Healthcare Support Jobs Expected to Grow the Most Through 2035
Some of the fastest-growing healthcare careers are expected to see strong job growth through 2035. If you’re thinking about working in healthcare, knowing which roles are growing can help you narrow down your options.
We’ll look at the latest job projections, which healthcare careers are expected to grow the fastest, and the training typically needed to get started.
How Fast Are Healthcare Support Jobs Expected to Grow Through 2035?
Healthcare support jobs are expected to grow much faster than employment overall over the next decade. Healthcare support occupations are projected to grow 13.3% from 2025 to 2035, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How does that compare with other jobs?
Healthcare support occupations are projected to grow faster than employment across all occupations. That reflects continued demand for workers who support patient care in hospitals, clinics, long-term care settings, home health, and other healthcare environments.
Healthcare support is projected to be the fastest-growing major occupational group over this period. But growth isn’t spread evenly across every healthcare support career. Some roles are expected to expand much faster than others.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035
Which Healthcare Support Jobs Are Growing the Fastest?
Several healthcare careers are expected to grow much faster than employment overall through 2035. The table below compares some of the fastest-growing roles, along with the number of new jobs BLS projects and the education typically needed to enter each occupation.
| Career | Projected Growth | Projected New Jobs | Typical Entry-Level Education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapist Assistants | 23% | 26,200 | Associate degree |
| Psychiatric Technicians | 22% | 36,000 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Occupational Therapy Assistants | 21% | 11,200 | Associate degree |
| Ophthalmic Medical Technicians | 21% | 15,500 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Home Health & Personal Care Aides | 18% | 847,300 | High school diploma or equivalent* |
| Medical Assistants | 13% | 107,600 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Phlebotomists | 7% | 9,800 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
Physical Therapist Assistants
Physical therapist assistants work under the direction and supervision of physical therapists to help patients recover from injuries and improve movement. BLS lists an associate degree from an accredited program as the typical entry-level education.
ACT’s Physical Therapy Technician program covers foundational knowledge and support skills for physical therapy and rehabilitation settings. It may be useful for someone who wants exposure to this type of healthcare environment, but it is a different training path from becoming a physical therapist assistant.
Psychiatric Technicians
Psychiatric technicians help care for people with mental illness, developmental disabilities, or substance use disorders. BLS projects about 36,000 additional psychiatric technician jobs from 2025 to 2035.
ACT does not offer a Psychiatric Technician program. However, its Patient Care Technician training covers broader patient-care skills such as vital signs, communication, medical terminology, and infection control that can be useful across many patient-facing healthcare settings. Additional occupation-specific training may still be required.
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Occupational therapy assistants work with occupational therapists to help people build or regain skills needed for everyday activities. They typically need an associate degree from an accredited occupational therapy assistant program and generally must meet applicable state requirements.
ACT does not offer an Occupational Therapy Assistant program. Students interested in rehabilitation settings may find some foundational concepts in ACT’s Physical Therapy Technician training useful for learning about patient support and rehabilitation environments, but the program does not replace the education required to become an occupational therapy assistant.
Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
Ophthalmic medical technicians assist ophthalmologists with clinical tasks related to eye care. BLS projects about 15,500 new jobs in this occupation through 2035.
ACT does not offer an Ophthalmic Medical Technician program. Its Medical Assistant curriculum does cover broader clinical foundations such as anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, patient communication, infection control, documentation, and clinical procedures. These skills can be useful in many outpatient settings, but ophthalmic-specific training may still be needed.
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Home health and personal care aides help people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or other needs with daily activities. BLS projects this occupation to add about 847,300 jobs through 2035—the largest numerical increase among the careers shown here.
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education, although requirements can vary by employer and care setting.
ACT does not offer a Home Health Aide program. Its Patient Care Technician program covers skills such as direct patient care, vital signs, infection control, medical terminology, and communication that may be useful in a range of patient-care settings. Home health requirements can vary by employer, program, and state.
Medical Assistants
Medical assistants handle a mix of clinical and administrative tasks, such as taking vital signs, recording patient information, assisting with clinical procedures, and supporting office workflows. The occupation stands out for both its projected growth and the number of openings expected each year.
ACT’s Medical Assistant program covers medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, infection control, patient communication, clinical procedures, diagnostic testing, electronic health records, and other clinical and administrative skills used in medical assisting.
Phlebotomists
Phlebotomists draw blood for medical tests, transfusions, research, and blood donations. BLS projects employment to grow 7% through 2035, with about 18,000 openings expected each year on average.
ACT’s Phlebotomy Technician program focuses on blood collection, specimen handling and processing, infection control, patient safety, documentation, and certification preparation.
A note about related skills: Training in a related healthcare area does not automatically qualify someone for another occupation. Education, certification, licensing, scope of practice, and employer requirements vary by career and state. Always check the requirements for the specific role you plan to pursue.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Fastest-Growing Occupations , BLS Occupational Projections 2025–2035 , BLS Medical Assistants , and BLS Phlebotomists .
Fastest Growth vs. Most New Jobs: What’s the Difference?
A high growth rate doesn’t always mean an occupation will add the most jobs. These numbers measure two different things.
Physical Therapist Assistants
- Projected growth
- 23%
- Projected new jobs
- 26,200
- 2025 median pay
- $68,380/year
Home Health & Personal Care Aides
- Projected growth
- 18%
- Projected new jobs
- 847,300
- 2025 median pay
- $35,800/year
Physical therapist assistants are projected to grow faster, at 23%, compared with 18% for home health and personal care aides. But because home health and personal care aide employment is much larger, that occupation is expected to add far more jobs overall.
Annual openings are different again. They can include openings created by job growth as well as openings that come from workers leaving an occupation and needing to be replaced.
Median pay represents the wage at which half of workers in an occupation earned more and half earned less. Actual pay can vary by location, employer, experience, and work setting.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides and Home Health and Personal Care Aides .
Why Are Healthcare Support Careers Growing?
Several long-term trends are helping drive demand for healthcare support workers. An aging population, more people living with ongoing health needs, and the continued need for hands-on care are all part of the picture.
An Aging Population
As more adults reach older age, demand can increase for healthcare, rehabilitation, home care, and other support services.
Job growth can make a career worth exploring, but it doesn’t tell you how much training you’ll need to enter the field.
Which Growing Healthcare Careers Don’t Require a Bachelor’s Degree?
Not every growing healthcare career requires a four-year degree. The training path depends on the occupation, and some roles can be entered through shorter postsecondary programs, employer training, or other career-specific requirements.
Medical Assistant
Medical assistants typically do not need a bachelor’s degree for entry. Many complete a postsecondary certificate or diploma program that covers clinical and administrative skills.
Phlebotomist
Phlebotomists commonly complete a postsecondary training program focused on blood collection, specimen handling, safety, and related skills. Certification or other requirements can vary by employer and state.
Home Health and Personal Care Aide
These roles generally do not require a bachelor’s degree. Entry requirements can vary by employer and care setting, and some workers receive training on the job.
Physical Therapist Aide
Physical therapist aides usually do not need a bachelor’s degree and may learn many tasks on the job. A physical therapist aide is different from a physical therapist assistant, which typically requires an associate degree and may require licensure or certification depending on the state.
ACT’s Physical Therapy Technician Program provides foundational training for support work in physical therapy settings, but it does not qualify someone to become a licensed physical therapist assistant.
Keep in mind: Education, certification, licensing, and employer requirements vary by occupation and state. A training program should be evaluated based on the specific role you plan to pursue.
Does Faster Job Growth Mean Higher Pay?
A healthcare career can be growing quickly without being one of the highest-paying roles. Pay can vary based on the occupation, location, employer, experience, schedule, and work setting.
What Should You Look at Before Choosing a Growing Healthcare Career?
Job growth is worth considering, but it shouldn’t be the only reason you choose a healthcare career. Training requirements, certification, day-to-day responsibilities, pay, and opportunities in your area can all affect whether a role is a good fit.
Is employment in the occupation expected to increase nationally?
How much education or training will you need before entering the field?
Does the occupation or employer require or prefer a certification?
What would you actually be doing during a typical shift?
What are typical wages for the occupation, and how do they vary by location?
Are employers hiring for the role in the area where you want to work?
Keep in mind: National BLS projections don’t guarantee that a particular employer or location will have openings or that an individual will find employment.
Once you’ve found a healthcare career that fits your interests and goals, the next step is figuring out what training and qualifications you may need.
Prepare for an Allied Health Career With Advanced eClinical Training
Once you’ve found a healthcare career that fits your interests and goals, the next step is figuring out what training and qualifications you may need. Choosing a role is only part of the decision—you’ll also want to understand the skills, education, and certification requirements that may apply.
Advanced eClinical Training offers online allied health programs designed to help students build healthcare knowledge and prepare for applicable certification exams and career opportunities.
Explore ACT Allied Health Training Options
Medical Assistant
Build clinical and administrative medical assisting skills while preparing for the NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam.
Patient Care Technician
Learn foundational patient-care skills used to support patients and clinical teams in a variety of healthcare settings.
Pharmacy Technician
Study pharmacy operations, medication safety, prescription processing, calculations, inventory, and other pharmacy technician skills.
Phlebotomy Technician
Build skills in blood collection, specimen handling and processing, infection control, patient safety, and phlebotomy procedures.
Physical Therapy Technician
Learn foundational concepts and support skills used in physical therapy, rehabilitation, exercise, and patient-care environments.
Medical Terminology
Strengthen your understanding of medical terms, abbreviations, prefixes, suffixes, word roots, spelling, and pronunciation.
Why Consider ACT?
ACT by the Numbers
Explore Your Allied Health Training Options
Compare ACT programs, training timelines, certification pathways, and course content to find an option that fits the healthcare career you’re interested in pursuing.
Explore Allied Health Certification ProgramsFAQs about Fastest-Growing Healthcare Support Jobs
Some of the fastest-growing healthcare support careers include physical therapist assistants, psychiatric technicians, occupational therapy assistants, ophthalmic medical technicians, and home health and personal care aides. Medical assistants and phlebotomists are also projected to grow through 2035.
Healthcare support occupations are projected to grow 13.3% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all occupations.
Yes. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects medical assistant employment to grow 13% from 2025 to 2035, with about 109,700 openings per year on average.
Yes. BLS projects phlebotomist employment to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 18,000 openings per year on average.
Several healthcare support careers typically do not require a bachelor’s degree, including medical assistants, phlebotomists, home health and personal care aides, and physical therapist aides. Education, training, certification, licensing, and employer requirements vary by occupation and location.
Not necessarily. Employment growth and wages measure different things. A career can be growing quickly without being one of the highest-paying healthcare occupations.
Advanced eClinical Training offers online programs in areas such as medical assisting, patient care, pharmacy technology, phlebotomy, physical therapy support, and medical terminology. Programs are designed to help students build healthcare knowledge and prepare for applicable national certification exams and career opportunities.
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