Projected Growth in Health Occupation Employment

Employment by occupation, 2008 and projected 2018 (Numbers in thousands)
2008 National Employment Matrix title and code	Employment		Change, 2008-18		Total job openings due to growth and replacement needs
	Number		Number	Percent
	2008	2018	Number	Percent
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	7,491.3	9,090.8	1,599.6	21.35	3,139.3
Health diagnosing and treating practitioners	4,630.4	5,645.5	1,015.1	21.92	1,866.3
Chiropractors	49.1	58.7	9.6	19.50	18.2
Dentists	141.9	164.0	22.1	15.57	61.5
Dentists, general	120.2	138.6	18.4	15.31	51.8
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons	6.7	7.7	1.0	15.34	2.9
Orthodontists	7.7	9.2	1.5	19.79	3.6
Prosthodontists	0.5	0.7	0.1	27.74	0.3
Dentists, all other specialists	6.9	7.9	1.0	14.68	2.9
Dietitians and nutritionists	60.3	65.8	5.6	9.24	25.7
Optometrists	34.8	43.2	8.5	24.41	20.1
Pharmacists	269.9	315.8	45.9	17.01	105.8
Physicians and surgeons	661.4	805.5	144.1	21.79	260.5
Physician assistants	74.8	103.9	29.2	38.99	42.8
Podiatrists	12.2	13.3	1.1	8.98	3.2
Registered nurses	2,618.7	3,200.2	581.5	22.20	1,039.0
Therapists	598.7	740.2	141.6	23.65	244.1
Audiologists	12.8	16.0	3.2	24.98	5.8
Occupational therapists	104.5	131.3	26.8	25.60	45.8
Physical therapists	185.5	241.7	56.2	30.27	78.6
Radiation therapists	15.2	19.4	4.1	27.10	6.9
Recreational therapists	23.3	26.7	3.4	14.60	11.6
Respiratory therapists	105.9	128.1	22.1	20.90	41.4
Speech-language pathologists	119.3	141.4	22.1	18.54	43.8
Therapists, all other	32.2	35.9	3.7	11.50	10.2
Veterinarians	59.7	79.4	19.7	32.95	30.2
Health diagnosing and treating practitioners, all other	49.0	55.4	6.4	13.01	15.3
Health technologists and technicians	2,718.8	3,280.0	561.2	20.64	1,202.2
Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians	328.1	373.6	45.6	13.89	107.9
Medical and clinical laboratory technologists	172.4	193.0	20.5	11.91	53.3
Medical and clinical laboratory technicians	155.6	180.7	25.0	16.09	54.6
Dental hygienists	174.1	237.0	62.9	36.14	98.4
Diagnostic related technologists and technicians	336.2	397.9	61.7	18.34	110.3
Cardiovascular technologists and technicians	49.5	61.4	11.9	24.06	19.1
Diagnostic medical sonographers	50.3	59.5	9.2	18.31	16.5
Nuclear medicine technologists	21.8	25.4	3.6	16.33	6.7
Radiologic technologists and technicians	214.7	251.7	37.0	17.23	68.0
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics	210.7	229.7	19.0	9.04	62.0
Health diagnosing and treating practitioner support technicians	596.2	753.3	157.1	26.35	307.6
Dietetic technicians	25.2	28.7	3.5	13.94	9.9
Pharmacy technicians	326.3	426.0	99.8	30.57	182.0
Psychiatric technicians	57.1	59.5	2.4	4.19	16.8
Respiratory therapy technicians	16.5	16.4	-0.2	-1.09	4.2
Surgical technologists	91.5	114.7	23.2	25.32	46.3
Veterinary technologists and technicians	79.6	108.1	28.5	35.77	48.5
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses	753.6	909.2	155.6	20.65	391.3
Medical records and health information technicians	172.5	207.6	35.1	20.33	70.3
Opticians, dispensing	59.8	67.8	8.0	13.36	20.2
Miscellaneous health technologists and technicians	87.7	103.9	16.2	18.51	34.1
Orthotists and prosthetists	5.9	6.8	0.9	15.48	2.1
Healthcare technologists and technicians, all other	81.8	97.1	15.3	18.73	32.0
Other healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	142.1	165.4	23.3	16.37	70.8
Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians	66.7	74.5	7.8	11.73	30.1
Occupational health and safety specialists	55.8	62.0	6.2	11.20	24.9
Occupational health and safety technicians	10.9	12.5	1.6	14.41	5.2
Miscellaneous health practitioners and technical workers	75.4	90.8	15.4	20.48	40.6
Athletic trainers	16.3	22.4	6.0	36.95	11.5
Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other	59.0	68.4	9.4	15.93	29.1


Healthcare support occupations	3,982.4	5,129.5	1,147.1	28.80	1,595.3
Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides	2,454.0	3,194.4	740.5	30.17	984.8
Home health aides	921.7	1,382.6	460.9	50.01	552.7
Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants	1,469.8	1,745.8	276.0	18.78	422.3
Psychiatric aides	62.5	66.1	3.6	5.77	9.8
Occupational and physical therapist assistants and aides	144.3	192.6	48.3	33.45	69.1
Occupational therapist assistants and aides	34.4	44.8	10.3	29.99	15.3
Occupational therapist assistants	26.6	34.6	7.9	29.78	11.8
Occupational therapist aides	7.8	10.2	2.4	30.74	3.5
Physical therapist assistants and aides	109.9	147.8	37.9	34.54	53.8
Physical therapist assistants	63.8	85.0	21.2	33.28	30.5
Physical therapist aides	46.1	62.8	16.7	36.29	23.4
Other healthcare support occupations	1,384.1	1,742.5	358.4	25.89	541.3
Massage therapists	122.4	145.6	23.2	18.92	39.5
Miscellaneous healthcare support occupations	1,261.7	1,596.9	335.2	26.57	501.8
Dental assistants	295.3	400.9	105.6	35.75	161.0
Medical assistants	483.6	647.5	163.9	33.90	217.8
Medical equipment preparers	46.8	52.8	6.0	12.78	11.2
Medical transcriptionists	105.2	116.9	11.7	11.15	23.5
Pharmacy aides	54.9	51.5	-3.5	-6.29	6.1
Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers	75.2	92.4	17.1	22.77	25.5
All other healthcare support workers	200.6	235.0	34.3	17.12	56.7
Source: Employment Projections Program, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics