The new year is full of joyful resolutions, personal goals, and fresh career opportunities on Fusion Marketplace. With 2022 sneaking around the corner, take a peek at the top 10 high-paying travel jobs to start your new year.
No. 1: Medical-surgical nurse
According to the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN) Board of Directors, medical-surgical nursing makes up 17 percent of the nursing workforce, making it the “single largest” nursing specialty in the U.S. and beyond.
These healthcare professionals have a broad knowledge of expertise and provide care to patients with a variety of medical issues or who are preparing for/recovering from surgery. Of course, the list of responsibilities differs per healthcare facility and location, but most med-surg RNs:
- Admit and discharge patient paperwork
- Monitor vital signs
- Administer medication and other courses of treatment
- Operate and maintain IV, feeding tubes, catheters, oxygen tubing, and other medical equipment
- Document patient care and progress
- Support and educate patient family members
An aging population, chronic health conditions, and elective surgeries keep the profession thriving. By 2026, med-surg nursing will see a growth of 15 percent, creating thousands of med-surg registered nursing (RN) jobs across the country.
Search for med-surg RN travel jobs.
No. 2: Intensive care unit (ICU) RN
ICU RNs, or critical care nurses, work in the intensive care unit of a healthcare facility and treat patients who are in critical condition. These skilled individuals think fast on their feet to make decisions and handle intense healthcare events. In addition to caring for those who have experienced a serious accident, trauma, acute illness, or extensive surgery, critical care nurses also communicate with and educate a patient’s loved ones. Sure, a career in ICU nursing is full of challenges, but it’s also an opportunity to bring care, comfort, and support to others.
Like other nursing specialties, ICU RNs are often highly sought after because they have recurring experience with severe accident cases, significant and delicate injuries, as well as trauma and other life-threatening situations. Jump into the new year on the right foot as an ICU RN.
Search for ICU RN travel jobs.
No. 3: Emergency room (ER) nurse
Similar to ICU RNs, ER RNs are trained for intense health situations, but instead of the intensive care unit, ER nurses work in emergency departments. When you enter an emergency room, ER RNs are the healthcare professionals who check patients in and out, monitor vital signs, identify, and treat health problems and explain treatment to patients and their loved ones.
Like other nursing specialties, the aging Baby Boomer population and growing cases of chronic conditions keep ER RNs consistently in demand. Plus, with nearly 136 million U.S. patient visits to the ER each year, it’s important for the ER RN supply to meet the demand.
No. 4: Respiratory therapist (RT)
If you or someone you know suffers from asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, or another type of acute or chronic respiratory or cardiopulmonary condition, then you know how important RTs are to healthcare.
In addition to diagnosing cardiopulmonary and respiratory diseases, RTs are also responsible for:
- Managing life support and ventilation equipment
- Administering aerosol-based medications
- Assessing lung capacity
- Assessing vital signs
- Analyzing chest x-rays and sputum specimens
- Performing studies related to the cardiopulmonary system
- Conducting rehab activities
- Counseling patients in cardiopulmonary health
Between 2020 and 2030, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 23 percent growth rate for the respiratory therapist occupation. In fact, the BLS says an estimated 10,000 CRT openings will become available each year on average until the end of the decade.
Search for Respiratory Therapist travel jobs.
No. 5: Radiological tech
The raddest of the rad, the radiologic technologist field is booming with a 9 percent growth rate from 2020 to 2030. By the end of 2030, the BLS estimates 20,800 rad tech job opportunities to become available each year, on average. But what makes these healthcare professionals so rad?
“Because radiologic technologists work with patients, ‘soft skills’ like effective communication, patience, and kindness are extremely important,” chief academic officer of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, Myke Kudlas, said. “We often are working with people who are scared, experiencing pain, and sometimes lacking support. Making sure they feel comfortable is essential to the patient experience.”
Radiologic techs work with diagnostic imaging equipment, like x-rays and MRIs, to take pictures of a patient’s body for radiologists to interpret. Without them, it would be more difficult for an individual’s healthcare team to get an accurate image of what’s going on inside a patient’s body.
Search for rad tech travel jobs.
No. 6: Labor and delivery (L&D) nurse
Have you ever thought about those extraordinary people who help bring new lives into this world? Those are L&D nurses.
Labor and delivery RNs are the ultimate caregivers to mothers and babies during and after labor and birth. These health professionals provide the baby’s initial postpartum care alongside a nurse midwife or physician, monitor the mother’s condition, and offer psychological and emotional support to the family.
Going into the new year, L&D nurses can expect steady career growth and plenty of employment opportunities. With more than 10,000 babies born each day in the U.S., L&D nurses are needed now and in the future.
Search for L&D RN travel jobs.
No. 7: Occupational therapist (OT)
As the only job that helps people do the things they want and need to do through therapeutic use of daily activities, OTs are important in helping patients improve their everyday skills. OTs treat patients with injuries, illnesses, or disabilities that prevent them from living their best lives.
If you’re a travel OT, buckle up because you’re in for one wild ride. Between 2020 and 2030, the OT profession is expected to grow a whopping 17 percent, opening approximately 10,000 jobs each year, on average. So, if one thing’s for sure, the new year holds a plethora of job opportunities for travel OTs.
No. 8: Speech-language pathologist (SLP)
Experts in communication, SLPs work with and treat people of all ages affected by language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders to help treat and prevent further concerns. Of course, there’s much more to it than that. Additionally, speech-language pathologists:
- Provide aural rehab for patients who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Supply augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems for patients who struggle with expressive and/or language comprehension.
- Educate people on how to communicate more effectively, such as accent modification and other forms of communication enhancements.
Because SLPs are high in demand as more Americans get older and live longer, the job is expected to grow a rapid 29 percent between 2020 and 2030. And with extreme demand comes about 15,000 new job openings for SLPs each year.
No. 9: Physical therapist (PT)
Responsible for a wide variety of patient care, PTs mainly focus on movement to help patients manage pain and live their best physical lives. Experts on movement, physical therapists prescribe exercise, hands-on-care, and patient education.
The demand for therapy jobs depends on geographical location and area of practice, but PT unemployment rates typically stay low across the U.S. Over the next decade through 2030, the BLS projects a 21 percent growth rate, creating more than 15,500 PT jobs throughout the country each year, on average.
No. 10: Medical laboratory technician (MLT) generalist
As a lab technician, MLT generalists perform day-to-day lab activities like routine testing, quality control, and maintenance of equipment. These lab professionals collect samples and perform patient tests to analyze body fluids and tissue that help them properly diagnose and treat individuals.
“The information we produce in the lab is essential to physicians and other healthcare providers to make decisions for their patients and how to best care for them,” said Lisa Cremeans, assistant professor at the University of North Carolina (UNC). “It’s very rewarding, interesting work and it’s meaningful.”
With more than 75,000 genetic tests available for individuals, not to mention the 10 new tests that are introduced each day in the U.S., we need more MLTs. Luckily, between 2020 and 2030, the BLS projects an 11 percent job growth rate, which will open nearly 26,000 MLT job opportunities on average each year.
Search for MLT generalist travel jobs.
Find high-paying travel jobs with Fusion Marketplace
No matter which jobs you apply for in 2022, start the new year off on the right foot, and find your high-paying travel jobs with Fusion Marketplace.
Take advantage of Fusion Marketplace and create your professional resume, apply for top-notch travel healthcare jobs, secure temporary housing, plus rate and review healthcare recruiters all in one convenient place. Marketplace maximizes your time and efficiency by giving you the ultimate level of job and pay transparency, so you have access to the job details you need to know upfront.
As the new year approaches, stay up to date on the latest and greatest healthcare travel jobs. With the most current travel jobs posted on Fusion Marketplace, you can always see what jobs are available for someone of your expertise.
So, now you know the top 10 high-paying jobs for the new year. What’s next for you to do?
The answer: Set your new year’s resolution to complete your Fusion Marketplace traveler profile. That way you start 2022 with an all-access pass to details on tens of thousands of healthcare travel jobs, so the next time you’re in search of a job, you can do so without any barriers.
