Allied Health Salary Trends to Watch in 2027
Allied health salary trends in 2027 will be shaped by growing healthcare demand, work setting, location, experience, and skills.
As healthcare employment continues to expand, understanding these trends can help you see where pay and career opportunities may be changing.
Here’s what the latest wage and employment data shows for allied health careers heading into 2027.
What Are the Biggest Allied Health Salary Trends for 2027?
Allied health pay is influenced by more than job title alone. Demand, work setting, location, experience, and additional skills can all affect the opportunities available to healthcare workers. Heading into 2027, these are some of the biggest trends to watch.
The main takeaway: there is no single allied health salary trend. Pay depends on the occupation, employer, location, and skills a worker brings to the role, while continued healthcare growth may create more opportunities across the field.
How Much Do Allied Health Professionals Earn?
Allied health salaries vary by occupation, employer, location, experience, and work setting. The latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data provides a useful benchmark for comparing several common allied health careers.
Allied Health Salary Comparison
| Career | Latest Median Pay | 2025–35 Growth | Annual Openings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistant | $45,690 | 13% | 109,700 |
| Pharmacy Technician | $45,750 | 6% | 44,700 |
| Phlebotomist | $45,230 | 7% | 18,000 |
| Physical Therapist Aide* | $35,240 | 4% | Reported within combined PTA/aide category* |
*Physical therapist aide is a related BLS occupation. It is not the same occupation as ACT’s Physical Therapy Technician training pathway. BLS reports a 4% projected growth rate for physical therapist aides, while annual openings are published for the broader physical therapist assistants-and-aides category.
Patient Care Technician and Clinical Research Assistant are not included in this comparison because BLS does not publish clean standalone occupational data for those exact ACT career titles.
Which Allied Health Careers Are Seeing Strong Salary and Job Growth?
Salary is only one part of the picture when comparing allied health careers. Job growth, annual openings, and differences in pay by healthcare setting can also help show where demand is strongest.
Medical Assistants
Medical assisting continues to stand out for both employment growth and the number of expected job openings. BLS projects the occupation to grow much faster than average through 2035.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Pharmacy Technicians
Pharmacy technicians are projected to see continued employment growth, but one of the more notable salary trends is how much pay can vary depending on the employer.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Phlebotomists
Phlebotomy remains a common entry point into allied health. BLS projects continued growth through 2035, with thousands of openings expected each year as employers hire new workers and replace those leaving the occupation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Physical Therapy Support Roles
Physical therapy support careers also show how pay can change substantially between related occupations with different education, responsibilities, and credential requirements.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Does Where You Work Affect Your Allied Health Salary?
Yes. The type of healthcare facility you work in can make a noticeable difference in pay. BLS wage data shows that workers in the same occupation may have different median salaries depending on whether they work in a hospital, outpatient center, physician office, pharmacy, or another setting.
Hospitals
Median annual wages, May 2025Outpatient Care Centers
Median annual wages, May 2025Physician Offices
Median annual wages, May 2025Pharmacies and Retail Settings
Median annual wages, May 2025Pharmacy technicians had a median wage of $50,760 in hospitals compared with $39,240 in pharmacies and drug retailers — a difference of more than $11,000 per year.
Two people working in the same allied health occupation may earn different salaries depending on where they work. When comparing career opportunities, it can be useful to look at both the occupation’s national median wage and pay within specific healthcare settings.
Where Do Allied Health Professionals Earn the Most?
Allied health salaries can vary considerably from one state to another. The latest BLS wage estimates show that some occupations have noticeably higher median pay in certain parts of the country.
Highest-Paying States
| Career | Highest-Paying State | State Median Pay | U.S. Median Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistant | Washington | $59,290 | $45,690 |
| Pharmacy Technician | Washington | $58,900 | $45,750 |
| Phlebotomist | California | $56,040 | $45,230 |
| Physical Therapist Aide* | Alaska | $55,760 | $35,240 |
Wage figures are based on May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates. *Physical therapist aide is a related BLS occupation and should not be treated as the same occupation as ACT’s Physical Therapy Technician training pathway.
Why Allied Health Salaries Vary by Location
A higher state wage can reflect several local factors, not just the occupation itself.
The highest-paying state is not automatically the best place to work. When comparing locations, consider salary alongside cost of living, job availability, employer type, and any state-specific credentialing or licensing requirements.
Can Certifications and Additional Skills Affect Earning Potential?
Certifications and additional healthcare skills can influence the types of jobs a worker is qualified to pursue, but earning another credential does not automatically lead to a higher salary. Pay still depends on factors such as the occupation, employer, location, experience, and job responsibilities.
A certification does not guarantee a raise. Additional training may instead help you qualify for more responsibilities, different employers, specialized positions, additional allied health roles, or future advancement opportunities.
Examples of Complementary Healthcare Skills
Some healthcare skills naturally complement one another. Building experience across related areas may help workers broaden what they can do and the positions they can pursue.
This approach is sometimes called credential stacking — building related skills and credentials over time. Learn more in our guide to healthcare credential stacking .
Which Factors Have the Biggest Impact on Allied Health Pay?
Salary estimates are useful benchmarks, but they do not determine what every worker will earn. Several factors can influence allied health pay, which is why your actual salary may be higher or lower than a national median.
Credentials
Pay ranges differ considerably across allied health careers based on job responsibilities, training requirements, and demand.
Wages can vary by state, city, and region because of local demand, cost of living, and labor market conditions.
Hospitals, outpatient centers, physician offices, pharmacies, and other healthcare employers may offer different pay for the same occupation.
Workers with more experience may qualify for positions with additional responsibilities or different compensation.
Additional training or credentials may expand the positions and responsibilities a worker can qualify for, although they do not guarantee higher pay.
Compensation may differ for evening, overnight, weekend, overtime, or other schedules depending on the employer and position.
Why am I earning more or less than the salary I found online? National salary figures are benchmarks, not guaranteed pay rates. When comparing your salary with published wage data, look at the occupation, location, employer, experience level, skills, and work schedule behind the number.
What Should Allied Health Workers Watch in 2027?
The latest employment projections point to continued demand across healthcare, but salary trends will not look the same for every occupation or worker. Here are five areas worth watching in 2027.
1. Continued Healthcare Support Job Growth
BLS projects healthcare support occupations to grow 13.3% from 2025 to 2035, considerably faster than the 3.5% projected growth for total U.S. employment.
An Aging Population Is Increasing Healthcare Demand
BLS identifies an aging population and the prevalence of chronic conditions as factors expected to increase demand for healthcare services and workers through 2035.
Pay Will Continue to Vary by Work Setting
Hospitals, outpatient centers, physician offices, pharmacies, and other employers can offer different wages for the same occupation. Comparing employers may be just as important as comparing job titles.
Additional Skills May Expand Job Options
Building complementary healthcare skills may help workers qualify for different responsibilities, employers, or positions. Additional training does not guarantee higher pay, but it can broaden the opportunities a worker can pursue.
Career Progression Is Worth Watching
Related allied health roles can have very different responsibilities, education requirements, and salaries. Workers who want to advance can compare possible next-step roles and the additional training or credentials those positions require.
A rapidly growing occupation may create more job opportunities, but that does not mean salaries will increase at the same rate. BLS employment projections measure expected changes in employment, not future wage increases.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2025–2035
Prepare for Your Next Allied Health Career Move With Advanced eClinical Training
If you’re looking to qualify for a new allied health role or add skills to your healthcare background, additional training can be one way to expand the opportunities available to you.
Advanced eClinical Training offers self-paced online healthcare programs that can be completed in weeks rather than years. Depending on the program, students can prepare for national certification exams, build clinical knowledge, access career support, and pursue optional clinical experience.
Medical Assistant
As little as 8 weeksACT’s online Medical Assistant program prepares students for the NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam while covering clinical and administrative skills used in medical assisting.
Patient Care Technician
As little as 8 weeksThe Patient Care Technician program covers direct patient care skills, medical terminology, vital signs, EKGs, phlebotomy procedures, and other skills used when supporting patients and clinical teams.
Pharmacy Technician
As little as 12 weeksACT’s Pharmacy Technician program covers prescription processing, medication preparation, inventory, patient records, insurance claims, and other skills used in pharmacy settings.
Phlebotomy
As little as 8 weeksThe Phlebotomy program focuses on venipuncture, blood specimen collection and processing, infection control, point-of-care testing, documentation, and patient safety.
Physical Therapy Technician
As little as 8 weeksACT’s Physical Therapy Technician program is designed for students interested in physical therapy, rehabilitation, sports medicine, and related healthcare settings.
Medical Terminology
As little as 4 weeksThe Advanced Medical Terminology course can help students and healthcare workers strengthen their understanding of medical terms, abbreviations, pronunciation, prefixes, suffixes, and word roots.
Compare Your Allied Health Training Options
Whether you’re preparing for your first healthcare role or adding new skills to your background, compare ACT’s programs, training timelines, certification pathways, and career support to see which option fits your goals.
Explore Allied Health Certification ProgramsProgram completion times are based on ACT’s accelerated completion options and may vary by student. Certification, externship participation, and training do not guarantee employment or a specific salary. Medical Assistant outcome figures are reported by Advanced eClinical Training.
FAQs about Allied Health Salary Trends
There is no single average salary that represents the entire allied health field because it includes many different occupations. For context, BLS reports a May 2025 median annual wage of $38,340 for healthcare support occupations and $86,530 for healthcare practitioners and technical occupations. Individual allied health careers can fall above or below these figures.
Pay varies widely by occupation and training requirements. Among related careers discussed in this article, physical therapist assistants had a median annual wage of $68,380 in May 2025, compared with $45,750 for pharmacy technicians, $45,690 for medical assistants, and $45,230 for phlebotomists.
There is no official BLS projection showing how much allied health salaries will increase specifically in 2027. Wages can change based on labor demand, location, employer, inflation, and other factors. What BLS does project is continued healthcare employment growth through 2035, including 13.3% growth for healthcare support occupations.
Not automatically. A certification does not guarantee a raise or a specific salary. Depending on the occupation and employer, certification or additional training may help someone meet job requirements, qualify for different positions, take on additional responsibilities, or pursue other career opportunities.
Yes. Allied health pay can vary by state, city, and region. Local demand, cost of living, employer type, and state credentialing or licensing requirements can all affect wages. A higher salary in one location does not necessarily mean workers have greater purchasing power after accounting for living costs.
Growth depends on the occupation. For example, BLS projects physical therapist assistant employment to grow 23% from 2025 to 2035 and medical assistant employment to grow 13%. Phlebotomists are projected to grow 7%, while pharmacy technicians are projected to grow 6%. These projections measure employment growth, not salary growth.
Ready to get hired?
Advanced eClinical Training combines accelerated online learning, real-world externships, and personalized job matching to help you stand out in today’s healthcare job market. Finish in 6-8 weeks!
