Your Community’s Quality of Life Starts With You
Optimal health outcomes don’t begin and end in a doctor’s office. They often start with lifestyle, including nutrition and fitness, and involve several specialists who support the diagnostic process and guide therapeutic and rehabilitative treatments.
Along the way, a wide range of wellness, administrative and allied health professionals help clients and patients access their best lives — from counselors and certified trainers to nurses and technicians to office workers and tech support. And to enter many of these rewarding career paths, sometimes a certificate is all it takes.
Are you caring? Driven to do good? Head to your local Western New York Works college to pursue your calling and get real, job-ready experience helping others.
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Healthcare Careers at a Glance
24.5%
Growth across all healthcare occupations in Western New York through 2030.
New York Department of Labor
$81,345
Median salary for healthcare professionals in Western New York.
New York Department of Labor
$51K-$565K+
Lifetime return on investment for various Western New York Works healthcare training programs.
The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity
How Do I Become a…?
A growing aging population and an understanding that exercise and mental health support function as preventative care continue to fuel already-rising demand for health and wellness professionals in Western New York and across the country. Explore the diverse career paths available and the credentials needed to get your foot in the door.
Patient Care and Support
Registered Nurse
You’re the core of a patient’s care team. You know what to monitor, what medications to administer and all the vitals that need checking.
Salary range, NY: $66,064–$99,287*
*New York Department of Labor
Participating Colleges and Programs
Respiratory Therapist
For Respiratory Therapists, it’s all about the breath. Learn to analyze the performance of patients’ lungs to develop treatment plans and assist the diagnostic process.
Salary range, NY: $62,544–$83,631*
*New York Department of Labor
![Two respiratory therapy students, one male and one female, practice monitoring patient breathing in a simulated environment at a Western New York Works college.](https://www.wnyworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wny-works-health-care-career-training-respiratory-therapist.jpg)
Participating Colleges and Programs
Physical Therapy Assistant
You’re ready to support the rehabilitation process, helping patients through their prescribed exercises, guiding treatments and recording any changes.
Salary range, NY: $44,530–$63,373*
*New York Department of Labor
![Two physical therapy assistant students plus an instructor practice patient exercises in a training space at a Western New York Works college](https://www.wnyworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wny-works-health-care-career-training-physical-therapy-assistant-1024x775.jpg)
Participating Colleges and Programs
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Monitor and support patients through a number of lifestyle transitions — returning to work after an accident, recovering from a major injury or adapting to age-related changes.
Salary range, NY: $42,148–$58,355*
*New York Department of Labor
![An occupational therapy assistant student at a Western New York Works college sits at a table with two patients who are reaching for potato chips and whipped cream.](https://www.wnyworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wny-works-health-care-career-training-occupational-therapy-assistant-1-1024x684.jpg)
Participating Colleges and Programs
Ultrasound Technician/Sonographer
You monitor the waves — the sound waves, that is, as they bounce back and create pictures of the body’s various internal structures for a detailed diagnosis.
Salary range, NY: $65,183–$86,792*
*New York Department of Labor
![A sonography student practices using ultrasound equipment in a training space at a Western New York Works college](https://www.wnyworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wny-works-health-care-career-training-ultrasound-technician-sonographer-1024x684.jpg)
Participating Colleges and Programs
Radiology Technologist
You’re the imaging expert — ready to oversee and guide patients during X-rays, MRIs and CT scans and prepare the results for doctors.
Salary range, NY: $57,597–$80,190*
*New York Department of Labor
![A radiology technologist student practices operating imaging equipment in a training space at a Western New York Works college](https://www.wnyworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wny-works-health-care-career-training-radiology-technologist-1024x683.jpg)
Participating Colleges and Programs
Phlebotomist
No matter if a patient is calm and collected or squeamish, you know the best way to draw blood every time.
Salary range, NY: $33,458–$45,316*
*New York Department of Labor
![A phlebotomy student at a Western New York Works college wears gloves to practice finding a vein on another student.](https://www.wnyworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wny-works-health-care-career-training-phlebotomist-1024x683.jpg)
Participating Colleges and Programs
Veterinary Assistant
You round out the team of veterinary professionals who assess and treat all types of animals — from common household pets to livestock.
Salary range, NY: $31,122–$39,792*
*New York Department of Labor
![Three students in a Western New York Works vet tech program practice monitoring a dog in a simulation environment.](https://www.wnyworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wny-works-health-care-career-training-veterinary-assistant-1024x683.jpg)
Participating Colleges and Programs
Medical Administrative or Office Assistant/Coding and Reimbursement Specialist
From front-of-office tasks to blood tests and vitals in the back, your mix of clinical and administrative skills supports the day-to-day operations of general practitioners and specialists.
Salary range, NY: $34,605–$45,527*
*New York Department of Labor
![A male student in scrubs reviews imaging results in a class for a medical administrative and office assistant training program at a Western New York Works college](https://www.wnyworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wny-works-health-care-career-training-medical-administrative-office-assistant-1024x684.jpg)
Participating Colleges and Programs
Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC)
When it’s one day at a time, you help each client establish and work toward gradual goals during the recovery process. Counseling often requires advanced degrees.
Salary range, NY: $34,157–$58,405*
*New York Department of Labor
![A CASAC worker meets with a group of four students at a Western New York Works college.](https://www.wnyworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wny-works-health-care-career-training-certified-alcohol-and-substance-abuse-counselor.jpg)
Participating Colleges and Programs
Personal Trainer
Help each client get to the finish line of their personal fitness goals by supporting their journey through exercise, diet and lifestyle recommendations.
Salary range, NY: $30,762–$56,654*
*New York Department of Labor
![A strength and conditioning training facility for fitness and wellness students at a Western New York Works college.](https://www.wnyworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wny-works-health-care-career-training-personal-trainer-1024x684.jpg)
Participating Colleges and Programs
Administrative and Public Health
Health Information Technician
![A student wearing a stethoscope looks at a watch while taking another student's pulse in a health information technician class at a Western New York Works college.](https://www.wnyworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wny-works-health-care-career-training-health-information-technician-1024x683.jpg)
Participating Colleges and Programs
Public Health Worker or Community Health Worker
![A student wearing a lab coat operates a microscope in a public health class at a Western New York Works college.](https://www.wnyworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wny-works-health-care-career-training-public-health-worker-1024x684.jpg)
Participating Colleges and Programs
Healthcare Career Development
From Simulations to Real-World Experience
From nursing simulation and human performance labs outfitted with industry equipment to clinical assignments at local hospitals and clinics, healthcare students see where their community needs them and get a hands-on perspective of what they’ll do on the job.
![A male student in scrubs practices taking vitals on a simulated patient at a Western New York Works college.](https://www.wnyworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wny-works-health-care-career-training-clinical-assignments-facilities.jpg)
![A nursing student wearing scrubs and a name tag stands in a simulated patient care space at a Western New York Works college.](https://www.wnyworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/wny-works-health-care-career-training-bachelors-completion.jpg)
Come Back for Your Bachelor’s or Additional Training
Your story’s just beginning. While a certificate or associate degree qualifies you for a license, a bachelor’s gives you leverage when you’re looking ahead toward leadership. When you’re ready to return and make your next move, your local Western New York Works college is ready to help you.