Health
Want to help, heal, and care for others?
Do you have strong communication skills, endurance, and enjoy working as a team?
Whether working directly with people or behind the scenes in a lab setting, the health field offers something for all.
These programs lead to careers in nursing and health-related occupations in a hospital or healthcare setting: dental, dietary, health information management, massage therapy, medical coding, medical assisting, medical laboratory, physical therapy assistant, occupational therapy assistant, respiratory care, surgical technologies and pre-medical transfer pathways.
Critical skills and abilities
- active listening
- critical thinking
- decision making skills
- monitoring
- oral communication
- problem sensitivity
- social perceptiveness
Technical skills and knowledge
- customer and personal service
- education and training
- electronic mail software
- medical software
- psychology
Exploratory major
If you know this career community is the right fit for you but you’re unsure of your major, choose the health exploratory major to get started in the right direction. Your first 15 credit hours are applicable to all majors within this career community and you’ll get the experience to know which major is right for you. See admissions to apply.
If you are unsure if this Career Community is right for you, connect with career services to explore your options.
Consider these and other careers
| Job title/description | Canton/Akron entry-level annual earnings | Canton/Akron average annual earnings |
|---|---|---|
| dental hygienist administer oral hygiene care to patients; assess patient oral hygiene problems or needs and maintain health records; advise patients on oral health maintenance and disease prevention; may provide advanced care such as soft tissue management or administering topical anesthesia | $61,913 | $72,762 |
| licensed practical and licensed vocational nurse* provide nursing care for ill, injured or convalescing patients or persons with disabilities in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, private homes, group homes and similar institutions; may work under the supervision of a registered nurse; licensing required | $42,995 | $51,303 |
| massage therapist perform therapeutic massages of soft tissues and joints; may assist in the assessment of range of motion and muscle strength or propose client therapy plans | $21,609 | $51,106 |
| medical assistant medical assistant perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician; administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing and coding information for insurance purposes; clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood and administering medications as directed by physician | $29,406 | $37,336 |
| medical records specialist/health information management compile, process and maintain medical records of hospital and clinic patients in a manner consistent with medical, administrative, ethical, legal and regulatory requirements of the health care system; classify medical and health care concepts, including diagnosis, procedures, medical services and equipment, into the health care industry’s numerical coding system; includes medical coders | $32,458 | $44,960 |
| occupational therapy assistant assist occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures; in accordance with state laws, may assist in development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, direct activity programs and document the progress of treatments; generally requires formal training | $48,860 | $60,715 |
| physical therapist assistant assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures; in accordance with state laws, may assist in the development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, document the progress of treatment, and modify specific treatments in accordance with patient status and within the scope of treatment plans established by a physical therapist; generally requires formal training | $49,587 | $63,098 |
| registered nurse* assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records; administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent or disabled patients; may advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management; licensing is required | $62,409 | $77,102 |
| respiratory therapist assess, treat and care for patients with breathing disorders; assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care modalities, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians; initiate and conduct therapeutic procedures; maintain patient records; select, assemble, check and operate equipment | $53,928 | $66,863 |
| Careers represented may require further education; an advisor will help you determine your pathway. source: Team NEO (Lightcast Data 2024) *note: Salary figures are based on available data at the time of publication. Actual salaries may vary and could be higher than what’s shown. |
Programs
Allied dental health professions
Nursing
Respiratory, laboratory and surgical technology
Jennifer Yohe
Administrative Assistant
330-494-6170 ext. 4214
Susan Oster
Administrative Assistant
330-494-6170 ext. 4693
Michael Leggett
Administrative Assistant
330-494-6170 ext. 5469
Take the next step
Whether you’re just starting out, making your college comeback or looking for a change, you belong at Stark State.