Healthcare Careers That Allow You to Work From Home

For those interested in healthcare jobs with the ability to work from home, there are numerous options to consider.

In this article, we’ll share examples of roles in health and wellness that allow you to work remotely. 

Can You Work Remotely in Healthcare?

Yes, there are numerous healthcare careers that allow you to work from home.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, like many other industries, healthcare has radically transformed with increased usage of telehealth enabling health practitioners to provide patients and clients services remotely with HIPAA-compliant video chat. 

Job openings in most of these health roles are expected to increase much faster than the average for all other U.S. occupations over the next decade.

Telehealth and working from home can be beneficial for both patients and healthcare providers. 

For example, for patients and clients it may be more convenient to stay in their homes when receiving a treatment, diagnosis, or service. Additionally, for those patients with young children, it may make it more feasible to attend an appointment if they don’t need to physically leave their house and arrange for childcare. 

For wellness practitioners, a secure telehealth software enables the flexibility to work from their homes and home offices, and this saves commuting time. Telemedicine may make it easier for practitioners to serve more patients and clients in their schedules and also make it easier to respond more quickly to patient questions.

This may also create an increased number of open appointment times as options for patients as well as a larger number of available providers. 

Finally, remote work and telehealth reduces the risk of transmission of COVID-19 as well as other common viruses such as the flu, norovirus, and RSV in medical, therapy, and wellness offices. 

What Medical Field Roles Allow Work From Home?

A 2021 U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics survey found that nearly 20 percent of healthcare careers and social assistance jobs allow employees to work either full-time from home or part of the time from home. 

According to a  2021 McKinsey report on “The Future of Work After Covid-19,” demand for workers in healthcare occupations may grow more than before the pandemic, due to increased attention on health as populations age. 

Data from the 2022 McKinsey American Opportunity Survey found that 45 percent of healthcare practitioners and workers in technical occupations say they do some remote work.

Read on to find out more about the types of healthcare jobs and careers that allow you to work from home. 

Behavioral Health Therapist

Therapists help clients to address a wide array of mental health concerns – including anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma – through the use of therapeutic approaches including talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness-based therapy (MBT), and many more.  

While most people’s experience with telehealth therapy or teletherapy was limited before 2020, it’s now quite common. 

Increases in access to and availability of teletherapy creates convenience and flexibility for both therapists and clients. Not only does this save on commuting time and make it easier to find a time and schedule a time that works, it can also make it easier for clients located in remote areas to find and connect with clinicians who are suited for their needs.

As the preferred practice management software for over 160,000 private practice clinicians, SimplePractice provides an all-in-one scheduling, billing, and HIPAA-compliant secure telehealth video all in one EHR for therapists making it easier for them to work fully remotely.

• Qualifications: There are numerous licenses for therapists in the U.S. In order to become a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), students need a graduate degree, clinical training hours, and a licensure exam with requirements that vary by state.
• Salary: The U.S. salary for therapists can range widely depending on location and whether or not a therapist is in private practice. The median salary for LCSWs is $50,390 per year and $24.23 per hour.
  
• Job Outlook: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of social workers is projected to grow 9 percent between 2021 and 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 74,700 new openings for social workers are projected nationwide each year, over the next decade.

Licensed Counselor

Counselors are mental health practitioners who support their clients in navigating and adjusting to life challenges such as marriage and relationship difficulties, family dysfunctions, job stresses, and substance use disorders and addiction. 

In contrast to therapists, counselors may often set a goal number of sessions to complete treatment for a particular issue, whereas therapists may provide their clients psychotherapy on an ongoing open-ended basis.

Substance Abuse Counselor 

Substance abuse counselors help clients struggling with addiction to achieve and maintain sobriety. They introduce clients to new coping skills and educate them about addiction. Substance abuse counselors can work in private practice or for rehabilitation facilities. 

• Qualifications: Qualifications vary by state, however substance abuse counselors don’t always need a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Some can become licensed with an associate degree. 
• Salary: Median salary of $48,520 per year and $23.33 per hour 
• Job Outlook: Employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 22 percent between 2021 and 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 43,600 openings for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors are projected each year, over the next decade.

Family, Marriage and Relationship Counselor

Marriage and relationship counselors and family counselors treat mental and emotional disorders within the context of marriage and family systems. They provide counseling services to individuals, couples, and families.

• Qualifications: In order to become a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), candidates need a graduate degree, clinical training hours, and a licensure exam with requirements that vary by state.
• Salary: The U.S. salary for counselors can range widely depending on location and whether or not a counselor is in private practice. The median salary for LMFTs is $49,880 per year or $23.98 per hour.
  
• Job Outlook: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of marriage and family counselors is projected to grow 14 percent between 2021 and 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 6,400 new openings for marriage and family therapists are projected each year over the next decade.

Physical Therapist 

Physical therapists (PTs) are a crucial part of patients’ care teams, helping them recover after injuries or surgery, reduce pain and stiffness and live longer, healthier lives through exercises that target certain muscle groups or build up endurance, strength or flexibility. 

In the past, physical therapy was always done in person, with therapists manipulating patients’ limbs and watching them perform exercises to offer feedback. Today, however, physical therapy can be done just as effectively–and sometimes more so–through telehealth. Telehealth allows patients to reach their physical therapists more easily, view recordings or lessons online, track progress, and send videos to their providers. 

SimplePractice’s physical therapy EMR makes it easy for PTs to work remotely with practice management, note-taking, billing, and scheduling software for physical therapists. 

• Qualifications: Physical therapists need to obtain a Doctor of Physical Therapy, which is normally offered as a graduate degree that takes 3 years and includes coursework in a wide range of disciplines including sociology, kinesiology, neuroscience, anatomy, exercise physiology and more. 
• Salary: Median salary of $95,000 per year.
• Job Outlook: Expected to grow 17% between 2021 and 2031, much higher growth than average. 

Speech-Language Pathologists

Sometimes called speech therapists, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) help patients who have speech delays, voice or fluency issues, or difficulty swallowing learn to speak more easily and clearly. 

SimplePractice’s speech therapy practice management software makes it easy for SLP private practices to work remotely with online intake forms, SLP billing, appointment scheduling, secure telehealth, and more. 

• Qualifications: Speech-language pathologists usually need at least a master’s degree, if not a PhD; they are required to be licensed in all states, which usually means both clinical experience and passing an exam. 
• Salary: Median salary is $79,060 per year.
  
• Job Outlook: Expected to grow 21% between 2021 and 2031, much higher than average. 

Occupational Therapist

Although occupational therapists (OTs) and physical therapists (PTs) are sometimes categorized together, they are actually very different roles. 

OTs and PTs work in related fields, but while PTs are solely movement-focused, OTs are more holistically focused on all the tasks that make up daily life for a person, including social interactions, chores, organization, and more. 

SimplePractice’s occupational therapy EMR makes it easy for OTs to work remotely with practice management, billing, and scheduling software for occupational therapists. 

• Qualifications: Occupational therapists need a  masters’ degree and are required to be licensed in all states. 
• Salary: Median salary is $85,570 per year.
• Job Outlook: Expected to grow 14% between 2021 and 2031, much higher than average.
  

Dietitian or Nutritionist

Nutritionists and dietitians help clients meet their health and nutrition goals through education and insight about food. Nutritionists may create meal plans for clients, determine which foods will work best for a person’s particular medical needs, or  help clients track their nutrient or calorie intake for healthy weight loss. 

Nutritionists are not always required to be certified, while dietitians are required to be licensed and certified. 

Dietitians can treat clinical conditions such as eating disorders. Nutritionists may have a more general focus than dietitians, but many do specialize, such as in chronic conditions or sports nutrition. 

Both nutritionists and dietitians can work remotely by meeting with clients, reviewing food journals asynchronously, and sharing food plans digitally. 

SimplePractice’s practice management software for dietitians makes it easy for dietitians and nutritionists to work remotely by automating the administrative aspects of remote nutrition services with online messaging, HIPAA-compliant video, and customizable food journals. 

• Qualifications: Dietitians are required to have a bachelor’s degree related to nutrition or dietetics, training from an accredited program and to pass a national exam. Some states do not require certifications for nutritionists, but many do. Most nutritionists have a bachelor’s degree as well as a certification/license. 
• Salary: Ranges from $42,000-$93,000 depending on cost of living, median is $63,000.
• Job Outlook: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of dietitians and nutritionists is projected to grow 7% between 2021 and 2031, which is about average growth compared to the average for all occupations nationwide.

Licensed Practical Nurse or Registered Nurse

Nursing is one of the most flexible careers in healthcare, and while traditionally it was performed in hospitals, now nurses frequently see patients via telehealth video.

Nurses are in high demand for monitoring patients post-surgery, offering patient education or on-call advice, consulting with doctors, and serving as case managers. 

• Qualifications: The amount of education depends on the specific nursing degree. Programs for licensed practical nurses (LPNs), for example, can last about 12-18 months. Whereas, registered nurses (RNs) usually attend an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree program with an emphasis in nursing. Once you have one of those degrees, you are eligible to sit for the exam to be licensed.
• Salary: Median Salary of $77,000 per year for registered nurses. 
• Job Outlook: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for registered nurses are expected to grow 6% between 2021 and 2031, which is about average growth compared to the average for all occupations nationwide.

Medical Coder or Biller 

Medical coding and billing specialists are the translators between providers and insurance companies. They ensure patients and practices are properly reimbursed for care and services by recording and categorizing patient information and then sending the bill to the patient’s insurer. 

For every medical issue or injury, there’s a corresponding ICD & CPT code which is used to bill the patient’s insurance provider. 

Medical coders determine and record the code, and billers bill the insurance company (and the patient, if there is a copay).

In large healthcare settings, billers and coders are separate jobs, while in smaller practices both roles are performed by one person. 

Medical coding and billing specialists are essential jobs to make sure that patients are not charged inappropriately for services and also that medical practices are reimbursed properly.

Billers and coders can work remotely quite easily, since they just need data to perform their job. 

• Qualifications: While it is not always required, most employers require that their billers and coders pass a Certified Professional Coder exam. There are many training programs to help students prepare for the exam and learn job skills, including certification and associate’s degree programs.
  
• Salary: Median salary of $46,660.  
• Job Outlook: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of dietitians and nutritionists is projected to grow 7% between 2021 and 2031, which is about average growth compared to the average for all occupations nationwide.

Medical Transcriptionist 

Medical transcriptionists transcribe and convert voice recordings from doctors and other providers into formal reports that become part of a patient’s record. Medical transcripts are sometimes used in place of note taking by a doctor, but more often are created in addition to any doctor notes. 

Unlike medical scribes, who are present during appointments to take notes and add to the patient’s electronic health record in real time, medical transcriptionists are transcribing from audio recordings which can be done asynchronously from home. 

Medical transcriptionists can easily work remotely, since practices can provide audio recordings to a transcriptionist for processing. 

• Qualifications: There are certifications available for medical transcriptionists, but they aren’t required. Many transcription companies will hire transcribers who don’t have a degree or certification based only on experience or performance on an audio dictation recording test. 
• Salary: Median salary of $30,000 per year.
• Job Outlook: Expected to decline 7% between 2021 and 2031. 

Lactation Consultant 

In both hospital settings and with private clients, lactation consultants help mothers and babies to nurse. They might help mothers adjust the position of their own bodies or their babies and give tips to help prevent latch issues, mastitis and other common problems. 

Many lactation consultants offer virtual appointments. Similar consulting roles include sleep and parenting consultants.

• Qualifications: While there are not standardized requirements for becoming a lactation consultant, many of them do attend training programs. 
• Salary: Salaries vary widely, but the average salary is about $89,000.
• Job Outlook: Expected to grow 18% between 2018 and 2028, much higher than average.

Healthcare Software Developer

As telehealth continues to expand, there is more need than ever for qualified software developers and engineers to create solutions for the healthcare space. 

Software solutions such as remote patient monitoring, virtual health records, and AI-driven research all need great developers to help build, create, and maintain them.. 

• Qualifications: Although they don’t always have a bachelor’s degree, many software developers do go to four-year colleges. They also need to learn coding languages and be able to create products. 
• Salary: Median salary of $109,000 per year.
  
• Job Outlook: While data is limited on healthcare software developers specifically, the job outlook for developers overall is expected to grow 25% between 2021 and 2031, much higher than average. 

Wellness Private Practice Owner 

If you are not finding a role that fulfills you as a healthcare provider, consider starting your own wellness private practice.

Entrepreneurship in the wellness industry is critical for making sure that patients get the care that fits their needs best and that providers are able to specialize and have flexible schedules. 

SimplePractice can help. As the preferred practice management software for over 160,000 private practice clinicians, SimplePractice offers key benefits and features that will save you time and remove paperwork.

Here’s info on how to start a private practice, including helpful details about starting an occupational therapy private practice and starting a speech-language private practice.

• Qualifications: Varies. 
  
• Salary: Varies.
  
• Job Outlook: Data unavailable.  

How SimplePractice Streamlines Running Your Practice

SimplePractice is HIPAA-compliant practice management software with everything you need to run your practice built into the platform—from booking and scheduling to insurance and client billing.

If you’ve been considering switching to an EHR system, SimplePractice empowers you to run a fully paperless practice—so you get more time for the things that matter most to you.

Try SimplePractice free for 30 days. No credit card required.

 

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