High-paying health care jobs you can get with a master's degree

Health care jobs aren’t just limited to doctors and nurses—or even having to wear scrubs, see blood, or work in hospital, for that matter.

With a projected growth much faster than the average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), you have a lot of career options within the health care sector, depending on your education level. Some jobs, such as radiation therapist and diagnostic medical sonographer, only require an associate degree, whereas a bachelor’s opens up opportunities such as registered nurse and dietitian. But with a master’s degree you’ll really be cooking with gas, or healing with prescription drugs, or whatever the medical equivalent to that expression is.

Wondering if graduate school is worth it? A master’s degree can not only get you a higher salary and more job opportunities, but can also help you gain more leadership and responsibility at work.

Using BLS data, we rounded up the top health care jobs you can get with a master’s degree and ranked them by pay. A few jobs on the list hit the six-figure mark, but any of these jobs should get you more than what the average health care worker makes. The BLS says the median annual wage for all health care practitioners is $68,190, but tack on a master’s degree, and watch that number rise handsomely. Grad school may be just what the doctor ordered, after all.

Salaries will be determined not only by your level of experience, but also by your specialty and where in the country you work. For example, a physician assistant salary in Burlington, Massachusetts, is 6% higher than the national average; an occupational therapist salary in Phoenix, Arizona, is 8% higher than the national average; and a speech language pathologist salary in Los Angeles, is 18% higher than the national average.

Explore these health care career options below to see what you can get with a master’s degree.

1. Advanced practice registered nurse

What you’d do: A broad category of specialized nurses, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) include nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners. In these advanced positions, you would coordinate and provide primary and specialty health care to patients.

What you’d make: $128,490 per year

Find all APRN jobs on Monster.

2. Physician assistant

What you’d do: Don’t let the title fool you. Although physician assistants typically work on teams with physicians, surgeons, and other health care workers you’d be trained to work in all areas of medicine with job responsibilities that include examining, diagnosing, and treating patients.

What you’d make: $137,892 per year

Find all physician assistant jobs on Monster.

3. Occupational therapist

What you’d do: Occupational therapists treat injured, sick, and disabled patients by helping them relearn or perform everyday activities, such as dressing and walking. You may even evaluate a patient’s home or workplace to identify improvements to create a more functional environment for them. Learn how to become an occupational therapist.

What you’d make: $96,370 per year

Find all occupational therapist jobs on Monster.

4. Genetic counselor

What you’d do: In this role, you would help assess people with genetic disorders and birth defects, educating them on treatment plans and potential risks as well as providing counseling. Genetic counselors also work with transgender individuals who are interested in gender reassignment. Learn all about how to become a genetic counselor.

What you’d make: $95,770 per year

Find all genetic counselor jobs on Monster.

5. Speech-language pathologist

What you’d do: Sometimes called speech therapists, job duties include assessing, diagnosing, treating, and helping to prevent communication and swallowing disorders in children and adults. Being a good listener is a must, so you can properly teach patients how to make sounds, improve their voices and vocabulary, and strengthen the muscles used to swallow. Learn more about how to become a speech pathologist.

What you’d make: $89,290 per year

Find all speech-language pathologist jobs on Monster.

6. Orthotist and prosthetist

What you’d do: Orthotists and prosthetists design and construct medical support devices, such as braces and artificial arms, legs, and feet, and measure and fit patients for the devices. The difference between the two professions is that orthotists are specifically trained to work with medical supportive devices, such as spinal or knee braces, while prosthetists focus on artificial limbs and other body parts.

What you’d make: $78,100 per year

Find all orthotist and prosthetist jobs on Monster.

Find all health care jobs on Monster.

Do this to advance your job search

While an advanced degree can help to advance your career, you also need something that will advance your job search. Want to know the grad school equivalent? Joining Monster today. As a member, we’ll not only educate you on the latest career advice, we’ll also email job alerts right to your inbox, which cuts down on the amount of time you’d spend combing through ads. Additionally, you can upload up to five versions of your resume—each tailored to different types of jobs that interest you. Recruiters search Monster every day looking to fill top jobs with qualified candidates, just like you. See what Monster can do to advance your career today.