At a Glance
Health science careers span five major pathways: diagnostic services, therapeutic services, support services, health informatics, and biotech research. Many roles project job growth two to four times the national average. Entry-level positions require an associate’s degree, while most clinical and research roles require a bachelor’s or graduate degree.
Healthcare and social assistance are projected to be the fastest-growing industry sectors in the U.S. economy through 2034, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, outpacing overall job growth by more than 2.5 times. If you’re weighing a career in health science, you’re entering a field where specialization is deep, and the educational pathway you choose determines which doors open first. This guide covers what health science is, how careers break down by degree level, what specific roles pay, and how to find your best fit in a field that employs everyone from data scientists to dance therapists. For a broader look at the field, see our guide to public health careers.
What Is Health Science?
Health science refers to a broad group of disciplines concerned with delivering healthcare to humans and animals through the application of science, engineering, mathematics, and technology. In practical terms, it’s where knowledge from biology, chemistry, and data science gets translated into clinical practice, research, and public health infrastructure. CareerOneStop, a U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored resource, identifies five major career clusters within health science: diagnostic services, therapeutic services, health informatics, support services, and biotechnology research and development.
The scope is broader than a single hospital hallway or clinic would suggest. It includes conventional Western medicine and clinical research alongside public health, environmental health, and behavioral health disciplines. Professionals in this field work in hospitals, government research centers, pharmaceutical companies, community agencies, academic institutions, and global health organizations.
Health Science Careers by Degree Level
One of the most practical ways to navigate health science career options is by the degree you hold or plan to pursue. Entry requirements vary significantly, and understanding them upfront saves time and helps you plan a realistic path.
Associate’s Degree Careers
An associate’s degree opens the door to entry-level roles in clinical support and diagnostic services. These are hands-on, patient-facing positions that put you in a healthcare setting quickly. Common career options include:
- Medical assistant
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist aide
- Diagnostic medical sonographer (entry requirements vary by program; most award an associate’s degree, though some award a bachelor’s)
- Radiologic technologist (most programs award an associate’s degree, though requirements and licensure vary by state)
Bachelor’s Degree Careers
A bachelor’s degree in health science or a related field gives you access to clinical coordination, public health, health administration, and research assistant roles. It’s also the foundation for most graduate programs. Common entry points include health services manager positions, clinical research coordinators, community health workers, and health educators. Some clinical roles, like registered nursing, can be entered with a bachelor’s or associate’s degree, though many employers prefer the BSN for hiring and advancement.
Graduate and Professional Degree Careers
The most specialized clinical and research roles in health science require a master’s degree, doctoral degree, or professional degree. This includes physician assistants, nurse practitioners, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. Medical school adds four years beyond the undergraduate level, followed by residency. Biomedical engineers and epidemiologists often hold master’s or doctoral degrees as well.
Master of Health Science (MHS)
For professionals already in the field, an MHS is a strong option when you want to move into leadership, research, or a specialized clinical or administrative role. These programs can be research-oriented or structured for working professionals pursuing mid- to advanced-level positions.
MHS programs typically cover core academic areas including healthcare systems and strategies, evidence-based practice, research methodology, health and medical ethics, health informatics, and population health. What sets an MHS apart from broader public health degrees is the ability to concentrate deeply on a specific domain. Common concentrations include:
- Biostatistics and epidemiological research
- Clinical investigations
- Health informatics
- Healthcare leadership and executive management
- Molecular microbiology and infectious diseases
- Population, family, and reproductive health
- Environmental health, markets, and sustainability
- Global health and health finance
Common job titles for MHS graduates include epidemiologist, public health program coordinator, clinical research study coordinator, health services researcher, statistical analyst, data scientist, and safety and environment specialist.
Clinical vs. Non-Clinical Health Science Careers
Health science careers split into two broad tracks: clinical roles that involve direct patient interaction, and non-clinical roles that support the healthcare system through research, data, administration, policy, or education. Neither track is more valuable than the other. They serve different functions and suit different skill sets.
Clinical Career Paths
Clinical health science professionals work directly with patients to assess, diagnose, and treat health conditions. The range is wide. An audiologist managing hearing loss in an aging population has a very different day than a respiratory therapist in an intensive care unit. Both, however, require specialized clinical training, state licensure, and ongoing continuing education.
Common clinical health science careers include physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, respiratory therapists, radiologic technologists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. Most of these roles require at least a master’s degree and professional licensure.
Non-Clinical Career Paths
Non-clinical health science roles apply scientific and analytical skills without direct patient care. These are the professionals designing the systems, analyzing the data, and making the policy decisions that shape how care gets delivered at scale. Career options in this category include health informatics specialists, healthcare administrators, public health program managers, clinical research coordinators, health educators, biomedical engineers, medical writers, and epidemiologists.
Health informatics is a strong-growth non-clinical track. The BLS projects employment of health information technologists and medical registrars to grow 15 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than average, driven by the expansion of electronic health records, predictive analytics, and AI-assisted diagnostics. A health informatics specialist might spend their day improving data workflows at a hospital system or analyzing population health trends for a state health department.
High-Growth Health Science Careers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2024 to 2034, with about 1.9 million openings projected each year on average. Several specific health science roles are outpacing even those elevated averages.
Audiologists
Audiologists diagnose and treat hearing and balance disorders. They work in clinics, hospitals, schools, and private practice. All states require licensure, and the entry-level degree is a Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.).
Projected growth (2024-2034)
9%
Respiratory Therapists
Respiratory therapists assess and treat patients with breathing and cardiopulmonary disorders. They work primarily in hospitals and critical care settings, often in coordination with physicians and registered nurses.
Projected growth (2024-2034)
12%
Occupational Therapists
Occupational therapists help patients recover or develop the daily living skills affected by illness, injury, or disability. They work across the lifespan in hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, schools, and home health settings.
Projected growth (2024-2034)
14%
Speech-Language Pathologists
Speech-language pathologists assess and treat communication and swallowing disorders in children and adults. Employment is concentrated in schools and healthcare facilities, with growing demand in acute care and home health settings.
Projected growth (2024-2034)
15%
Physician Assistants
Physician assistants examine patients, diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, and provide surgical care under physician supervision. Most work in primary care, internal medicine, and surgical specialties.
Projected growth (2024-2034)
20%
Nurse Practitioners
Nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses who diagnose and treat patients, prescribe medications, and often serve as primary care providers. Entry requires at least a master’s degree and national certification. The BLS projects 35 percent employment growth from 2024 to 2034, placing nurse practitioners among the fastest-growing occupations tracked in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Projected growth (2024-2034)
35%
Health Science Salaries
Salaries across health science careers vary considerably by role, setting, experience, and geographic location. The following table reflects May 2024 median annual wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.
| Career |
Median Annual Wage |
Projected Growth (2024-34) |
| Nurse Practitioners |
$132,050 |
35% |
| Physician Assistants |
$133,260 |
20% |
| Pharmacists |
$137,480 |
5% |
| Occupational Therapists |
$98,340 |
14% |
| Speech-Language Pathologists |
$95,410 |
15% |
| Audiologists |
$92,120 |
9% |
| Registered Nurses |
$93,600 |
5% |
| Respiratory Therapists |
$80,450 |
12% |
| Radiologic Technologists |
$77,660 |
5% |
| Clinical Lab Technologists & Technicians |
$61,890 |
2% |
A Day in the Life: Interview with a Health Sciences Professional
The best way to understand any health science career is to talk to someone doing the work. We spoke with Scott Cunningham, a research and development technologist in the Mayo Clinic’s Division of Clinical Microbiology, about what his role actually looks like day to day.
What attracted you to a career as a medical technologist?
I think it’s the hands-on science. As a medical technologist, it’s what I trained for. You get to see a variety of things. I’ve kind of fine-tuned myself to microbiology, but there are multiple areas in medical technology that a person can either specialize in or rotate through, including tissue-typing, blood banking, hematology, chemistry, and microbiology — those are the big players in a clinical laboratory.
Can you describe your job duties as a research and development technologist at the Mayo Clinic?
We bring tests up from scratch, taking basic science principles or papers and turning them into clinical tests that are utilized on a day-to-day basis. We also validate a number of tests that have already been built at other companies, which, in order to enter the lab, have to undergo vigorous tests to make sure they work properly. And then I also serve as a kind of technical go-to person for the tests in the lab, so that when tests go down, or they’re having issues with tests or procedures, I’m often consulted to come up with an explanation, workaround, or fix.
Can you describe a typical day at work?
There’s really not a normal, set-in-stone scheduled day. I usually have one or more projects that I’m working on. A lot of the projects take multiple days or several hours, so I like to set those up in advance. This gives me the flexibility to deal with issues that come up in the lab, or to deal with anything management needs to address. So it’s a lot of project management. It’s really independent, which is what I like, but there are also timelines that I am expected to meet.
What are some of the most challenging aspects of your work?
The most challenging part of the job is the controlled chaos on a day-to-day basis. There is the unpredictability of not knowing if you are going to meet your end goal all the time. There’s a certain amount of failure that you have to be willing to accept. You don’t know whether something is going to fail until you get there.
What do you find most satisfying about what you do?
Coming up with novel ways to diagnose infectious diseases and getting my hands on things really early on, before they become commonplace. We’re always on the cutting edge of new diagnostic tests, and that’s really challenging and exciting. Every day, I’m going in to solve a puzzle or put a puzzle together. It’s chaotic at times, but it’s mentally stimulating and satisfying to have that on a daily basis.
Choosing a Health Science Career Path
Health science is broad enough that almost any combination of interests and skills maps to a legitimate career. A few questions help narrow the field quickly: Do you want to work directly with patients, or does research and analysis appeal more? Can you invest in a doctoral-level program, or do you need to enter the workforce sooner? Do you prefer a hospital setting, a laboratory, a school, or a policy environment?
Consider the following questions when thinking through your options:
- 1Do you prefer hands-on patient interaction or working behind the scenes?
- 2Can you commit to 10 or more years of education and training?
- 3Are you more drawn to science and data, or to communication and behavioral support?
- 4Do you want to work in a structured clinical environment or a more flexible research or field-based setting?
- 5Is working with children, adults, or older adults most meaningful to you?
Use your answers to find a starting direction below:
Q1 (patient) & Q2 (yes)
Physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, physical therapist
Q1 (patient) & Q2 (no)
Radiologic technologist, respiratory therapist, occupational therapist, medical assistant
Q1 (behind scenes) & Q3 (science/data)
Biomedical engineer, clinical research coordinator, health informatics specialist, epidemiologist
Q1 (behind scenes) & Q3 (communication)
Health educator, public health program manager, medical writer, policy analyst
Q5 (children) & Q1 (patient)
Speech-language pathologist, audiologist, school health specialist, pediatric occupational therapist
Non-Traditional Health Science Careers
Health science’s breadth means there’s room for professionals who don’t fit the conventional clinical mold. Growing demand for specialization has opened career paths that combine health knowledge with creative, technical, or analytical disciplines.
Athletic Trainer and Exercise Physiologist: Athletic trainers focus on preventing, evaluating, and rehabilitating athletic injuries. Exercise physiologists work with patients and conduct testing to document how the body responds to physical activity. Both roles often serve sports teams, rehabilitation clinics, and corporate wellness programs.
Biomedical Engineer: Biomedical engineering sits at the intersection of engineering and life science. Biomedical engineers design artificial limbs and internal devices, develop diagnostic machines, maintain biomedical equipment, and collaborate with scientists and physicians on biological research. They work in hospitals, universities, private industry, and government regulatory agencies. Entry typically requires a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, though some professionals combine engineering with a biomedical science minor before entering graduate programs.
Dance, Drama, and Music Therapist: Behavioral therapy plays a key role in treating emotional, cognitive, and physical health conditions. Dance, drama, and music therapists use their artistic skills to assess patient disorders and develop individualized behavioral therapy plans. These roles require graduate-level training and professional certification from the relevant credentialing body.
Licensure and Certification in Health Science
Many clinical health science careers require a state license to practice, though requirements vary by occupation and state. Where licensure is required, it typically involves completing an accredited training program, accumulating supervised clinical hours, and passing a national or state examination. Some roles, like physician, dentist, nurse, and audiologist, have well-known licensing requirements. Others may be less expected: many hospitals and reference laboratories require medical laboratory technologists to hold the ASCP (American Society for Clinical Pathology) certification before employment, though specific requirements vary by state and employer.
Scott Cunningham described his own experience with that requirement: “In most states and in most situations, hospitals and reference laboratories require you to have the American Society of Clinical Pathology Certification, which basically says that you’ve gone through a training program that meets the needs of a basic clinical laboratory and you’re not coming in with just raw science training. So that was the whole premise for me going back for my second bachelor’s.”
Beyond mandatory state licensing, private nonprofit organizations offer professional certifications that recognize specialized expertise. These include credentials like the Registered Health Coach, Certified Occupational Therapist, Registered Dietitian, and Certified Diabetes Educator. These certifications are not always required, but many employers consider them a hiring prerequisite.
Finding Your First Health Science Job
The job search timeline for health science careers is often longer than in other fields. Licensing requirements, clinical rotations, and competitive program applications all add lead time. Starting a job search well before graduation, not just in the final semester, is a widely shared piece of career advice. Building professional networks through student organizations, internships, and clinical placements gives you access to job leads and references that aren’t available through public job boards alone.
Internships and undergraduate research are particularly valuable. Federal programs at institutions like the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer competitive internship placements that build both skills and professional networks.
Professional organizations with job boards and student chapters relevant to health science careers include:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a health science degree?
A health science degree is an undergraduate or graduate credential that prepares students for careers across the health and medical fields. Programs cover a combination of biology, anatomy, research methods, and health systems, and many allow students to concentrate in areas like public health, informatics, or clinical research. A bachelor’s in health science is often used as a pre-professional foundation before entering graduate programs in physical therapy, physician assistant studies, or medicine.
What careers can I get with a health science degree?
A health science degree opens entry-level positions in clinical coordination, healthcare administration, community health, and research support. With a bachelor’s degree, common roles include clinical research coordinator, health educator, community health worker, and patient services representative. Graduate degrees are required for most clinical roles, including occupational therapists, physician assistants, and audiologists. Many graduates also use health science as a pre-med foundation.
How long does it take to get a job in health science?
It depends on the role. Entry-level clinical support positions can be filled with a two-year associate’s degree. Roles requiring a bachelor’s degree take four years. Master’s-level clinical roles take six to seven years total. The most specialized clinical careers, including physicians, dentists, physical therapists, and audiologists, require doctoral-level training and often residency, putting the full timeline at eight to twelve years from the start of undergraduate studies.
Is health science a good career choice?
The data points in that direction. The BLS projects healthcare occupations overall to grow much faster than the national average through 2034, with some roles like nurse practitioner (35% growth) and physician assistant (20% growth) among the fastest-growing jobs in the entire economy. Salaries for clinical roles are well above the national median. That said, the best fit depends on your specific interests, tolerance for education length, and the type of work environment you prefer.
What’s the difference between an MHS and an MPH?
Both are graduate-level health degrees, but they have different orientations. A Master of Health Science (MHS) tends to emphasize scientific research methodology and often prepares graduates for laboratory, clinical research, or specialized technical roles. A Master of Public Health (MPH) has a broader population health focus, preparing graduates for roles in health policy, epidemiology, community health, and health administration. Many programs overlap, so reviewing specific concentrations and career outcomes is the best way to choose between them.
Key Takeaways
- Five career clusters: Health science is organized into diagnostic services, therapeutic services, health informatics, support services, and biotech research. Where you focus shapes which settings and degree levels apply.
- Degree level determines entry point: Associate’s degrees open clinical support roles quickly. Bachelor’s degrees enable coordination and public health work. Graduate degrees are required for most licensed clinical and research careers.
- Growth is real and sustained: The BLS projects about 1.9 million annual job openings in healthcare occupations through 2034, driven by population aging and expanded access to care.
- Clinical and non-clinical tracks both offer strong careers: Many clinical roles carry higher median wages, but non-clinical tracks in informatics, research, and policy offer competitive compensation and flexibility.
- Licensure is common in clinical roles: Most licensed clinical health science occupations require state licensure, but requirements vary significantly by role. Researching the requirements for your target occupation before enrolling in a program saves significant time and expense.
Ready to explore health science programs? Browse accredited degree options by state and find programs that match your career goals and timeline.
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Laura Bennett, MPH is a public health professional with over 12 years of experience in community health education and program coordination. She specializes in helping aspiring professionals explore flexible education pathways, including online and hybrid public health degree programs. Laura is passionate about making public health careers more accessible through practical, accredited training
2024 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and job market figures for Audiologists, Respiratory Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Pharmacists, Registered Nurses, Radiologic Technologists, and Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians represent state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed May 2026.
