Career Areas that are Expanding as Baby Boomers Age

In this article I will cover career opportunities for people who are younger than the group retiring, known as the Baby Boomers. The topic of Baby Boomers who continue to work past retirement age (usually 65) or who change jobs at that age is another topic. Please read an article already published on WebBasedOpportunities.com for that topic.

Most of the expansion of jobs are of course related to medicine although there are jobs for counselors and administrators in retirement facilities primarily. Baby Boomers now make up 75 million in the US alone, and are now reaching old age. Thus they are in need of medical care more than younger generations.

Career Areas that are Expanding as Baby Boomers Age

Let's look at some of the medical jobs that are now and are projected to become available. Here are some ideas according to Emily Sanderson writing for "Top Ten Reviews" about health needs and corresponding careers.

About 60 percent of baby boomers have been diagnosed with at least one chronic medical condition. Some common chronic conditions are arthritis, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. These conditions require regular health care check-ups, taking prescription medications and making significant dietary changes. As a result, elderly patients will require more assistance from individuals in medical careers – those behind-the-scenes such as medical laboratory technicians and medical billing clerks, as well as professionals who patients work with directly such as physical therapists and dietitians. To read the original click here.

The jobs compared (not an exhaustive list by any means) are listed below. Sources for this article include reports by the Institute of Medicine, the U.S. Census, the Commonwealth Fund and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Click here to view more.

Overall Rating of Jobs

Salary Differences

Job Availability

Notice that registered nurses and lab techs are at the top of each chart. These seem the best jobs to seek as they will be needed in every community with good pay provided. Due to the huge demand and the present number available to work now, it stands to reason why these two professions in particular are so overworked. Are the training schools planning for this upcoming increase? Have they seen the statistics on careers that are expanding as Baby Boomers age?

Let's not forget about other jobs as well, such as the alternative medical fields of chiropractors, acupuncturists and massage therapists who help patients deal with chronic pain or the naturopaths and other holistic practitioners who have a role to play in treatment as well as prevention. As viruses and other pathogens become more resistant to antibiotics, other remedies are being explored. Medical research is another field with job openings as we move towards improving treatment.

In summary, anyone who has an aptitude to learn physiology and science should seriously consider going into careers that provide care for the elderly. Jobs will be easy to obtain and the pay high. Let us not forget the doctors, but with the years of training they must complete and the growing demand, an increasing number of their duties will probably be handed over to the other medical personnel.