At the intersection of technology, science and empathy lies healthcare. From one-on-one roles like nursing to operating electromagnetic rays to solve medical mysteries, healthcare field workers help the public stay healthy and well while quickly solving problems when something goes wrong. This field calls for workers who are both people- and detail-oriented with a desire to help others.

Why It’s Important to San Diego

Healthcare is often considered recession-proof because the demand for medical care doesn’t depend on the state of the economy. As San Diego’s population ages, healthcare services ranging from nursing to physical therapy will become even more in-demand. San Diego County stands out from other regions because of our advanced medical research and biotechnology industries, which work together with local hospitals to provide cutting-edge treatment. San Diego ranks #1 in the U.S. for genomic patents and is home to more than 80 research institutions and 30 hospitals. As an example, Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine works with Illumina to provide whole-genome sequencing to diagnose and treat children with rare genetic diseases.

Subsectors

• Hospital & residential care facilities
• Offices of healthcare practitioners
• Specialized health centers
• Ambulatory & home healthcare services
• Medical laboratories

Sector Job Growth

What Are the Largest Occupations in This Sector? 

How do I start my career in Healthcare?

Do Some Research

• Use Career Coach to explore which occupations align with your interests, get a behind-the-scenes peek at careers and discover local companies

Expand Your Network

• Use social media tools like LinkedIn to network with professionals and request informational interviews to ask people about their career path, education and job responsibilities.  Check out this video for help getting started.
• Volunteer at a hospital to meet and interact with professionals in the medical field

Get Hands-on Experience

• Volunteer to gain experience at places like UCSD Health or Family Health Centers of San Diego.
• Apply for an internship at a local health care provider like these:
  • Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego
  • Sharp Healthcare

Get Training

• Check out our On-demand Training Library to build essential and technical skills related to occupations in the field
• There are many jobs in healthcare that start with a short certification program and allow you to build your career with further training and experience. Find these programs at your local community colleges and adult education providers. Visit careered.org or your local adult education provider.

Posters and Printers

Visit workforce.org/posters for more posters and printouts.

Data source: Emsi Labor Market Analytics, 2020 – economicmodeling.com