10 Reasons Why Health Care Is Good Source of IT Jobs

Despite some pitfalls working in the health IT field, health IT professionals are largely pleased with their jobs and the benefits they receive.

From a benefits perspective, it’s not so bad to be a health IT professional. The study found that 86 percent of health IT professionals are offered health insurance, and 75 percent have 401(k) plans. About seven in 10 health IT professionals get life and disability insurance. Another two-thirds have flexible spending accounts. There is even 12 percent of IT pros who get childcare in the office.

Despite those perks, health IT professionals would like more perks. About four in 10 professionals say they’d like to be able to work from home, and 36 percent think they’re entitled to overtime pay. In addition, the survey shows that 32 percent of health IT professionals want a flexible schedule. Surprisingly, just half of the companies they work for offer maternity, paternity and adoption leave, which are additional coveted job benefits.

Despite some of those concerns, health IT professionals are extremely pleased with their jobs. More than 8 in 10 health IT professionals say that they’re satisfied in their jobs. A whopping 42 percent of respondents say that they are “very satisfied” with their careers.

There’s perhaps no better way to gauge a profession than by how many current health care professionals would recommend industry jobs to young applicants. A surprisingly high number—89 percent—say that they would recommend working in the health IT field to a young person.

So, what makes health IT professionals so happy? According to the survey, 25 percent say that they know they have the ability to advance their careers, while 19 percent said that there is “significant” potential to increase their income. Another 18 percent of respondents say that they’re learning new skills, which they think will help them in their careers.

There are a few things, however, that make health IT professionals unhappy. While they believe they can increase their income over time, 36 percent of health IT professionals say they’re unhappy with their current compensation. Nearly a quarter of respondents said that they have an “excessive workload,” while another 24 percent are concerned with “hospital/health care politics.”

The study found that health IT professionals who make over $100,000 are more likely to be “very satisfied” with their jobs than those who do not. However, to make that kind of money, most of the professionals have spent their entire careers in the health care field. They’re also most likely to be working for a health care consultant or reached an IT management position at a major facility. In other words, a six-figure salary is hardly guaranteed.

Health IT professionals are on the lookout for new opportunities. In fact, 51 percent of them say that they plan to change jobs within the next year, and 31 percent are unsure whether they’ll stay with their current employer in the next 12 months.

Those looking to get a new health care IT job or to jump into the field could learn a thing or two about those who already work in the space. According to the survey, 74 percent of respondents found their positions by using industry-specific job boards. Nearly the same number used general job boards. Interestingly, 42 percent of health IT professionals say they relied upon social media for their job hunt.

In its summary of findings, HealthITJobs.com found that employers have some work to do. The survey found that while employers offer “attractive” compensation packages, health IT professionals are driven by the ability to climb the corporate ladder and do their jobs without too much C-suite interference. The survey shows that offering simple benefits, like working from home and offering more flexibility in scheduling, could ultimately help reduce employee attrition.