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Key Takeaways
- Roles in healthcare surged in September.
- You don’t need to be a doctor to earn a good living in health care, as degrees in biomedical engineering, data science, and health informatics can all lead to six-figure roles in health tech.
- Look for schools that partner with hospitals, device makers, or major health IT vendors like Epic Systems or Medtronic.
The health care sector added 43,000 jobs in September 2025, part of a surge that’s created hundreds of thousands of new health care positions this year. (In contrast, the federal government, the warehousing field, and the transportation sector shed workers.)
In health care, technical skills can directly save lives—and that makes specialized talent valuable. “Advanced technology, including the evolving use of AI, has the ability to fill gaps and meet inequities in health care and public health,” W. Susan Cheng, a professor of public health at Tulane University, told Investopedia. “There has never been a greater need or greater promise of technology working alongside health care providers to meet the individual needs of the patient.”
What’s more, you don’t need a medical school degree to join those with tech skills who are gaining jobs in the growing health care sector. They’re designing medical devices, securing hospital computer networks, and turning health data into lifesaving insights.
The Best Degrees for Breaking Into Health Care Tech
Each of the degrees below targets a different piece of the health care puzzle, but they share one thing: a combination of analytical thinking, problem-solving, and fluency with data or devices. From designing wearable monitors to securing hospital data to analyzing patient outcomes, health care tech roles span engineering, software, data science, and cybersecurity.
Important
Pay is keeping pace with the heightened demand for these roles. Median salaries for many tech-based health care roles start around $100,000 and often exceed that once you gain a few years of experience or develop a specialty in advanced research or device engineering.
How To Choose the Right Program
As health tech grows, so does the number of programs promising to get you industry-ready. But you have to take care with the school you choose. Some programs are backed by respected institutions with strong hospital or biotech partnerships, while others are thinly disguised certificate mills charging thousands for credentials that carry little weight with employers.
Here’s how to separate the serious programs from the hype:
1. Check for accreditation and academic rigor.
For health informatics or health information management, look for programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education. Accreditation signals that the curriculum meets national standards and that employers will recognize your degree.
In engineering or computer science, ensure the program is ABET-accredited, which confirms its rigor. Degrees lacking this seal may not qualify you for key certifications or advanced roles later on.
2. Look for strong industry partnerships.
Quality programs have relationships with hospitals, device makers, and software vendors such as Epic Systems and Medtronic plc (MDT), and Pfizer Inc. (PFE). These connections often lead to internships and real-world projects that turn into job offers.
3. Focus on hands-on skills.
In data-driven programs, make sure you’ll learn SQL, Python, R, and health care data standards. In engineering and imaging programs, expect labs to use real devices and simulation systems. For cybersecurity, look for coursework that maps to the standards hospitals use.
4. Look at what alumni have achieved in their careers.
A quick LinkedIn search can tell you where graduates work. If you see alumni at major health systems, biotech firms, or health IT vendors, that’s a good sign.
The Bottom Line
Health care’s reliance on data, devices, and digital security means demand for tech talent will stay strong.
Unlike traditional clinical paths that require years of training and fierce competition for limited slots, these seven degrees offer a faster, less crowded route to six-figure salaries, often with just a bachelor’s degree.
