Top 15 Highest Paying Medical Jobs in 2024

Doctors and health care workers are considered next to god. Medical is a profession that has always been in demand and highly paid. Such is the stature and esteem of healthcare workers that they are widely appreciated all over the world. Hence, if one has relevant skills and interests, then medicine is a profession that can’t be neglected.

Five Best Reasons For Choosing Medical Jobs

1) Highly Paid

A medical professional is highly paid and they extract huge pay packages and incentives. Experience can do wonders, and one could see his or her pay rising leaps and bounds.

2) Always In Demand

The demand for medical professionals is huge, or more appropriate to say, humongous. In order to satisfy such a mammoth demand, there is constant need of people choosing medical as there profession. This simply means, you will never be out of employment, no matter, what the situation is.

3) Various specializations

There are a wide variety of options to choose from. One can always get specialized in his or her areas of interest and progress their careers.

4) Superb Career Stability and Job Security

Hospitals are mostly overwhelmed with hundreds of patients coming for their treatments daily. This implies, a healthcare worker would always have his or her hands full, thereby enjoying a regular stream of income.

5) Excellent Employee Benefits

Being in a profession, that saves someone’s life, you are a highly important person for your employer. Medical professionals are the most well paid and compensated employees, with benefits ranging from lucrative medical insurances to superior recreational trips.

Best Paying Fifteen Medical Jobs

1) Radiologist

Everything that is happening in your body can be examined only after undergoing several tests. A radiologist is a doctor who is trained for diagnosing and treating ailments by conducting diagnostic tests such as:

• Ultrasound
• X-Rays
• Bone mineral densitometry (to assess the level of calcium in your bones)
• CT(Computed Tomography) scan
• MRI( Medical Resource Imaging) scan
• Mammography etc

The role of a radiologist is challenging and technical, as one must be aware of all the latest developments happening in the field of medicine and upgrade oneself accordingly. One must undergo regular training and learn how to operate the latest medical equipment.

Qualification

To become a radiologist you need to have at least a bachelor’s degree in radiology. Coupling it up with a few certifications in radiology is always advisable. A list of some important radiology certifications is mentioned below:

Name of the course	Duration
Certification course in Radiography	6 months
Certification course in Radiography assistance	6 months
Certification course in Radiography diagnostics	6 months

The salary prospects of a radiologist are very bright and they earn huge sums of money, as their career progress and experience increase. They also have an option to set up their own diagnostic labs, by getting medical equipment on lease or buying them upfront, as the case may be.

2) General Physician

A physician can be considered as the first doctor. Anything goes wrong in one’s body, one rushes to a physician. He or she is responsible to undertake the following duties:

• Assess the patient in a cautious and heedful manner
• Prescribe and recommend tests to be conducted, in order to further the diagnosis or treatment
• Analyze the results of the tests
• Prescribe medicines or surgery as the case may be

Being the first doctor, the demand for a general physician is very high. A general physician can start his or her own medical practice too. They charge on the basis of per visit or consultation when in their own practice. Even when in the job, they enjoy an attractive package.

Qualification

To become a general physician you must need to complete at least:

• A bachelor’s degree in medicine and
• Any one of the two advanced medical degrees, that is:
  • Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or
  • Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)

3) Nurse

A nurse works under the guidance and assistance of a qualified doctor. His or her primary responsibilities include:

• Taking samples of the patients and sending them to laboratories for testing purposes
• Assisting the team of doctors or health care professionals during treatments or surgeries
• Preparing notes during a diagnosis procedure
• Monitoring the various levels while attending to a patient on a daily basis after fixed intervals of time
• Providing assistance and emotional support to patients and his or her relatives
• Training fellow junior nurses

The role of a nurse is hectic and they are required to work in several shifts. The pay package is bright and they can be employed in various types of institutions, ranging from Hospitals to schools to corporates.

Qualification

To become a registered nurse, one must obtain either a:

• Degree in nursing (Bachelor’s degree) or
• Diploma in nursing (called GNM, General Nursing, and Midwifery)

4) Phlebotomist

The role of a phlebotomist revolves around human blood. They specialize in drawing out human blood by puncturing the vein (mostly near the elbow) for the purposes of conducting tests and diagnosis. This process of drawing out blood by puncturing the vein is known as venipuncture and hence they are also known as venipuncturist.

The biggest employer of phlebotomists is the diagnostic labs. A phlebotomist can be employed in the field as well as in the office. When in the field, he or she has to travel to the residences of the patients and collect blood samples which at the end of the day have to be deposited at the diagnostic labs.

Qualification

To become a phlebotomist one must have a science background and have to undergo an internship or training in order to learn the technique of drawing out blood.

5) Anesthesiologist

Nowadays almost all surgeries and major treatments happen under the effect of anesthesia. An Anesthesiologist is a qualified doctor, who specializes in giving anesthesia to their patients so that they temporarily lose the ability to feel pain and trauma.

It is a challenging role and requires a high level of expertise and finesse as one small mistake can make a patient paralyzed or permanently numb. For such a level of expertise and huge demand, they are compensated adequately and enjoy fat paychecks.

Qualification

In order to become an anesthesiologist, one must complete a bachelor’s degree in medicine and couple it up with a post-graduate degree that specializes in anesthesia.

6) Dermatologist

A dermatologist is a qualified doctor who specializes in the treatment of:

• Skin
• Hair and
• Nails

He or she has to deal mostly with a variety of skin diseases such as:

• Eczema
• Acne
• Hives
• Herpes
• Psoriasis or
• Skin cancer

A dermatologist like most doctors has an option to either set up his or her own practice or get a job in a reputed medical institution. They earn huge when in practice and enjoy lucrative pay packages when in employment.

Qualification

In order to become a dermatologist one must have at least one of the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in dermatology (3 years) or
• Diploma in dermatology (2 years)

A person willing to gain more knowledge can undergo post graduate courses such as:

• Post Graduate Diploma in Dermatology, Venerology & Leprosy (2 years)
• Master’s degree in Dermatology, Venereology & Leprology (2 years)
• Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) in Dermatology & Venereology (3 years)

7) Gynaecologist

A qualified doctor who specializes in the health and diagnosis of ailments particular to women with a special focus on female reproductive system. The perform a several duties, the most common one;s are listed below:

• Advise patients on birth control and matters involving fertility issues
• Examination of breasts
• Identifying and treating harmful tumors
• Order diagnostic tests and analyze test reports
• Conducting annual examination of the patients
• Conduct or assist in the delivery of infants

New life is created everyday and there are hundreds of thousands of infants born every minute. The demand for gynecologists is huge and considering the nature of their work, they are compensated dearly.

Qualification

In order to become a gynecologist, one must complete one’s bachelor’s degree in medicine and than choose gynecology as specialization in post graduate degree course.

8) Dentist

Dentistry is another popular medical course, that deals with the teeth of the people. The primarily role of a dentist is to:

• Performing tests on the teeth of the patients such as dental X rays
• Analyze the tests carefully and perform several dental surgeries such as:
  • Filling cavities
  • Applying helpful ointments to the teeth such as whiteners
  • Clean plaque
  • Root canal
  • Fabricating and fixing false teeth etc
• Prescribe antibodies and painkillers
• Apply and fix braces in order to correct teeth deformation
• Regularly perform routine dental checkups

People experience dental problems due to a variety of reasons and are in need of a dentist. We see the private practice of a dentist flourishing. An experienced and skillful dentist is always on the radar of big hospitals and other medical institutions earning high salaries and incentives.

Qualification

In order to become a dentist, one must complete a bachelor’s degree course in dentistry.

9) Psychiatrist

We experience traumas in life, some are so severe that destroy our mental health. A psychiatrist is a doctor who specializes in the mental well-being of a person. The main duties include:

• Organize and conduct counseling sessions of the patients in order to understand their problems and needs (known as Talk Therapy)
• Choose and pick words after careful scrutiny and develop a fluent speech that can influence the behavior of a patient in a positive way (known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
• Treating bipolar and suicidal patients along with cases related to depression
• Prescribe medicines and anti-depressants after a careful diagnosis

Everyone encounters some bitter experiences in life affecting the emotional well-being and mental health of an individual. They need a psychiatrist to get back on track and look again at the bright side of life. A psychiatrist is a profession in vogue and garners huge salaries and incentives.

Qualification

In order to become a psychologist one must obtain a bachelor’s degree in medicine and post that complete either one of the following:

• Postgraduate degree in medicine (M.D.) with psychology as a major or specialization or
• Diploma in psychiatric medicine (DPM)

10) Medical Assistant

A medical assistant or a medical clerk is in charge of performing administrative and clerical duties in a medical institution. He or she is the direct assistant of a doctor and performs the following duties:

• Measures and notes, blood pressure and body temperature
• Records the history of ailments suffered by the patient and his or her personal information such as name, address, and contact no.
• Helps and assist the doctor during the course of medical examination
• Schedule and organize the appointments of patients
• Handling calls and replying to the queries of the callers
• Maintain the decorum of the office of the medical practitioner

Almost all medical institutions no matter they are big or small require a medical assistant. The salary prospects are also good, considering the nature of the work involved and duties to be performed.

Qualification

The qualifications of a medical assistant are simple. He or she can simply have a science background (not mandatory) and graduation in any field.

11) E.N.T(Ear/Nose/Throat) Specialist (Also Known As Otolaryngologist)

As the name suggests, an ENT doctor specializes in the treatment of our three pivotal senses, ear, nose, and throat along with the entire area above our neck. His primary duties include testing and treating the various ailments related to them. They also have a long line of patients in front of their office and enjoy huge salaries and consultation fees.

Qualification

One must obtain a bachelor’s degree in medicine and couple it with at least one of the following:

• Diploma in ENT (2 years)
• Diploma in Laryngology and Otology (DLO) (2 years)
• Doctor of Medicine in ENT (3 years)

12) Speech Therapist

A speech therapist is a medical professional primarily dealing with speech related disorders found in children. One must possess:

• Excellent communication skills
• An ability to think critically
• Active listening skills and
• Patience

Speech disorders are common among children and young. A speech therapist charge on a per hour basis while practicing on his own and can also earn hefty salaries while working with a speech center.

Qualification

In order to become a speech therapist, one must complete:

• A degree in speech therapy(3 years) or
• A diploma in speech therapy course(2 years).

13) Ophthalmologist

An ophthalmologist deals with your eyes and corrects all types of defects in the vision. He is responsible to:

• Perform a detailed inspection of the eye
• Diagnose and prescribe corrective measures for the various types of problems such as:
  • Myopia (nearsightedness)
  • Hyperopia (farsightedness)
  • Astigmatism (rough surface of the cornea)
  • Presbyopia (both nearsightedness and farsightedness)
  • Cataract
  • Night blindness
  • Color blindness
  • Partial blindness etc

Almost all people, especially in old age, people experience eye problems. The role of an ophthalmologist is vital and they have employed mostly by eye care centers, lens makers, and opticians. The earning prospects are really bright and they are never out of employment.

Qualification

In order to become an ophthalmologist, one must complete his bachelor’s degree in medicine and then choose ophthalmology in one’s post-graduate program as a specialization.

14) Physiotherapist

We experience situations of bond fractures and ruptured ligaments, which need several months to recuperate. During this period of convalescence, our movement is affected vastly. In order to restore the proper functioning of muscle movements and functions, there is a specialized professional known as a physiotherapist. They are involved in private practices and charge on the basis of a per session of physiotherapy.

Qualification

In order to become a physiotherapist, one must obtain either:

• A bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy(4 years) or
• A diploma in physiotherapy(2 to 3 years)

15) Surgeon

A surgeon is a highly qualified doctor who specializes in special situations relating to human ailments which require surgery or an operation. There are various types of surgeons on the basis of their specialty, the major ones are listed below:

• Cardiac surgeon (related to the heart)
• Neurosurgeon (related to the brain)
• Urologist (related to the urinary system)
• Bone surgeon (related to the bones and muscles)
• Spine Surgeon (related to the spinal cord) etc

One must choose his or her area of specialty, on the basis of interests and relevant skills. They are highly respectable and possess a high level of proficiency and finesse. They are paid the highest in the entire medical fraternity and with experience, there is no limit to what a person can earn.

Qualification

In order to become a surgeon one must have at least:

• A bachelor’s degree in medical
• Postgraduate degree in general surgery
• Super-specialty degree in the specialization you want to choose as a major

Conclusion

With an ever-increasing population and demand for medical services, it could be said that medicine is a profession that will always be in vogue. Medicine is a broad term that consists of a wide variety of options, which one can choose based on the various factors and circumstances. If you like our articles then don’t forget to share them with your friends and family members. Also, do let us know through the comments section below, how much you admire our articles.

References

1. https://www.bmj.com/content/335/7630/1126.short
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0271712381900055