Page 27 - SKILLS Workforce Development Guide 2021

workers receive a salary in the lower $30,000 range. The positions are commensurate with experience, but many hospitals look at market data and pay competitively.
‘A GROWTH SECTOR IN THE COUNTY’
City dwellers choosing to settle
in Westchester due to COVID, plus
an expanding aging population, has contributed to exponential growth in
a variety of clinical positions in the hospital or private-practice setting. These positions have titles such as medical assistant, phlebotomist, patient care technician, inhalation therapist, and x-ray technician. Some of these jobs do not require an advanced degree, while others require special certifications that usually can be completed with a two- to six-month course of study.
“The perception is that the job market has crashed, but I’m on LinkedIn and Indeed all the time. Using Mount Kisco as a central point to search for jobs within a 25-mile radius, there are roughly 18,000 jobs available, with the vast majority in healthcare with multiple openings in positions such as medical assistant. As many Baby Boomers retire
“Hospitals in particular offer great training and great career pathways.”
—Jason Chapin
Director of Workforce Development, Westchester County Association
and more people are vaccinated, the health industry is a growth sector in the county,” notes Chapin. “Hospitals in particular offer great training and great career pathways.” Entry-level positions for medical and nursing assistants average $30,000, while more specialized positions such as phlebotomists earn $33,000 at the entry level and around $50,000 with greater experience.
Then there’s the wide field of healthcare IT. If you think those jobs are all about coding and hacker
prevention, it might be time to toss those assumptions aside. This is an ever-evolving area, with emerging technologies changing the healthcare landscape continuously. The rise of telemedicine has increased the need for talented IT professionals. The use of digital tools advanced more over the first six months of the pandemic than in the previous decade, according to the Healthcare Association of
New York State. To create these tools and customizable apps, IT positions are in demand.
“A lot of our positions are contract to hire. A department may need to transition to a system, so we’ll hire a project-based contractor, and then, if we like their abilities, we will convert them to full-time employment,” says Woolley. Positions abound, including IT security, systems and network analysts, and desktop/
PC support in various settings. Expect entry-level salaries around $37,000, with experienced IT professionals making upwards of $87,000.
The one thing in common is that those in this industry say their jobs are meaningful, and they are proud of the role they play in improving patients’ lives.
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