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Allied Health Professions

Students study specialized diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, including respiratory therapy, surgical technology, emergency medical services, and diagnostic imaging. Graduates typically pursue careers as respiratory therapists, surgical technologists, EMTs/paramedics, and diagnostic sonographers in hospitals and specialty clinics. These specialized healthcare roles offer strong starting salaries and the satisfaction of directly improving patient outcomes.

Compare Schools

Schools

195

Programs analyzed

Earnings

$59,453

Avg 1-yr grad earnings

Range $8,300–$144,190

Outlook

57/100

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

AI Risk

Moderate

33% task exposure

Field Overview

What Allied Health Professions graduates do

You’ll work on the front lines of healthcare, using advanced technology to diagnose and treat patients. As a diagnostic medical sonographer, you might use ultrasound to capture images for a cardiologist, while a respiratory therapist manages ventilators for critically ill patients in the ICU. Many graduates also pursue advanced training to become Physician Assistants (PAs), collaborating with doctors to diagnose illnesses and develop treatment plans.

With experience, you can advance to lead a team of technologists, specialize in a complex area like MRI, or move into departmental management. High-demand roles like PA and respiratory therapist are growing exceptionally fast, while other technical positions offer steady, stable demand. A key advantage of this field is its resilience to automation. While AI will become a tool to help analyze data, it can’t replicate the hands-on skill needed to position an anxious patient, the critical judgment to manage life support, or the empathy required in direct patient care. This makes your career fundamentally human-centered and secure.

If Allied Health Professions isn't the right fit, programs like Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Veterinary Sciences, and Speech-Language Pathology draw from adjacent disciplines.

Career Trajectories

Where Allied Health Professions graduates work

Common career paths for Allied Health Professions graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 121,200 combined openings per year across these roles.

Role	Median Pay	Annual Openings	10-yr Growth	AI Exposure
Physician assistants	$133,260 $114K–$160K	12,000	+20.4%	Low · 17%
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	$105,620 $74K–$176K	27,400	+17.3%	Moderate · 48%
Nuclear medicine technologists	$97,020 $83K–$108K	900	+3.0%	Low · 29%
Diagnostic medical sonographers	$89,340 $78K–$104K	5,800	+13.0%	Moderate · 30%
Magnetic resonance imaging technologists	$88,180 $78K–$102K	2,600	+7.1%	Moderate · 32%
Respiratory therapists	$80,450 $68K–$96K	8,800	+12.1%	Low · 20%
Radiologic technologists and technicians	$77,660 $63K–$94K	12,900	+4.3%	Moderate · 38%
Cardiovascular technologists and technicians	$67,260 $46K–$91K	3,800	+3.0%	Moderate · 36%
Surgical technologists	$62,830 $52K–$77K	7,000	+4.5%	Low · 7%
Surgical assistants	$60,290 $49K–$81K	1,600	+5.1%	Low · 4%
Athletic trainers	$60,250 $52K–$71K	2,400	+11.1%	Low · 28%
Occupational health and safety technicians	$58,440 $50K–$75K	3,400	+8.5%	Moderate · 40%
Paramedics	$58,410 $48K–$68K	4,900	+5.0%	Low · 15%
Health technologists and technicians, all other	$48,790 $41K–$62K	13,600	+5.2%	High · 52%
Emergency medical technicians	$41,340 $37K–$48K	14,100	+5.1%	Low · 21%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Top Institutions

Best schools for Allied Health Professions

Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 10 of 195.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 83

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA · Public

$135,384 1-yr earnings

29.4x ROI multiple

Moderate AI risk

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA · #2

$100,724/yr · 36.4x ROI

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, NY · #3

$92,165/yr · 22.2x ROI

National University

San Diego, CA · #4

$92,748/yr · 19.3x ROI

#	School	DW Score	1-yr Earnings	ROI
5	Georgia State University Atlanta, GA · Public	78	$78,175	23.5x
6	Oregon Institute of Technology Klamath Falls, OR · Public	77	$83,906	16.2x
7	University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash College Blue Ash, OH · Public	77	$75,317	26.9x
8	Valencia College Orlando, FL · Public	77	$68,564	81.3x
9	Boise State University Boise, ID · Public	76	$76,843	20.7x
10	Salisbury University Salisbury, MD · Public	75	$80,088	16.9x
11	Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN · Public	75	$71,505	18.1x
12	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC · Public	75	$67,997	25.4x
13	Weber State University Ogden, UT · Public	75	$67,333	27.1x
14	University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM · Public	74	$57,714	24.5x
15	Midwestern State University Wichita Falls, TX · Public	73	$67,953	17.2x
16	Wagner College Staten Island, NY · Private nonprofit	72	$129,269	6.3x
17	D'Youville University Buffalo, NY · Private nonprofit	72	$101,885	7.3x
18	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH · Public	72	$75,317	13.4x
19	Indiana University-Northwest Gary, IN · Public	72	$68,086	19.4x
20	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK · Public	72	$67,979	17.4x
21	Indiana University-Kokomo Kokomo, IN · Public	72	$67,342	19.3x
22	Morehead State University Morehead, KY · Public	72	$64,504	17.3x
23	University of Wisconsin-La Crosse La Crosse, WI · Public	72	$60,232	18.2x
24	Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA · Public	72	$58,026	26.6x
25	St. John's University-New York Queens, NY · Private nonprofit	71	$100,883	5.6x
26	University of Southern Indiana Evansville, IN · Public	71	$69,965	15.4x
27	Texas State University San Marcos, TX · Public	71	$67,965	14.5x
28	Augusta University Augusta, GA · Public	71	$58,249	20.2x
29	CUNY New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY · Public	70	$92,818	30.6x
30	Long Island University Brookville, NY · Private nonprofit	70	$92,696	5.6x
31	North Dakota State University-Main Campus Fargo, ND · Public	70	$67,303	14.8x
32	University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV · Public	70	$62,134	17.1x
33	Seattle University Seattle, WA · Private nonprofit	69	$102,664	3.9x
34	Columbia Southern University Orange Beach, AL · Private for-profit	69	$83,927	35.1x
35	AdventHealth University Orlando, FL · Private nonprofit	69	$77,225	9.0x
36	Rutgers University-Newark Newark, NJ · Public	69	$72,259	10.5x
37	Washburn University Topeka, KS · Public	69	$71,318	14.9x
38	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL · Public	69	$69,021	12.2x
39	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · Public	69	$61,373	14.4x
40	Rhode Island College Providence, RI · Public	69	$60,999	14.5x
41	Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ · Public	68	$72,259	10.1x
42	Cox College Springfield, MO · Private nonprofit	68	$68,782	10.8x
43	University of South Alabama Mobile, AL · Public	68	$59,611	15.6x
44	Kent State University at Ashtabula Ashtabula, OH · Public	68	$59,567	18.7x
45	Kent State University at Salem Salem, OH · Public	68	$59,567	18.7x
46	University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI · Public	68	$58,894	17.0x
47	Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC · Public	68	$53,398	30.5x
48	Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI · Public	67	$67,423	11.3x
49	University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO · Public	67	$65,660	11.1x
50	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH · Public	67	$60,834	12.3x
51	Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR · Public	67	$60,202	17.4x
52	Idaho State University Pocatello, ID · Public	67	$55,838	16.7x
53	John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences South Bend, IN · Private for-profit	66	$106,833	12.7x
54	Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA · Public	66	$66,750	9.7x
55	Kettering College Kettering, OH · Private nonprofit	66	$65,690	10.4x
56	Marshall University Huntington, WV · Public	66	$59,017	15.3x
57	Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH · Public	66	$52,212	14.1x
58	University of Louisiana at Monroe Monroe, LA · Public	66	$50,006	16.3x
59	Tennessee State University Nashville, TN · Public	66	$48,894	17.5x
60	Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit	65	$82,918	3.7x
61	Siena Heights University Adrian, MI · Private nonprofit	65	$76,696	5.7x
62	Manhattan College Riverdale, NY · Private nonprofit	65	$64,512	4.5x
63	Wayne State University Detroit, MI · Public	65	$63,970	10.3x
64	Fort Hays State University Hays, KS · Public	65	$62,386	20.1x
65	Northwestern State University of Louisiana Natchitoches, LA · Public	65	$58,627	14.9x
66	Southwest University at El Paso El Paso, TX · Private for-profit	64	$86,211	12.5x
67	Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY · Private nonprofit	64	$78,298	3.1x
68	MCPHS University Boston, MA · Private nonprofit	64	$76,575	4.3x
69	Ball State University Muncie, IN · Public	64	$67,833	11.7x
70	University of Toledo Toledo, OH · Public	64	$66,769	10.8x
71	Lewis-Clark State College Lewiston, ID · Public	64	$61,097	19.7x
72	Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI · Public	64	$57,161	10.4x
73	Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Indiana, PA · Public	64	$54,823	12.5x
74	University of Mississippi University, MS · Public	64	$50,045	15.1x
75	Barry University Miami, FL · Private nonprofit	63	$144,190	9.8x
76	Radford University Radford, VA · Public	63	$58,997	11.0x
77	Baptist Health Sciences University Memphis, TN · Private nonprofit	63	$57,633	10.5x
78	Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY · Public	63	$56,947	12.6x
79	Gwynedd Mercy University Gwynedd Valley, PA · Private nonprofit	62	$76,087	4.0x
80	University of Vermont Burlington, VT · Public	62	$69,873	7.4x
81	York College of Pennsylvania York, PA · Private nonprofit	62	$67,814	6.0x
82	Clarkson College Omaha, NE · Private nonprofit	62	$61,222	9.3x
83	University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Fort Smith, AR · Public	62	$54,484	18.7x
84	University of Holy Cross New Orleans, LA · Private nonprofit	62	$54,241	9.5x
85	University of Hartford West Hartford, CT · Private nonprofit	61	$73,906	3.2x
86	St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit	61	$72,272	3.2x
87	Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT · Private nonprofit	61	$69,600	3.1x
88	Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH · Public	61	$59,567	10.1x
89	McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA · Public	61	$57,964	13.3x
90	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT · Public	60	$60,597	7.8x
91	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT · Public	60	$60,597	7.8x
92	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT · Public	60	$60,597	7.8x
93	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT · Public	60	$60,597	7.8x
94	University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO · Public	60	$55,553	13.3x
95	University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH · Public	60	$52,237	10.3x
96	Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY · Public	60	$52,094	11.7x
97	SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Brooklyn, NY · Public	59	$105,434	—
98	Seton Hill University Greensburg, PA · Private nonprofit	59	$100,987	5.1x
99	University of Michigan-Flint Flint, MI · Public	59	$64,434	10.5x
100	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT · Public	59	$60,597	6.6x
101	Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction, CO · Public	59	$54,004	11.7x
102	Shawnee State University Portsmouth, OH · Public	59	$50,391	12.2x
103	University of Kansas Lawrence, KS · Public	59	$43,930	12.7x
104	San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia Visalia, CA · Private for-profit	58	$93,239	—
105	Loma Linda University Loma Linda, CA · Private nonprofit	58	$92,363	—
106	Molloy College Rockville Centre, NY · Private nonprofit	58	$88,757	4.9x
107	The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio San Antonio, TX · Public	58	$87,264	—
108	University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE · Public	58	$85,964	—
109	Misericordia University Dallas, PA · Private nonprofit	58	$65,521	3.5x
110	Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI · Public	58	$62,452	9.6x
111	Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN · Public	58	$51,836	13.0x
112	Pima Medical Institute-Tucson Tucson, AZ · Private for-profit	57	$81,585	—
113	ECPI University Virginia Beach, VA · Private for-profit	57	$65,479	7.9x
114	Bellin College Green Bay, WI · Private nonprofit	57	$57,528	4.8x
115	Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL · Public	57	$55,867	10.2x
116	University of St Francis Joliet, IL · Private nonprofit	57	$50,600	4.0x
117	The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, TX · Public	56	$76,438	—
118	Rush University Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit	56	$75,202	—
119	Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans New Orleans, LA · Public	56	$74,205	—
120	The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Galveston, TX · Public	56	$72,789	—
121	Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL · Private nonprofit	56	$68,134	6.1x
122	University of Charleston Charleston, WV · Private nonprofit	56	$57,338	4.0x
123	Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN · Public	56	$47,809	12.8x
124	Saint Joseph's College of Maine Standish, ME · Private nonprofit	55	$74,266	3.3x
125	Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL · Private nonprofit	55	$74,202	4.0x
126	Upstate Medical University Syracuse, NY · Public	55	$72,045	—
127	University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences Center Oklahoma City, OK · Public	55	$67,979	—
128	Bryan College of Health Sciences Lincoln, NE · Private nonprofit	55	$60,447	6.5x
129	East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN · Public	55	$48,671	11.2x
130	Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN · Public	55	$42,002	12.8x
131	California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA · Public	55	$34,810	23.1x
132	University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock, AR · Public	54	$63,598	—
133	La Roche University Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit	54	$62,596	3.4x
134	Eastwick College-Ramsey Ramsey, NJ · Private for-profit	54	$55,227	7.1x
135	Regis College Weston, MA · Private nonprofit	53	$71,563	2.7x
136	Marian University Fond Du Lac, WI · Private nonprofit	53	$62,018	3.3x
137	Avila University Kansas City, MO · Private nonprofit	53	$55,605	3.1x
138	University of Mary Bismarck, ND · Private nonprofit	53	$55,153	5.4x
139	Bluefield State University Bluefield, WV · Public	53	$45,918	10.2x
140	The University of Findlay Findlay, OH · Private nonprofit	52	$62,752	3.0x
141	Robert Morris University Moon Township, PA · Private nonprofit	52	$58,842	3.2x
142	Mount Aloysius College Cresson, PA · Private nonprofit	52	$55,139	4.3x
143	Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health Omaha, NE · Private nonprofit	52	$52,454	6.2x
144	University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC · Public	52	$44,919	9.2x
145	Concordia University Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI · Private nonprofit	51	$67,407	2.9x
146	Concordia University-Wisconsin Mequon, WI · Private nonprofit	51	$67,407	2.9x
147	Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO · Private nonprofit	51	$62,107	2.0x
148	Carlow University Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit	51	$56,834	3.1x
149	Smith Chason College Los Angeles, CA · Private for-profit	51	$50,199	5.6x
150	Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX · Public	51	$43,509	10.8x
151	University of Pittsburgh-Bradford Bradford, PA · Public	50	$47,989	6.9x
152	University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Johnstown, PA · Public	50	$47,989	6.9x
153	Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH · Public	50	$26,845	17.0x
154	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA · Public	49	$39,290	11.4x
155	Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH · Public	49	$38,381	14.5x
156	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH · Public	49	$38,381	14.5x
157	Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH · Public	49	$38,381	14.5x
158	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH · Public	49	$38,381	14.5x
159	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH · Public	49	$38,381	14.5x
160	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA · Public	47	$47,989	4.4x
161	South College Knoxville, TN · Private for-profit	47	$43,775	5.1x
162	Wright State University-Main Campus Dayton, OH · Public	47	$41,318	8.2x
163	University of Southern Maine Portland, ME · Public	46	$37,585	10.6x
164	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL · Public	44	$28,127	22.3x
165	Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit	43	$38,079	6.7x
166	Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH · Public	42	$38,381	6.0x
167	Alcorn State University Alcorn State, MS · Public	42	$36,262	9.6x
168	Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN · Public	42	$33,345	12.0x
169	Brigham Young University Provo, UT · Private nonprofit	39	$34,549	13.1x
170	Montclair State University Montclair, NJ · Public	38	$36,299	5.1x
171	East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA · Public	37	$20,195	11.3x
172	Bryan University Tempe, AZ · Private for-profit	36	$33,894	6.0x
173	Carroll University Waukesha, WI · Private nonprofit	35	$38,417	2.3x
174	Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC · Public	35	$33,778	4.3x
175	Sacred Heart University Fairfield, CT · Private nonprofit	34	$28,134	2.9x
176	Dominican University New York Orangeburg, NY · Private nonprofit	32	$30,537	3.6x
177	Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit	32	$29,523	2.9x
178	Eastern International College-Jersey City Jersey City, NJ · Private for-profit	31	$31,850	3.2x
179	Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI · Public	31	$28,651	7.2x
180	University of New England Biddeford, ME · Private nonprofit	31	$27,832	2.9x
181	Platt College-Los Angeles Alhambra, CA · Private for-profit	31	$26,939	7.1x
182	Platt College-Ontario Ontario, CA · Private for-profit	31	$26,939	7.1x
183	Platt College-Riverside Riverside, CA · Private for-profit	31	$26,939	7.1x
184	Platt College-Anaheim Anaheim, CA · Private for-profit	31	$26,939	7.1x
185	San Diego State University San Diego, CA · Public	31	$25,361	6.6x
186	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce Mercedita, PR · Private nonprofit	30	$18,295	11.4x
187	Universidad Central Del Caribe Bayamon, PR · Private nonprofit	29	$14,472	4.6x
188	Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce Ponce, PR · Private nonprofit	27	$9,908	2.9x
189	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla Aguadilla, PR · Private nonprofit	27	$8,926	8.2x
190	Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas Barranquitas, PR · Private nonprofit	27	$8,300	9.2x
191	Neumann University Aston, PA · Private nonprofit	26	$31,893	2.1x
192	Springfield College Springfield, MA · Private nonprofit	26	$28,487	2.2x
193	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus San Juan, PR · Private nonprofit	26	$15,907	7.8x
194	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus Carolina, PR · Private nonprofit	26	$8,943	7.1x
195	Hofstra University Hempstead, NY · Private nonprofit	24	$28,542	1.7x

Explore our Allied Health Professions rankings across 195 schools nationwide →

Highest Earnings Top 5

Barry University FL	$144,190
University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA	$135,384
Wagner College NY	$129,269
John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences IN	$106,833
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University NY	$105,434

Best ROI Top 5

Valencia College FL	81.3x
California State University-Northridge CA	36.4x
Columbia Southern University AL	35.1x
CUNY New York City College of Technology NY	30.6x
Western Carolina University NC	30.5x

Related majors

Similar fields of study often offered alongside Allied Health Professions.

Nursing Health and Medical Administrative Services Clinical Laboratory Science Public Health Health Sciences Dental Services Communication Disorders Mental Health Services Rehabilitation Therapies Dietetics & Nutrition Medical Assisting Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Allied Health Professions offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Allied Health Professions trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →

FAQ

Frequently asked about Allied Health Professions

What's the typical salary after a Allied Health Professions degree?

Across 195 schools, Allied Health Professions graduates earn an average of $59,453 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $8,300 to $144,190 depending on the school.

What is the AI automation risk for Allied Health Professions?

AI exposure for Allied Health Professions is rated "Moderate." With 33% of tasks potentially affected by large language models, some career functions face meaningful automation pressure in the coming decade.

Which school has the best Allied Health Professions program?

University of Washington-Seattle Campus leads all 195 programs with a DegreeOutlook Score of 83/100. Graduates earn $135,384/yr — the ranking weighs earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size equally.

What's the ROI on a Allied Health Professions degree?

Typical graduates earn 11.4 times what they paid in tuition within a decade. This is a strong return on investment. Look at per-school ROI in the table above — averages can mask significant variation.