Healthcare is the single largest employer in the United States, with over 13.5 million workers across 545,000 establishments. These health centers can range from smaller private clinics employing fewer than 5 people, to busy hospitals that offer numerous and varied job opportunities. Healthcare is a comprehensive term that includes physicians, nurses, dentists, and other medical practitioners, not to mention medical transcribers, medical technicians, and other administrative or support career fields. - Find Schools offering Healthcare field education.

Healthcare Professionals: Education and Training
Physicians are responsible for diagnosing ailments and prescribing medication or other forms of treatment. They are the most educated of all healthcare professionals, and an individual considering this highly specialized field, can expect to put in many years of education; 4 years of pre-med school followed by another 4 years of medical school. Post education, they are required to complete a residency program which takes the form of on-the-job training in a hospital and can last between 3-8 years. New physicians will not directly begin private practice; rather they will have to initially work in a hospital or a large private clinic. Those intending to join the nursing profession also must complete training, but in many cases, a 2-year associates degree will suffice. Coursework typically focuses on various aspects of nursing practices, microbiology, anatomy, and physiology.

Career Prospects in the Healthcare Sector
With rapid advances in medical care and longer life expectancies, healthcare professionals (and especially physicians) can expect extremely favorable demand in the coming years. The highest pay packages are reported by anesthesiologists, whose median earnings in 2004 were $321,686. For nurses, the median earnings were $52,330, with the highest earning nurses drawing up to $74,760. As demand for more medical personnel continues to rise in the wake of retiring baby boomers, one can expect salaries to increase across the board.

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Source: US Department of Labor

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Accounting is a popular area of study among those interested in pursuing a business-related career. Training in accounting and auditing can open the door for an individual to work in nearly any area of the public or private sector because literally every organization must maintain impeccable financial records to survive. – Find Accounting Schools

Online Degrees in Accounting
Many jobs as accountants and auditors require significant education. A bachelors degree in accounting or a related field can be a prerequisite for many of these jobs. In order to take the Certified Professional Accountant (CPA) examination, an individual must hold a four-year degree. Some employers look to give their accountants and auditors more responsibility and in turn seek those with masters degrees in accounting.

This doesn’t mean, however, that there isn’t room for entry-level workers in the accounting field. Bookkeepers or auditing or accounting clerks can find employment with an associates degree in business or accounting. It is common that bookkeepers and accounting clerks amass experience in the accounting workforce while they continue their education by earning an accounting bachelors degree online. A combination of education and experience can lead to higher salaries and promotions.

Online degree programs in accounting can provide students with industry-current technology and knowledge. Coursework may include studies in tax law, financial and managerial accounting, corporate procedures, and budget analysis.

Earnings for Bookkeepers and Accountants
Bookkeepers and accounting clerks earned a median annual income of $28,570 in May 2004. Accountants and auditors earned $50,770. Starting salaries for accounting and auditing positions in 2005 averaged an impressive $43,269 for bachelors degree candidates. – Find Accounting Schools

Source: The Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Also known as legal assistants, paralegals provide crucial administrative support in law firms, DA offices, and private practices. They help research, organize, and document legal briefs, contracts and other legal materials used in cases and negotiations. In short they are the backbone of any law firm, and their duties may differ depending on the needs of the employers. Despite these unique responsibilities, paralegals are forbidden from other legal duties like representing clients in the courtroom or giving any sort of legal counsel. – Find Paralegal Schools

Educational Requirements for Paralegals
Most people in this field usually complete a paralegal program offered by community colleges and universities. Others, who already possess a bachelors or associates degree in an unrelated field, might opt for a certification course in paralegal training. Close to a thousand colleges and law schools across the US offer comprehensive paralegal training courses that range from 2 year associate degrees to full fledged college degrees. Such training programs also include invaluable on-the-job training in the form of internships with a law firm or a public attorney’s office. Law firms may also hire graduates with no legal experience and train them on the job, while others prefer to promote legal secretaries who have extensive experience in legal practices. – Find Paralegal Schools

Salary Potential for Paralegals
The job market for paralegals is expected to grow faster than the national average for most other occupations. The popular trend in many corporations is to develop in house legal teams that include paralegals who handle many of the jobs previously handled solely by lawyers. This will boost employment opportunities for paralegals. Those with expertise in niche legal areas like tax, patents, medical practice, and bankruptcy will often have more career options. Salaries tend to depend on the size of the employer and level of experience. The average median salary of paralegals in 2004 was $40K. – Find Paralegal Schools

Source: US Department of Labor

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For managerial IT positions, a bachelor’s degree in computer systems is often mandatory, but there are countless positions within the broader field of information technology for which only an associates degree is required. Data entry and Web design, for example, usually require only two years of formal training. For those looking for long-term career advancement, however, additional years of training will prove extremely useful. Because information technology systems are so widely used in a company’s decision making process, a business or consulting background can often be a plus. Moreover, since information technology managers have to deal with non-technical people too (like clients and top management), communication skills are important. - Find Information Technology Schools

Potential Growth in the Information technology Sector
Because computerized information management is so important to the functioning of any company, there will be faster than average growth in this particular career sector. Every day, the Internet throws up new business opportunities, and as more and more business is conducted online, keeping these systems moving smoothly will be of more importance than ever. In 2004, the median salary for computer and information systems managers was an impressive $93K. - Find Information Technology Schools

Source: Us Department of Labor

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