Top Ten Healthcare Jobs in Canada by Demand
A career in Healthcare could be the avenue to a successful and rewarding career. With an aging population demand is higher than ever for qualified individuals; senior citizens (65+) outnumber children (<15) by seventeen percent and are the fastest growing age group in Canada placing additional pressure on health care systems. Job vacancies in health care and social assistance went up by 56.9 per cent, during the last quarter of 2020, bringing vacancies to a “record high”, the highest among all sectors.
Ranking was determined by job demand from 2019 – 2028 with many of these positions generating employment opportunities for a number of different positions. For example, a Licensed Practical Nurse position immediately generates multiple employment opportunities in directly related positions such as Operating Room Technician or Registered Nursing Assistant.
- Registered Nurse
- Licensed Practical Nurse
- Advanced Nurse Practitioner
- Medical Administrative Assistant
- Physiotherapist
- Occupational Therapist
- Nursing Supervisor
- Optical Dispensing Technician
- Respiratory Therapist
- Health Information Manager
Registered Nurse
Registered Nurses, (RN), hold a four-year Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from a Canadian University or its international equivalent. RN’s may specialize in a variety of areas such as surgery, obstetrics, psychiatrics, pediatrics, community health, occupational health, emergency, rehabilitation, or oncology, just to name a few. To complete your education and be ready to enter the healthcare arena students must pass the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination) Exam. Provincial nursing regulatory authorities determine eligibility to write the exam. Demand for nurses in all areas of hospital and ambulatory settings remains very strong and will continue to be in the foreseeable future. Over the period 2019 to 2028, this group expects to face severe labour shortages with more new job openings than new job seekers to fill them.
Licensed Practical Nurse
What is a licensed practical nurse (LPN)? Licensed Practical Nurses are trained in both academic and practical areas of nursing. Graduates are prepared to provide services in a variety of environments to assist and monitor patients. Educational requirements are a 1-2 year Diploma Program depending on the province and on the core curriculum and level of expertise at a Community College or University. Programs include placements in a medical facility to complete the experience of the roles and responsibilities of an LPN. LPN candidates must pass a Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination (CPNRE). Demand is high for Licensed Practical Nurses to help fill the national shortage LPN’s with abundant opportunities in areas such as community services, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation services, acute care, and maternity just to name a few.
Advanced Nurse Practitioner
Nurse practitioners fall under the category of allied primary health practitioners and provide primary health care and treatment in conjunction with physicians and in collaboration with other health professionals. They usually require a master's degree in nursing; or completion of a nursing program with additional advanced or extended primary health care nursing education; and several years of practice as a registered nurse and registration with a regulatory body is required for nurse practitioners in all provinces and territories. There is expected to be a labour shortage across Canada between 2019 and 2028.
Medical Administrative Specialist
Medical administrative assistants are responsible for a variety of administrative duties such as scheduling medical appointments, entering medical reports, complete and submit insurance and other claim forms, maintain medical files, order supplies and maintain inventory to name a few. Other job titles include, medical receptionist, medical secretary, medical office assistant or health unit clerk. The median salary across Canada for a medical administrative specialist is $21.55, although it various by province and territory. To work as a medical office administrative assistant, completion of a one or two-year college program or other specialized courses for secretaries or medical secretaries is usually required. New job openings are expected to exceed new job seekers in the period 2019 to 2028.
Physiotherapist
In accordance with the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA), to become a Physiotherapist in Canada, individuals require an undergraduate degree, usually with specific pre-requisites, in order to qualify for admission to Master’s Entry-Level Programs. Students experience the degree of professionalism required with a total number of 1000+ hours in a clinical setting and requires Provincial Registration. Physiotherapy is required in many settings including rehabilitation hospitals, private clinics, community health centres, residential care and assisted-living facilities and schools. The median salary is $40.75/hour with new openings expected to exceed new job seekers in the period 2019 – 2028.
Occupational Therapist
To launch a career in occupational therapy (OT), the minimum educational requirement is a four-year undergraduate Baccalaureate Degree focused on occupational therapy academic programs and includes 1,000 hours of supervised on-the-job training. You can opt to elevate your education as an Occupational Therapist by enrolling in a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program upon completion of the undergraduate degree. Applicants to every province other than Quebec must successfully complete the National Occupational Therapy Certification Exam (NOTCE), as a requirement of registration. In the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, occupational therapists are not currently a regulated health profession and, as such, do not need to complete the NOTCE to practice in the Territories. The median salary is $41.63/hour with a labour shortage expected at the national level between 2019 and 2028.
Nursing Supervisor
As a Nursing Supervisor, you can expect to manage the nursing staff at a hospital, clinic, nursing home and many other forums. A four-year university nursing degree is mandatory. In addition to possessing a degree as a Registered Nurse (RN), management training, and 5 years of clinical experience is required to attain this level of Nursing Care. This occupational group is expected to face labour shortage conditions over the period of 2019-2028 at the national level.
Dispensing Optician
Dispensing Opticians fit clients with prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses and arrange for the production of eyeglasses or contact lenses. Completion of a two or three-year college diploma program in ophthalmic dispensing is required, along with licensing by the regulatory body in all provinces. In the ten year period 2019 – 2028 the new job openings are expected to exceed job seekers by approximately 14%. Average median salary is $25.00/hour.
Respiratory Therapist
What is a Respiratory Therapist? They diagnose and provide treatment for those who suffer from heart or lung problems focusing on airway management. Community Colleges provide a three-year program where the curriculum includes students participating in clinical training a hospital and/or home care setting. Upon graduation, students become eligible to write the CSRT National Certification Exam and receive CSRT Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) certification. Due to Provincial legislation, other credentials may be required. The median salary for respiratory therapists is $36.00/hour and an expected labour shortage through to 2028.
Health Information Management
A Health Information Manager classifies and codes diseases, clinical data and related demographic information from health records and assembles and analyzes clinical data and related demographic information. They also operate information systems to maintain indexes for classification systems and to manage and retrieve health records information. Health information management technicians are required to complete a recognized two-year college diploma program in health information management and would then be eligible to write the Canadian Health Information Management Association national certification examination which may be required by employers. It is expected that over the period 2019 – 2028 new job openings will exceed job seekers.
