As the healthcare sector faces new challenges, modern tech solutions enhance performance, boost collaboration across health systems, and manage costs. With the assistance of healthcare technology, organizations can automate tasks, improve workflows, and streamline processes at a scale. An undertaking that isn’t realistically feasible for humans alone. These solutions are simultaneously helping healthcare providers deliver exceptional patient care, create better experiences, and decrease burnout.
Many innovative leaps in health technology have not only expanded options for medical treatments but have also introduced new and exciting employment opportunities for people looking to pursue this career field. So, what exactly is healthcare technology and what are some of the most in-demand healthcare tech jobs?
What Is Healthcare Technology?
Healthcare technology is any technology that is designed to support healthcare organizations. It includes IT systems, medical devices, algorithms, cloud, Blockchain, AI and machine learning.
Utilizing technology to measure and capture data across the entire healthcare system and gives healthcare organizations a snapshot of their performance as it relates to the patient experience. Health tech solutions also automate that measurement so organizations can continuously review their results and health data, identify problems that need to be resolved, and discover ways to improve patient care and their overall experience.
Here are the top six healthcare tech jobs that are likely to be in high demand in 2024 and beyond:
1. Cybersecurity Analysts
As healthcare organizations continue to be at risk of data theft, the need for cybersecurity professionals within the industry has grown. Many hospitals and other healthcare institutes are increasingly embracing digital solutions to meet the growing consumer expectations of receiving better access and quality of care at reduced costs. Therefore, they are actively looking to recruit cybersecurity professionals that can help them keep these digital solutions secure.
According our report, the average yearly income for cybersecurity analysts is $109,396, and the occupation is likely to grow 35% from 2023 to 2033, which is much faster than the average for all professions (5%).
2. Data Scientists
Data scientists play a significant role in healthcare IT. That’s because modern computing technology trends, including health tech trends, depend on data science. A data scientist is responsible for managing and analyzing large volumes of data using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive modeling methods.
As of 2024, the median yearly salary for data scientists was $124,540 with the highest 10% earning over $188,424. Jobs for data scientists are likely to increase 36% from 2021 to 2031, which translates into yearly 15,000 openings, on average, over the decade.
3. Software Developers
Typical duties of a software developer include designing and developing software systems, installing and testing them for security and compliance, as well as maintaining them. This role involves programming, coding, designing, developing, and maintaining applications, websites, or apps. Therefore, software developers must also understand healthcare mobile apps, web apps, and other software to meet customers’ requirements.
Software developers earn an average yearly income of $133,722. Overall employment of software developers is likely to grow 25% from 2021 to 2031, adding about 162,900 new jobs each year, over the decade.
4. Health Informatics
Health informatics professionals are responsible for organizing and analyzing health records to enhance healthcare outcomes. They develop methods to collect, evaluate, and implement patient solutions using existing resources and devices. They also store and retrieve all relevant data regarding patients, treatments, and all eventual outcomes.
As a part of their day-to-day job, these professionals ensure that medics and nurses have fast, convenient, and efficient access to health records. As a health informatics professional, you can work in a variety of roles such as a hospital coder, medical receptionist, and registered health information technician (RHIT). While no detailed salary information exists on RHITs on the BLS website, you can refer to other sources for salary estimates.
5. Database Architects and Administrators
A database administrator is responsible for maintaining database software for efficient and easy data access. Unlike database architects that design and create databases, database administrators concentrate on day-to-day database system operations. They also manage data security, backup, partitions, replication, implementation, and storage. As both professionals have to ensure that data servers remain operational and efficient, you’ll find that these roles have a lot of overlapping duties.
Database architects and administrators usually need a bachelor’s degree in computer and IT or a related field. The average annual salary of database administrators is $108,227 whereas data architects earn about $139,946 each year. Many expect overall employment in both occupations to increase by 9% from 2021 to 2031.
6. Network and Computer Systems Administrators
Network and systems administrators manage an organization’s day-to-day computer network operations. Most employers require these professionals to have at least a bachelor’s degree in computer or information science. Others may need only a postsecondary certificate or an associate’s degree.
The average yearly income of network and computer systems administrators was $103,974 in 2024. Jobs for this occupation are likely to increase by 3% from 2021 to 2031. Despite limited job growth, about 23,900 vacancies for network and computer systems administrators occur annually, on average, over a decade.