Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/743370
October, 2016 l Working World l WorkingWorld.com 9 • Annual salary, hourly wage: $190,060 a year, $80+ an hour • Suggested education: Doctor of Medicine • Number of jobs in the U.S.: 611,650 6. THERAPIST Therapists and mental health counselors help patients overcome mental disorders that affect their daily lives. Some therapists choose to specialize in certain conditions, like obsessive compulsive disorder or childhood depression. With a degree in psychology, therapists are able to analyze the cause of mental instability and suggest ways for patients to get past their symptoms. Many patients use their therapists as a venue for venting about issues they could not otherwise talk about. (BLS) • Annual salary, hourly wage: $71,760 a year, $33.66 an hour • Suggested education: Master of Science in Psychology, Doctorate of Psychology • Number of jobs in the U.S.: 591,350 7. REGISTERED NURSE Registered nurses take care of the majority of nursing requirements in hospitals and clinics, from coordinating patient care to providing emotional support for families. Most RNs go through four years of schooling to earn a bachelor's degree, but some are able to find work with an associate's. The estimated job growth for this profession is 26%, which means there will be an extra 711,900 registered nursing jobs between 2010 and 2020. (BLS) • Annual salary, hourly wage: $67,930 a year, $31.48 an hour • Suggested education: Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Associate of Science in Nursing (rare) • Number of jobs in the U.S.: 2,633,980 8. PHARMACY TECHNICIAN Pharmacy technicians are responsible for helping pharmacists assist patients. They must understand drug names and uses, but they do not have enough education to prescribe medication or assess the compatibility of a drug with other drugs a patient takes. Pharmacy techs must know how to dispense medications and determine the correct dosages so they can give the right amount of medication to patients. Some pharmacy techs also perform secretarial duties in a pharmacy. (BLS) • Annual salary, hourly wage: $30,430 a year, $14.10 an hour • Suggested education: High School Diploma, Trade school or technical college training • Number of jobs in the U.S.: 353,340 9. DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL SONOGRAPHER A diagnostic medical sonographer or DMS is a person responsible for operating the imaging machines in a hospital, clinic, or physician's office. A sonographer will operate an ultrasound, sonogram, echocardiogram, or similar device that disputes waves in a person's body to create images. This person is not licensed to assess the images and diagnose patients through them. That is left to the physician. (BLS) • Annual salary, hourly wage: $59,170 a year, $27.81 an hour • Suggested education: Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography or equivalent • Number of jobs in the U.S.: 353,060 10. CLINICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN Clinical laboratory technicians, more commonly known as lab techs, perform a variety of tests in a medical laboratory. They collect samples of fluids and tissues to use in the lab, and then they perform tests to provide data for physicians and surgeons to assess. Many lab techs work in this profession as they earn a higher degree in the medical field, such as a doctor of medicine or doctor of pharmacology. (BLS) • Annual salary, hourly wage: $49,070 a year, $22.99 an hour • Suggested education: Associate of Science in Biology, Associate of Science in Chemistry, Associate of Science in Pre-Medicine • Number of jobs in the U.S.: 318,620 11. DENTAL ASSISTANT Dental assistants take on the administrative duties in a dental office, and they may be required to perform basic patient care. For instance, a dental assistant may prepare a patient for oral cleaning, or he may be in charge of filing patient records for the office. Dental assistant jobs are expected to grow by 31% between 2010 and 2020, leading to 91,600