Faculty and Staff News
Current Student News
Optometry
General News
Talk about return on investment. Several of the professions in which Salus University trains its students are among the Top 100 jobs in the nation for 2022 as ranked by U.S. News and World Report.
According to the media outlet, the best jobs share some attributes, including a competitive salary, are challenging, match talents with skills, aren’t extremely stressful, offer room for advancement and have a satisfying work-life balance. Given that criteria, it sure looks like Salus is the place to be to build a lucrative career.
Physician Assistant (PA) checked in as the No. 3 ranked job in the Top 100, followed by Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) at No. 10, Occupational Therapist (OT) at No. 31, Optometrist (OD) at No. 37 and Audiologist (AuD) at No. 79. Orthotics and Prosthetics (O&P), the University’s newest program that launches in the fall of 2022, is new to the Top 100 list entering in at No. 56.
But when the list is narrowed down to the best jobs in healthcare, there’s even better news for Salus students. Most of the professions are in the Top 25. PA comes in at No. 2, SLP at No. 3, OT at No. 11, OD at No. 13 and AuD at No. 22.
The number of jobs for PAs coming out of Salus as projected by U.S. News and World Report is 40,100 nationwide, with a projected median salary of $115,390.
“The PA profession is one of the most sought-after professions in the country because PAs can practice medicine in multiple specialties with varying levels of autonomy,” said Daniel Pavlik, DMS, PA-C, director of the University’s PA program. “Our board scores suggest that we are training some of the strongest PAs in the country.”
Not far behind are SLPs, with projected jobs at 45,400 and the median salary coming in at $80,480; OT at 23,000 jobs with an $86,280 median salary; optometrists at 3,900 positions and $118,050 average salary; and audiologists at 2,100 jobs and an average salary of $81,030.
“It is no wonder, given the vast scope of an SLP and the value we bring to the team as we assess, diagnose and treat communication and swallowing disorders,” said Robert Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, FNAP, chair and director of the SLP program at Salus. “The expansion of our scope of practice and the continuous growth in the job market makes a career in SLP very desirable to many people. As an SLP for more than 25 years now, you certainly don't need to convince me that SLP is a top job.”
With the addition of O&P, the University adds yet another program whose students will likely come out into a friendly and lucrative job market.
“Salus O&P plans to launch in fall 2022 and not look back,” said J. Chad Duncan, PhD, CRC, CPO, chair and director of the O&P program. “The new and unique O&P program can offer students an opportunity to stand out and be among the best in their field, which is in high demand and provides for an exciting work environment. We get to see immediate results which is rewarding and challenging at the same time. We not only manage patients' care, we get to create for the individual.”
To identify professions for the 2022 rankings, U.S. News and World Report started with jobs that have the largest projected number and percentage of openings from 2020 to 2030, as determined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The jobs that topped the list were then selected for the 2022 Best Jobs analysis and rankings.
“We are extremely proud and it is no surprise that we are training professionals who will not only be able to care for those in need of their essential services but also are included in the Top 100 jobs as noted in U.S. News and World Report,” said Salus president Michael H. Mittelman, OD ‘80, MPH, MBA, FAAO, FACHE.
