Four Salus Professions Among Top U.S. Jobs

If you’re a prospective student considering Salus University or a student who’s already enrolled in one of the University’s top-level programs, you might want to take a look at a recent survey by U.S. News and World Report.

The good news is that there are plenty of job opportunities for those with a degree from Salus. The even better news is that when you score one of those jobs, you’ll likely need a bigger wallet. 

Of the “100 Best Jobs of 2021,” four of the professions that Salus trains its students to enter rank among the top: Physician Assistant (PA) at No. 1, Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) at No. 7, Occupational Therapist (OT) at No. 19 and Optometrist at No. 48. 

Physician Assistants are in high demand. PAs diagnose illnesses, develop and implement treatment plans, assist in surgeries and perform procedures. The Salus PA program is patient-centered with a primary care philosophy and holistic approach, so students appreciate the need to not only care for the patient, but also about the patient. 

"It is very exciting for the PA profession to rank in the No. 1 spot on both the best job and the best healthcare job lists according to the recently released report,” said Donna Agnew, MSPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA, director of the University’s PA program. “A career as a physician assistant not only allows you to serve patients as an integral member of the healthcare team but also affords you a work life balance. Unique to the profession is the ability to transition between medical disciplines, depending on your personal interests and needs. Never has the critical need for PAs been tested more than during the pandemic." 

According to U.S. News and World Report, there are currently 39,300 jobs available for PAs, the profession has a 0.7 percent unemployment rate and the median salary is $112,260. 

Speech-Language Pathologists evaluate, diagnose and treat people with speech, language or swallowing difficulties. Salus provides SLP students the opportunity to work with various types of patients from infancy to geriatrics at the on-campus clinical facility, the Speech-Language Institute (SLI). 

“The diversity of clients we get to work with, the variety of settings we can work in — the mix of medical and educational issues and the opportunity to work as a team (or as a solo practitioner) a few hours a week or seven days per week — makes speech-language pathology ideal as a profession,” said Robert Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, FNAP, chair and program director of the University’s Department of Speech-Language Pathology. 

According to Serianni, the Salus SLP program exposes its students to the depth and breadth of the profession and sets them up to be inquisitive, and to find the evidence needed to better the outcomes for their clients. It also gets them ready to be life-long learners, enhancing critical thinking skills and preparing them to engage professionally and with empathy. 

“The faculty and staff create learning opportunities which allow students to explore areas of the profession that students have limited exposure to and reinforces some of the notions about what it's like to be a speech-language pathologist,” said Serianni. “Our team's deep knowledge and skills, as well as their care and enthusiasm for the profession, is infectious and students leave the program reassured about their decision to select the field and proud to be an SLP.” 

There are currently 40,500 jobs available for SLPs, the profession has a 0.8 percent unemployment rate and the median salary is $79,120. 

Occupational Therapists work with patients — whether mental, physical, emotional or developmental — to build or restore their abilities to perform the daily tasks of life. OT students are introduced to a variety of specializations unique to Salus, including vision rehabilitation, public health, and health and wellness.

There are currently 22,700 jobs available for OTs, the profession has a 1.8 unemployment rate and the median salary is $84,950.

Optometrists perform tests to determine common eyesight issues for which they can prescribe glasses or contacts. They also test patients for eye diseases, such as glaucoma and perform vision therapy for other issues, such as eye-movement or eye-tracking problems. Optometrists also diagnose problems like diabetic retinopathy, which is symptomatic of a systemic problem such as diabetes.  

“I am not surprised that the field of optometry was ranked. There is so much about the optometry that makes it a remarkable profession for those chosen individuals to establish lifelong relationships with patients, while protecting and preserving the sense of sight,” said Melissa Trego, OD ‘04, PhD, dean of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus. “For more than a hundred years, PCO has continued the legacy of training future eye care providers who are outstanding clinicians.” 

There are currently 1,900 jobs available for optometrists and the unemployment rate in not currently available in the profession, according to U.S. News and World Report. The median salary is $115,250