Become a Psychologist

Although many employers do look for prior experience or certificates, some entry-level healthcare positions require none at all. In fact, they can be learned through on-the-job training.

Better yet, the health sector is one of the best places to get your foot in the door with one job before moving up a very diverse career ladder that offers the promise of long-term job security.

That’s especially true with allied-health support positions. The workers in these 50 or so professions support doctors and nurses in many ways, including taking X-rays, drawing blood, assisting with physical therapy and analyzing lab specimens.

Here are seven healthcare jobs that often require no training to get hired and that are projected to be in high demand in coming years:

1. Home Care Aide

Job Description: Assists elderly or disabled adults with daily activities at home or in daytime care facilities. Duties may include making beds, doing laundry, preparing meals, as well as advising families, the elderly and disabled on nutrition, cleanliness and household utilities.

Work Environment: Daytime care facilities or in patients' homes (often working alone or with periodic visits from a supervisor).

Average Salary: $20, 560

3. Medical Biller

Job Description: Collects payments from patients, submits reimbursement claims to insurers and maintains billing records.

Work Environment: Private offices, hospitals, clinics or rehabilitation facilities.

Median Salary: $33, 770

4. Medical Secretary

Job Description: Assists with day-to-day management of medical offices. Duties can include scheduling appointments, training staff, operating new office technologies, ordering supplies, preparing letters, arranging for lab procedures and helping physicians with reports.

Work Environment: Medical office, hospital or other healthcare setting.

Average Salary: $32, 430

5. Nursing Assistant/Patient Care Attendant

Job Description: Provides indirect care and performs routine tasks under the supervision of nursing and medical staff. May escort patients to operating and examining rooms, keep patients’ rooms neat, set up equipment, store and move supplies, assist with some procedures, as well as report on any changes to a patient’s physical, mental and emotional condition.

Work Environment: Hospitals or nursing-care facilities.

Average Salary: $25, 420

6. Occupational Therapist Aide

Job Description: Works with occupational therapists to provide rehabilitative services to people with mental, physical or emotional impairments. Aides prepare materials and assemble equipment for treatment and perform various clerical tasks (e.g., scheduling appointments, answering phones, restocking supplies, filling out insurance forms).