On a national level, the health care industry employs nearly 15 million individuals and is among the fastest growing areas due to demographic shifts. Within the field there are jobs for a number of professionals, including medical administrators, nurses, physicians, emergency responders, medical specialists, laboratory scientists and mental health professionals. Within hospitals, clinics, private offices and in-home care, qualified professionals serve nearly every Phoenix resident in some capacity. As a result of the growing demand for these services in the area, our editors anticipate that health care jobs will be one of the steadiest, fastest growing industries in the coming decade.
Most health professionals require advanced college-level training, ranging from specialists associates degrees and certification to advanced graduate degrees in a given area of study. Ongoing and continuing educational opportunities are a mandatory part of the health profession, given advances in diagnostic technology and patient treatment. Research suggests that the industry will grow more than 20% over the next ten years, with an even larger growth in home-based and specialized care, especially for the elderly. Along with the increased demand, most analysts expect salaries will continue to grow for professionals in the field. As a result, job growth in the Phoenix area continued for health care professionals even as traditional industries saw a recessionary downturn.
Resident per capita spending on health services amounted to nearly $4,000 for each Phoenix resident, with a majority of the spending going toward hospital and clinical care. Nearly 1 in 5 Phoenix residents lack health insurance while a full 1 in 2 have coverage through employers. The three largest hospital systems in the region, including Banner Health, Catholic Health Care and Scottsdale Health Care all saw increases in demand for their services and capacity, especially in specialized care areas.
