The healthcare industry is Australia’s largest employer, employing around 1.5 million people — that’s one in eight Australians! It is a vital sector that is both meaningful and socially vital, but like all careers, it has its challenges. Here we look at some of the pros and cons of health careers.

Pros of a Health Career

#1 – It’s a growing sector

According to the Australian Government’s labour market insights, the health sector is expected to continue to grow — by 301,000 people (or 15.8 per cent) over the next five years to November 2026. This is due to three main reasons.

Firstly, the proportion of older Australians over 65 is increasing dramatically due to increased life expectancy. In 1976, older Australians comprised nine per cent of the population and this is forecasted to reach twenty-two per cent by 2056. Average health expenditure is also consistently the highest in senior populations, as the elderly typically have both primary and secondary care needs and higher hospitalisation rates.

Secondly, like many other developed countries, Australia has also seen skyrocketing rates of diseases related to alcohol, smoking, poor diets, sedentary lifestyles and high sun exposure. These include diabetes, obesity, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Thirdly, breakthroughs in medical technologies and treatments — from advanced screening techniques to novel medications — as well as new challenges like COVID-19 have contributed to growing health expenditure. This has placed new demands on private patients and the public health system.

#2 – The pay is good

Another key reason to consider health careers is that they typically offer attractive salaries and benefits packages. According to Salary Explorer, a person working in the health and medical sector in Australia typically earns around $136,000 per year.

And despite annual wage growth hitting record lows in many industries, salaries for health care workers have continued to increase by two to three per cent per annum. Experts predict this growth rate will increase when demand for certain health professionals (like nurses) starts to outgrow supply.

In addition to competitive salaries, health professionals can often access generous benefits packages.

For example, some public health employees can take advantage of salary packaging, which allows them to purchase approved items with pre-tax income.

#3 – There are lots of careers to choose from

The breadth of the healthcare system makes it the country’s largest employer by sector, and after perusing this list of possible careers (and there are many more), you’ll understand why!

• Administration: clinical administrator, hospital administration, medical receptionist, medical records administrator, program manager, practice manager, plus administration roles in virtually all of the specialties below!
• Allied health specialisations: audiologist, optometry, podiatrist, speech pathologist, occupational therapist.
• Aged care worker.
• Community service worker.
• Complementary health therapy: acupuncturist, traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, naturopath, health and wellness coach.
• Dentistry: dentist, dental assistant, dental hygienist, dental receptionist.
• Disability worker.
• Emergency worker: paramedic.
• Medical practice: physician, physician assistant.
• Medical research: medical research scientist, research assistant, research officer.
• Mental health: mental health worker, diversional therapist, psychiatrist, psychologist, child psychologist, nursing assistant, clinical nurse, enrolled nurse, mental health nurse, midwife, nurse educator and researcher, nurse manager, nurse practitioner, a registered nurse.
• Nutrition: dietitian, nutrition assistant, nutritionist.
• Pharmacy: community pharmacist, hospital pharmacist, pharmacy technician, pharmaceutical industry.
• Physical therapy: chiropractor, massage therapist, occupational therapist, occupational therapy assistant, physiotherapist, physiotherapy assistant.
• Safety: occupational health and safety advisor, work health and safety officer, food safety supervisor.
• Technologist: anaesthetic technologist, medical imaging technologist, medical laboratory technician.
• Youth worker.

#4 – Careers are flexible and stimulating

Many health careers depend upon graduates who decide to specialise. Hence, the industry has built flexibility into the way it operates. So whatever healthcare sector you start in, you have a unique degree of influence in terms of where you end up. Health careers could see you working in private health or the public sector, in a hospital, medical practice or community health centre, in regional or urban areas, and with a range of demographic groups from children to the elderly.

There are also endless opportunities to embrace lifelong learning. Every day brings new medical challenges (hello, COVID) and breakthroughs in healthcare, from new treatments to improved diagnostic tools. Many healthcare careers also require a commitment to ongoing professional development. To remain accredited, many professionals need to complete educational courses, attend conferences, and perform other tasks designed to keep them well-informed and ready to tackle any emerging challenges.

#5 – You can make a real difference in people’s lives

This is one of the first reasons people give when asked why they’ve chosen to work in the health sector. And it’s no surprise. In what other profession can you ease pain, alleviate mental suffering, bring a new life into the world, assist someone to leave this world peacefully, and/or make breakthroughs that impact entire communities? As a healthcare professional, you will have the opportunity to dedicate yourself to overcoming challenges and potentially make a life-altering impact on your community. How rewarding is that?

Cons of a Health Career

Like any job, health careers come with unique challenges. And although the positives may outweigh the negatives, here are some that are often experienced.

#1 – Long or irregular hours

Many workers in this sector don’t work a nine-to-five day. For example, nursing staff, paramedics and emergency and aged care workers typically perform long shifts and at irregular hours. Many are “on-call” to deal with issues that arise at any time of the day or night. They may also work weekends and public holidays.

#2 – Stressful situations

Although health careers vary in terms of workload, responsibility and environment, many do come with a high level of responsibility. This can include making decisions that affect individuals’ health, wellbeing, and possibly even their lives. This can cause enhanced levels of stress, emotional burnout and a variety of mental health issues. Patients who are unwell and/or in pain are also sometimes unhappy and can take this out on those that are trying to help.

#3 – Exposure to germs

Many healthcare facilities deal with an abundance of individuals on a daily basis who are unwell. Working on the“frontline” of dealing with patients can increase the risk of exposure to illness and disease.