In 2023, when Erin Dans, a resident of Greenville, South Carolina, was accepted into the Radiologic Technology program at Greenville Technical College (GTC), she knew from day one that pursuing a career in the healthcare industry would mean endless high demands and challenges, requiring a unique combination of mental resilience and capability that some of her high-achieving peers might struggle with.
However, she also understood that if she persevered, she was almost guaranteed to secure a job before graduation and possibly embark on a long-lasting career for the next 40 years or even longer.
“As I completed my first year of the Radiologic Technology program, I started receiving opportunities for internship positions in the field.” Dans, currently in her second year at Greenville Technical College, shared with The Epoch Times via email.
“I obtained my limited license and began working as an intern Radiologic Technologist at Prisma Health in the fall of 2024.”
With the continuous growth and aging population in the United States, students like Dans across the country not only will have a ready-made career path but also the healthcare industry is expected to experience exponential growth for generations to come.
“Over the next seven years, it’s projected that more than a quarter (3.3 million) of new jobs will emerge in the healthcare and social assistance sector.” Stephanie Melhorn, Senior Director of Labor and International Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, mentioned in a report in 2023.
She also noted that by 2032, the healthcare industry is expected to grow at a rate of 15.4%, the fastest among 22 major industries in the U.S. including transportation, law, engineering, computer and math, construction, as well as business and financial operations.
According to online job search engine Indeed, one reason for this trend is that healthcare jobs cannot be fully replaced by artificial intelligence (AI) as human interaction is crucial, and there is a severe shortage of healthcare workers in many fields.
In a recent article, Jocelyn Gaffney, Editor at Indeed, wrote: “Staff shortages are particularly pronounced in many popular healthcare positions this year, including clinical psychologists, physicians, nurses, and radiologists.”
She mentioned, “While AI development can help fill labor shortages in some industries, many healthcare tasks require human intervention and cannot be easily outsourced, highlighting the ongoing stability and importance of the healthcare industry.”
In the same article, Gaffney listed the top 25 occupations in 2025, with six related to healthcare, including physicians, clinical psychologists, radiologists, registered nurses, clinical service managers, and veterinarians.
Like Dans and her peers have demonstrated, one of the primary reasons for choosing this field as a career is the assurance of job opportunities in almost every related area.
“Over 90% of our graduates can find employment in the industry.” Dr. Candice B. Lewis, Dean of the Health Sciences College at Greenville Technical College, stated via email.
“Our graduates work at Prisma Health, Bon Secours-Mercy Health, AnMed Health, and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System. We also work diligently to help students prepare for the required certification exams post-completion of the program.”
In 2023, the healthcare industry in the United States employed over 17 million people, becoming the largest employment sector in the country.
That same year, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reported that due to shortages in faculty, mentors, and clinical education sites, 5,491 eligible applicants were denied entry into master’s programs, with an additional 4,461 eligible applicants being turned away from doctoral programs.
For many, choosing a career in healthcare allows them to apply their skills to care for humans or animals.
Despite the challenges, healthcare ranks among the highest-paying industries with strong growth prospects.
For example, in 2024, nurse midwives had a national average annual salary of $112,971, and a projected job growth rate of 38% from 2022 to 2032, higher than the average. Similarly, healthcare and service managers had a national average annual salary of $84,443, with a projected job growth rate of 28%. These figures are sourced from Indeed’s latest Occupational Guide.
Dr. Lewis stated, “Graduates from these programs have many opportunities. Additionally, respiratory therapy, physician assistants, computed tomography scanning, health information management, and medical laboratory technology have a strong market in our region.”
She added, “Furthermore, some private therapy offices in the northern area hire our graduates as occupational therapy and physical therapy assistants. We also have graduates who choose to relocate to other areas within South Carolina or out of state for employment.”
As for Dans, she is unsure where she will start her first job after graduation, whether to stay in South Carolina or move to another state—perhaps staying in one place for her entire career or exploring job opportunities in different locations.
Once she obtains her degree, she—and many other healthcare professionals—can forge their career paths almost anywhere with confidence.
Dans said, “Knowing that as a student, I have a job waiting for me in this field and job opportunities after graduation, brings me comfort and security. It makes me very satisfied with the hard work I put in as a student.”