Healthcare Career Outlook and Wages
Comparing pay and projected demand across six healthcare occupations
Comparing pay and projected demand across six healthcare occupations
Comparing healthcare careers is easier when wages and projected demand are read together. The figures below cover six occupations in West Virginia and the United States. They offer a common starting point for comparing options, while leaving room to consider personal interests, preparation, and the requirements of a particular position.
All wages below are median annual estimates for May 2025. A median is the midpoint of the wage distribution, rather than a starting salary or a guaranteed offer. West Virginia employment projections cover 2022-32; national projections cover 2024-34. The two sets therefore describe different time periods. Annual projected openings and percentage growth are separate measures, and both belong in a comparison. A projection describes expected employment over a period, rather than a count of vacancies available today.
The CareerOneStop medical assistant profile reports May 2025 median annual wages of $37,180 in West Virginia and $45,690 nationally. West Virginia employment is projected to grow 16% in 2022-32, from 3,990 to 4,610, with 610 annual projected openings. National employment is projected to grow 13% in 2024-34, from 811,000 to 912,200, with 112,300 annual projected openings.
These figures put a percentage beside the size of the workforce being measured. Keep both in view: the higher state growth percentage and the larger national opening count answer different questions about the occupation.
For dental assistants, the CareerOneStop occupation profile gives May 2025 median annual wages of $37,960 in West Virginia and $48,070 in the United States. West Virginia employment is projected to grow 1% in 2022-32, with 210 annual projected openings. U.S. employment is projected to grow 6% in 2024-34, with 52,900 annual projected openings.
The state figures show why percentage growth alone is an incomplete comparison. The profile reports annual openings alongside a modest growth percentage; retain both numbers when weighing this occupation against others.
The CareerOneStop pharmacy technician figures list May 2025 median annual wages of $38,210 for West Virginia and $45,750 nationally. Projected growth is 1% in West Virginia for 2022-32, with 320 annual projected openings. For the United States in 2024-34, projected growth is 6%, with 49,000 annual projected openings.
Wage and demand figures are separate from credential requirements. For context on those requirements, the healthcare certification and registration explainer describes pharmacy technician exam pathways and West Virginia registration.
The CareerOneStop nursing assistant profile reports May 2025 median annual wages of $36,720 in West Virginia and $42,260 nationally. West Virginia employment is projected to grow 10% in 2022-32, with 1,410 annual projected openings. National employment is projected to grow 2% in 2024-34, with 204,100 annual projected openings.
This comparison illustrates the importance of workforce scale. A smaller percentage applied to a large national occupation can accompany a much larger opening count than the state figure.
According to the CareerOneStop phlebotomist profile, May 2025 median annual wages are $39,250 in West Virginia and $45,230 nationally. West Virginia employment is projected to grow 10% in 2022-32, with 160 annual projected openings. The U.S. projection is 6% growth in 2024-34, with 18,400 annual projected openings.
Keep the occupation label consistent when comparing pay. These estimates describe phlebotomists specifically, so they should be compared with the corresponding occupation figures rather than a general healthcare wage.
The CareerOneStop medical records specialist profile gives May 2025 median annual wages of $47,360 in West Virginia and $51,140 nationally. Projected employment growth is 7% in West Virginia for 2022-32, with 90 annual projected openings, and 7% in the United States for 2024-34, with 14,200 annual projected openings.
The equal reported growth percentages do not make the state and national employment markets identical. Their opening counts and projection periods remain different. Use the medical records specialist label when recording these figures for a comparison involving medical coding.
For each of these six occupations, the May 2025 West Virginia median is below the corresponding national median. That comparison describes the reported wages; it does not establish what a particular employer will offer. A useful career comparison keeps four items together: the occupation, location, wage year, and projection period. Add the annual opening count alongside growth, then consider the preparation and credential requirements separately. This approach allows the figures to inform a decision without asking them to predict an individual outcome.
Use occupation-specific figures, their dates, and credential requirements together when considering healthcare career options.