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An Aging Population Underpins Healthcare Employment

 

By the year 2035, older people in the US ( > 65 years) will outnumber younger people (< 18) for the first time. Net international migration is projected to be the main driver of US  population growth, while one in five people will be at retirement age. As the population ages, demand for health and wellness products, medical care and longer lives will undoubtedly increase. The starkness of this population-age change between 1960 and 2060 is illustrated by US Census Bureau projections on the left.

  • According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are practical implications for the job market: employment in healthcare and social assistance is forecast to add roughly 4 million jobs between 2016 and 2026, amounting to one-third of all new jobs in the US. And that may only be the beginning of the growth curve.
  • How will technology application, new innovations and the need to communicate with patients create new jobs in the future?  How can well-honed research skills be applied to this diverse healthcare sector? What future jobs in healthcare have yet to be created?

We provide a few examples here, but even cursory research into healthcare suggests a wide range of opportunities for PhDs exist across many disciplines.

HSS

Medicaid Researcher

Executive Director, New York HHS (Children’s Cabinet Job)

Senior Associate, Human Stewardship, Antibiotic Resistance

Real World Evidence Data Scientist, Astra Zeneca

Healthcare Communications, Practice Leader

STEM

Senior Data Scientist, Strava

Director, Patient Advocacy

Senior Analyst, Population Health Analytics

Senior Intellectual Property Manager, Pharma

Medical Director, Hematology

For access to more jobs as well as archived and searchable opportunities, visit our SmartJobs page. Note: SmartJobs access requires a university affiliation. User-generated jobs are open to all members and can be accessed here.