-growth figure for PCTs.

Medical Assistant

Medical assistants perform both clinical and administrative tasks, including taking vital signs, preparing patients for exams, updating medical records, and scheduling appointments.

• Typical education: Postsecondary training is common, although some medical assistants enter with a high school diploma and learn on the job.
• Median pay: $45,690 per year
• Job growth: 13% through 2035
• Common workplaces: Physicians’ offices, hospitals, and outpatient care centers
• Certification: Credentials such as the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) may be preferred or required by some employers.

Explore ACT’s Medical Assistant program.

Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense prescription medications. They may process prescriptions, measure medications, enter patient information, manage inventory, and assist customers.

• Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent; some pharmacy technicians complete a postsecondary training program.
• Median pay: $45,750 per year
• Job growth: 6% through 2035
• Common workplaces: Pharmacies, drug retailers, hospitals, and grocery stores
• Certification and registration: Requirements vary by state and may include training, an exam, registration, or certification.

Explore ACT’s Pharmacy Technician program.

Phlebotomist

Phlebotomists draw blood for medical tests, transfusions, research, and blood donations.

• Typical education: Postsecondary nondegree award
• Median pay: $45,230 per year
• Job growth: 7% through 2035
• Common workplaces: Hospitals, medical laboratories, physicians’ offices, and blood donation centers
• Certification: Some employers prefer or require professional certification.

Explore ACT’s Phlebotomy program.

Patient Care Technician

Patient care technicians provide direct support to patients and healthcare teams. Their responsibilities can include taking vital signs, collecting specimens, assisting with daily activities, and providing basic patient care.

• Typical education: Varies by employer and role
• Median pay: No standalone BLS figure
• Job growth: No standalone BLS projection
• Common workplaces: Hospitals, nursing care facilities, and other patient-care settings
• Certification: Requirements vary, but professional certification may be preferred by some employers.

Because BLS does not classify Patient Care Technician as a standalone occupation, salary and growth figures from another occupation should not be treated as PCT-specific data.

Explore ACT’s Patient Care Technician program.

Physical Therapist Aide

Physical therapist aides support physical therapy teams by preparing treatment areas, cleaning equipment, helping patients move around treatment areas, and completing other support tasks.

• Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent with on-the-job training
• Median pay: $35,240 per year
• Job growth: 4% through 2035
• Common workplaces: Physical therapy offices, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities

A physical therapist aide is not the same as a physical therapist assistant. Physical therapist assistants typically need an associate degree and must meet state licensing or certification requirements.

ACT’s related Physical Therapy Technician program provides training in physical therapy support skills.

Which Allied Health Careers Without a Degree Are Growing the Fastest?

Medical assistants have the highest projected growth rate among these careers, at 13% from 2025 to 2035.

Medical assistants stand out for both job growth and the number of projected openings. About 109,700 openings are expected each year, compared with 44,700 for pharmacy technicians and 18,000 for phlebotomists.

Annual openings include new jobs as well as positions that become available when workers leave the occupation.

*Physical therapist aides: BLS reports 24,900 annual openings for physical therapist assistants and aides combined, not aides separately. Because physical therapist assistants typically need an associate degree, that figure should not be treated as openings for aides alone.

How Much Can You Make in Allied Health Without a Degree?

Several allied health careers that do not typically require a college degree have national median wages around $45,000 per year.

Medical assistants, pharmacy technicians, and phlebotomists have similar national median wages, all above $45,000 per year. Physical therapist aides have a lower median wage at $35,240.

These figures represent the median for workers across the occupation, not what someone should expect to earn in their first job. Actual pay can vary based on:

• Location: Wages can differ significantly across states and metropolitan areas.
• Work setting: Hospitals, outpatient facilities, physician offices, pharmacies, and other employers may pay differently.
• Experience: Workers with more experience may qualify for higher-paying positions.
• Credentials: Certification may be preferred or required for some positions, although earning a certification does not guarantee higher pay.

BLS does not report Patient Care Technician as a standalone occupation, so there is no single national BLS median wage for PCTs.

How Long Does It Take to Start an Allied Health Career Without a Degree?

Training time varies by career, but some allied health programs can be completed in weeks rather than years.

Advanced eClinical Training offers several 100% online, self-paced programs:

Keep in mind that finishing a training program and being ready to start working are not always the same thing. Depending on the career and state, you may also need to pass a certification exam or meet other requirements before you can work.

Individual completion times can also vary based on your schedule and pace.

Do Allied Health Careers Without a Degree Still Require Certification?

Some do. A college degree and professional certification are not the same thing. A degree is an educational credential, while professional certification shows that you have met the requirements of a certifying organization and passed an exam.

For the careers covered in this article, national certifications can include:

Whether certification is required, preferred, or optional depends on the occupation, employer, and state. Pharmacy technicians, for example, can face different registration and certification requirements depending on where they work.

Before enrolling in training, check the requirements for the specific career and state where you plan to work.

How Do You Choose the Right Allied Health Career?

The right allied health career depends on the type of work you want to do, how quickly you want to complete training, and the setting where you want to work.

For example, medical assisting may be a good fit if you want both patient care and administrative responsibilities.

Pharmacy technology focuses more on medications and pharmacy operations, while phlebotomy offers a more specialized clinical role focused on blood collection.

You don’t need to choose based on salary or job growth alone. Consider what the day-to-day work actually looks like and whether it matches the kind of healthcare work you want to do.

Can an Allied Health Career Lead to Other Healthcare Careers?

Yes. An entry-level allied health role can give you experience in healthcare and help you learn more about other career paths before deciding whether to pursue additional education or credentials.

For example:

• Medical assistants work alongside physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals and gain experience with both patient care and administrative tasks.
• Patient care technicians can gain direct patient-care experience in hospitals and other clinical settings.
• Phlebotomists build experience working with patients, blood collection, specimens, and laboratory processes.
• Pharmacy technicians gain experience with medications, prescriptions, pharmacy operations, and patient interactions.
• Physical therapy support roles provide exposure to rehabilitation and physical therapy settings.

Some people later build on that experience by earning additional certifications or pursuing a degree for another healthcare occupation. Others may add related credentials to expand the skills they can use in their current role.

However, one allied health certification does not automatically qualify you for another healthcare career. Each occupation has its own education, certification, licensing, and experience requirements.

If you want to build multiple skills over time, learn more about healthcare credential stacking and how additional credentials can support career growth.

Start an Allied Health Career With Advanced eClinical Training

Advanced eClinical Training (ACT) offers online, career-focused programs for students preparing to enter allied health. Programs combine flexible coursework, certification preparation, clinical experience opportunities, and support for the next steps after training.

For students who want hands-on experience, eligible ACT students may have the opportunity to complete an optional clinical externship through ACT’s network of more than 1,000 healthcare and clinical partners. Externships can give students experience in a healthcare setting and an opportunity to apply skills learned during training.

ACT offers training for careers including medical assisting, patient care technology, phlebotomy, pharmacy technology, and physical therapy support. Students can choose a program based on the type of work they want to pursue and prepare for the relevant certification exam.

Explore ACT Programs

Exam pass rate and job placement figures are ACT-reported outcomes. Individual outcomes may vary, and certification, externship placement, and employment are not guaranteed. Externship availability and eligibility may vary by program and location.

FAQs About Allied Health Careers Without a Degree