Starting a healthcare career in Iowa has not been a stronger move for your career than it is right now. Medical professions are the state’s fastest growing according to the Iowa Department of Labor. The record growth of the healthcare industry in Iowa mirrors a similar trend which is occurring across the nation. The demand for new employees is at record levels in many metropolitan areas. So high is the need for health professionals in America, that it is estimated by the 2018 Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS Survey) that there are at least a million unfilled jobs nationally.
Beginning a career in healthcare in Iowa
The 18% growth projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics over the next ten years makes the health sector the fastest-growing employer in the national job market. The unprecedented expansion in the healthcare system is being powered by the nation’s need to take care of an aging adult population. It is because of this set of conditions that individuals with all backgrounds can now find employment opportunities in the medical field industry.
The Best Healthcare Schools in Iowa
| School Name / Website | Address | School Type |
|---|---|---|
| Allen College | 1990 Heath St, Waterloo, Iowa 50703-1999 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Aveda Institute-Des Moines | 6905 Mills Civic Pkwy Suite 120, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Briar Cliff University | 3303 Rebecca Street, Sioux City, Iowa 51104 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Buena Vista University | 610 W 4th St, Storm Lake, Iowa 50588 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Capri College-Cedar Rapids | 2945 Williams Parkway S.W., Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Capri College-Davenport | 2540 E. 53rd Street, Davenport, Iowa 52807-3003 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Capri College-Dubuque | 395 Main St, Dubuque, Iowa 52004-0873 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Carlson College of Massage Therapy | 11809 Country Rd X28, Anamosa, Iowa 52205 | < 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Central College | 812 University, Pella, Iowa 50219 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Clarke University | 1550 Clarke Dr, Dubuque, Iowa 52001-3198 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Coe College | 1220 First Ave NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402-5092 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Des Moines Area Community College | 2006 Ankeny Blvd, Ankeny, Iowa 50023-3993 | 2-year, Public |
| Des Moines University-Osteopathic Medical Center | 3200 Grand Ave, Des Moines, Iowa 50312 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Dordt College | 498 4th Ave NE, Sioux Center, Iowa 51250-1697 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Drake University | 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50311-4505 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Eastern Iowa Community College District | 101 W Third Street, Davenport, Iowa 52801-1221 | 2-year, Public |
| Ellsworth Community College | 1100 College Ave, Iowa Falls, Iowa 50126 | 2-year, Public |
| Graceland University-Lamoni | 1 University Place, Lamoni, Iowa 50140 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Grand View University | 1200 Grandview Ave, Des Moines, Iowa 50316 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Hamilton Technical College | 1011 E 53rd St, Davenport, Iowa 52807 | 4-year, primarily associate's, Private for-profit |
| Hawkeye Community College | 1501 E Orange Rd, Waterloo, Iowa 50701 | 2-year, Public |
| Indian Hills Community College | 525 Grandview Ave, Ottumwa, Iowa 52501 | 2-year, Public |
| Iowa Central Community College | One Triton Circle, Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501 | 2-year, Public |
| Iowa Lakes Community College | 19 S 7th St, Estherville, Iowa 51334-2295 | 2-year, Public |
| Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines | 3305 70th St, Des Moines, Iowa 50322-3203 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Iowa State University | 1750 Beardshear Hall, Ames, Iowa 50011-2103 | 4-year, Public |
| Iowa Wesleyan University | 601 N Main Street, Mount Pleasant, Iowa 52641 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Iowa Western Community College | 2700 College Rd, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51503-1057 | 2-year, Public |
| Kirkwood Community College | 6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52406-2068 | 2-year, Public |
| La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology | 24 Second St NE, Mason City, Iowa 50401-3308 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| La James International College-Cedar Falls | 6322 University Ave, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| La James International College-Davenport | 5205 North Brady Street, Davenport, Iowa 52806 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| La James International College-Ft Dodge | 2419 5th Avenue South, Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| La James International College-Iowa City | 227 E Market-Brewery Sq, Iowa City, Iowa 52245 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Loras College | 1450 Alta Vista, Dubuque, Iowa 52004-0178 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Luther College | 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Maharishi University of Management | 1000 N 4th St, Fairfield, Iowa 52557 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Marshalltown Community College | 3700 S Center St, Marshalltown, Iowa 50158 | 2-year, Public |
| Mercy College of Health Sciences | 928 Sixth Ave, Des Moines, Iowa 50309-1239 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Mercy-St Luke's School of Radiologic Technology | 1026 A Ave NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402 | 2-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Morningside College | 1501 Morningside Ave, Sioux City, Iowa 51106-1751 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Mount Mercy University | 1330 Elmhurst Dr NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402-4797 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| North Iowa Area Community College | 500 College Dr, Mason City, Iowa 50401 | 2-year, Public |
| Northeast Iowa Community College | 1625 Hwy 150, Calmar, Iowa 52132-0400 | 2-year, Public |
| Northwest Iowa Community College | 603 W Park St, Sheldon, Iowa 51201 | 2-year, Public |
| Northwestern College | 101 Seventh St SW, Orange City, Iowa 51041 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Palmer College of Chiropractic | 1000 Brady St, Davenport, Iowa 52803-5287 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| PCI Academy-Ames | 309 Kitty Hawk Dr., Ames, Iowa 50010 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Purdue University Global-Cedar Falls | 7009 Nordic Drive, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613 | 4-year, Public |
| Purdue University Global-Cedar Rapids | 3165 Edgewood Parkway SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404 | 4-year, Public |
| Purdue University Global-Davenport | 1801 East Kimberly Road, Suite 1, Davenport, Iowa 52807-2095 | 4-year, Public |
| Purdue University Global-Des Moines | 4655 North West 121 Street, Urbandale, Iowa 50323-5702 | 4-year, primarily associate's, Public |
| Purdue University Global-Mason City | 2570 4th Street SW, Mason City, Iowa 50401 | 4-year, Public |
| Ross College-Quad Cities | 2119 Kimberly Rd., Bettendorf, Iowa 52722 | 2-year, Private for-profit |
| Saint Ambrose University | 518 W Locust St, Davenport, Iowa 52803-2898 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Simpson College | 701 North C St, Indianola, Iowa 50125 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Southeastern Community College | 1500 West Agency Road, West Burlington, Iowa 52655-0180 | 2-year, Public |
| Southwestern Community College | 1501 West Townline Street, Creston, Iowa 50801 | 2-year, Public |
| St Luke's College | 2720 Stone Park Blvd, Sioux City, Iowa 51104-0263 | 4-year, primarily associate's, Private not-for-profit |
| UnityPoint Health-Des Moines School of Radiologic Technology | 1200 Pleasant St, Des Moines, Iowa 50309-1453 | 2-year, Private not-for-profit |
| University of Dubuque | 2000 University Ave, Dubuque, Iowa 52001 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| University of Iowa | 101 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1316 | 4-year, Public |
| University of Northern Iowa | 1227 W 27th St, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0005 | 4-year, Public |
| Upper Iowa University | 605 Washington St, Fayette, Iowa 52142-1857 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Waldorf University | 106 S Sixth St, Forest City, Iowa 50436-1713 | 4-year, Private for-profit |
| Wartburg College | 100 Wartburg Blvd., Waverly, Iowa 50677-0903 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College | 4647 Stone Ave, Sioux City, Iowa 51102-5199 | 2-year, Public |
| William Penn University | 201 Trueblood Ave, Oskaloosa, Iowa 52577 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
Healthcare entry-level jobs in Iowa
Probably the biggest segment of the medical labor force in Iowa consists of the 40,530 Healthcare Support staff who are currently working in the state. Having an annual median salary of $31,200, these entry-level workers take home a decent salary for jobs which do not call for a college degree.
The area below features 10 popular medical field jobs in Iowa and salary data.
| Iowa Healthcare Careers | Employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | 840 | 31.29 | 65080 |
| Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics | 2420 | 16.60 | 34530 |
| Pharmacy Technicians | 4540 | 15.00 | 31190 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 5990 | 20.01 | 41610 |
| Medical Records and Health Information Technicians | 2450 | 19.48 | 40520 |
| Home Health Aides | 4610 | 13.72 | 28540 |
| Nursing Assistants | 20740 | 13.60 | 28300 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistants | 420 | 27.61 | 57430 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | 980 | 22.88 | 47590 |
| Dental Assistants | 2960 | 19.18 | 39900 |
| Medical Assistants | 4920 | 16.36 | 34030 |
| Phlebotomists | 1100 | 14.57 | 30310 |
How to find an entry-level position in the medical field in the state of Iowa
The majority of healthcare employers would prefer to find entry-level employees who have previously graduated from some kind of formalized training course. Because of this, it’s strongly recommended that anyone who is seriously considering a career in healthcare finish an accredited, formal training course.
In the case of healthcare support training programs, many can be completed in a year or less.
Find healthcare courses in Iowa
To find local training programs for some of Iowa’s entry-level healthcare careers, click on any of the links below. You can additionally click the name of any of the listed professions to get more information about the best way to get started on that professional path.
- CNA license in Iowa
- Dental assistant certification in Iowa
- EMT license in Iowa
- HHA license in Iowa
- LPN certification in Iowa
- Medical assistant certification in Iowa
- Medical billing & coding training in Iowa
- Pharmacy technician certification in Iowa
- Phlebotomy courses in Iowa
- Ultrasound technician programs in Iowa
Finding a healthcare job in Iowa
There are healthcare employment opportunities all across the State of Iowa. The Des Moines region is the place where the greatest volume of workers work in the industry. Many of these jobs (7500) are in the Des Moines metropolitan area.
The following list reflects all the towns and cities in the state where you can find a significant number of healthcare opportunities.
- Des Moines, IA
- Ames, IA
- Davenport, IA
- Siuox City, IA
- Cedar Rapids, IA