Residents of Louisiana who are thinking about healthcare careers in Louisiana should be extremely happy when they see that the state’s job outlook for most medical field occupations is very good. Medical jobs are forecasted to be among the state’s fastest growing per the Louisiana Department of Labor. The state’s growing medical industry is far from one-of-a-kind, though, given that a similar trend is playing out across the United States. Without a doubt, professional medical workers are in high demand almost everywhere. So great is demand for medical workers in America, that it’s reported by the 2018 Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) that there are over one million unfilled jobs nationally.
Beginning a career in healthcare in Louisiana
The 18% growth predicted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics through 2026 makes the healthcare industry the fastest-growing employer in the national labor market. An older population and increased number of insurable patients are the biggest motivation for this accelerated expansion. This scenario has generated all kinds of opportunities for aspiring professionals of all backgrounds.
The Best Healthcare Schools in Louisiana
| School Name / Website | Address | School Type | # of Students | # of Undergrads | Grad Rate | Transfer-Out Rate | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayers Career College | 8820 Jewella Ave, Shreveport, Louisiana 71118 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 135 | 135 | 53% | 2% | $22,766 |
| Baton Rouge Community College | 201 Community College Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806 | 2-year, Public | 7908 | 7908 | 11% | 22% | $9,135 |
| Baton Rouge General Medical Center-School of Nursing | 3616 North Blvd, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806 | 2-year, Private not-for-profit | 101 | 101 | NA | NA | NA |
| Blue Cliff College-Alexandria | 1505 Metro Dr Ste 1, Alexandria, Louisiana 71301 | 2-year, Private for-profit | 535 | 535 | 47% | NA | $24,477 |
| Blue Cliff College-Houma | 803 Barrow St, Houma, Louisiana 70360 | 2-year, Private for-profit | 246 | 246 | 52% | NA | $24,107 |
| Blue Cliff College-Lafayette | 120 James Comeaux Rd., Lafayette, Louisiana 70508 | 2-year, Private for-profit | 284 | 284 | 58% | NA | $22,091 |
| Blue Cliff College-Metairie | 3200 Cleary Ave, Metairie, Louisiana 70002-5714 | 2-year, Private for-profit | 866 | 866 | 45% | NA | $22,451 |
| Bossier Parish Community College | 6220 East Texas, Bossier City, Louisiana 71111-6922 | 2-year, Public | 6734 | 6734 | 10% | 30% | $8,771 |
| Camelot College | 2618 Wooddale Blvd Ste A, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70805 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 166 | 166 | 37% | NA | $19,379 |
| Central Louisiana Technical Community College | 4311 South MacArthur Drive, Alexandria, Louisiana 71302-3137 | 2-year, Public | 2453 | 2453 | 64% | 5% | $8,342 |
| Chamberlain University-Louisiana | 400 Labarre Road, New Orleans, Louisiana 70121 | 4-year, Private for-profit | NA | NA | NA | ||
| Compass Career College | 42353 Deluxe Plaza, Suite 16, Hammond, Louisiana 70403 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 223 | 223 | 59% | NA | $13,589 |
| Delgado Community College | 615 City Park Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70119 | 2-year, Public | 14239 | 14239 | 5% | 19% | $8,577 |
| Delta College Inc | 19231 N. 6th Street, Covington, Louisiana 70433-8947 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 203 | 203 | 66% | NA | $20,677 |
| Delta College of Arts & Technology | 7380 Exchange Place, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806-1529 | 2-year, Private for-profit | 263 | 263 | 48% | NA | $18,018 |
| Delta College of Arts & Technology-Lafayette Campus | 200 Republic Ave., Suite F, Lafayette, Louisiana 70508 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 169 | 169 | 62% | NA | $19,341 |
| Delta College-Slidell Campus | 105 Gause Blvd., West, Slidell, Louisiana 70460-2624 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 129 | 129 | 52% | NA | $17,840 |
| Dillard University | 2601 Gentilly Blvd, New Orleans, Louisiana 70122 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | 1290 | 1290 | 40% | 45% | $17,222 |
| Eastern College of Health Vocations-New Orleans | 201 Evans Rd. Bldg 400, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 57 | 57 | 73% | NA | $12,801 |
| Fletcher Technical Community College | 1407 Highway 311, Schriever, Louisiana 70395 | 2-year, Public | 2221 | 2221 | 24% | 20% | $9,889 |
| Fortis College-Baton Rouge | 14111 Airline Hwy, Suite 101, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70817 | 2-year, Private for-profit | 312 | 312 | 52% | NA | $22,025 |
| Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University | 5414 Brittany Dr, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | 1446 | 1193 | 40% | NA | $15,429 |
| Grambling State University | 403 Main Street, Grambling, Louisiana 71245 | 4-year, Public | 5191 | 4079 | 35% | NA | $18,427 |
| Healthcare Training Institute | 322 Williams Boulevard, Kenner, Louisiana 70062-7630 | 2-year, Private for-profit | 47 | 47 | NA | NA | $13,423 |
| Infinity College | 117 West Pinhook Rd, Lafayette, Louisiana 70501-8833 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 102 | 102 | NA | NA | NA |
| ITI Technical College | 13944 Airline Hwy, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70817 | 2-year, Private for-profit | 622 | 622 | 60% | NA | $16,064 |
| Learning Bridge Career Institute | 1340 West Tunnel Boulevard, Houma, Louisiana 70360-2816 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 48 | 48 | NA | NA | $17,046 |
| Louisiana College | 1140 College Dr, Pineville, Louisiana 71359 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | 1196 | 987 | 42% | 39% | $15,572 |
| Louisiana Delta Community College | 7500 Millhaven Rd, Monroe, Louisiana 71203 | 2-year, Public | 3666 | 3666 | 27% | 13% | $8,773 |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | 156 Thomas Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803-2750 | 4-year, Public | 30861 | 25444 | 67% | NA | $19,224 |
| Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans | 433 Bolivar St, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112-2223 | 4-year, Public | 2777 | 921 | NA | NA | NA |
| Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport | 1501 Kings Hwy, Shreveport, Louisiana 71103 | 4-year, Public | 899 | 28 | NA | NA | NA |
| Louisiana State University-Alexandria | 8100 Hwy 71 South, Alexandria, Louisiana 71302-9121 | 4-year, Public | 3372 | 3372 | 26% | 1% | $8,853 |
| Louisiana State University-Eunice | 2048 Johnson Hwy, Eunice, Louisiana 70535 | 2-year, Public | 3044 | 3044 | 11% | 48% | $8,890 |
| Louisiana State University-Shreveport | One University Place, Shreveport, Louisiana 71115-2399 | 4-year, Public | 5996 | 2638 | 30% | NA | $9,393 |
| Louisiana Tech University | 1310 West Railroad Avenue, Ruston, Louisiana 71272 | 4-year, Public | 12839 | 11328 | 53% | 32% | $10,683 |
| Loyola University New Orleans | 6363 Saint Charles Ave, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118-6143 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | 3759 | 2602 | 56% | 9% | $24,524 |
| McNeese State University | 4205 Ryan St, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70605 | 4-year, Public | 7629 | 6926 | 42% | 29% | $10,545 |
| Medical Training College | 10525 Plaza Americana Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70816-5820 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 215 | 215 | 67% | NA | $18,655 |
| Mid City College | 5700 Florida Blvd, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806-0000 | 2-year, Private for-profit | 2 | 2 | NA | NA | NA |
| Moore Career College | 14141 Airline Hwy bldg 1 Ste X, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70817 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 105 | 105 | 74% | NA | $13,495 |
| Nicholls State University | University Station La Hwy 1, Thibodaux, Louisiana 70310 | 4-year, Public | 6327 | 5685 | 47% | 25% | $11,896 |
| Northshore Technical Community College | 65556 Centerpoint Blvd., Lacombe, Louisiana 70445 | 2-year, Public | 4995 | 4995 | 41% | 15% | $6,758 |
| Northwest Louisiana Technical College | 9500 Industrial Drive, Minden, Louisiana 71055-0000 | 2-year, Public | 1130 | 1130 | 61% | 21% | $12,398 |
| Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 175 Sam Sibley Drive, Natchitoches, Louisiana 71497-0002 | 4-year, Public | 10572 | 9443 | 39% | NA | $10,503 |
| Nunez Community College | 3710 Paris Rd, Chalmette, Louisiana 70043 | 2-year, Public | 2599 | 2599 | 15% | 18% | $9,174 |
| McCann School of Business and Technology-Monroe | 2319 Louisville Ave, Monroe, Louisiana 71201 | 2-year, Private for-profit | 591 | 591 | 31% | NA | $19,565 |
| Remington College-Lafayette Campus | 303 Rue Louis XIV, Lafayette, Louisiana 70508 | 2-year, Private not-for-profit | 421 | 421 | 37% | NA | $20,014 |
| Remington College-Shreveport Campus | 2106 Bert Kouns Industrial Loop, Shreveport, Louisiana 71101 | 4-year, primarily associate's, Private not-for-profit | 399 | 399 | 63% | NA | $20,894 |
| River Parishes Community College | 925 West Edenborne Parkway, Gonzales, Louisiana 70737 | 2-year, Public | 2342 | 2342 | 18% | 23% | $8,263 |
| South Central Louisiana Technical College | 900 Youngs Road, Morgan City, Louisiana 70380 | 2-year, Public | 1961 | 1961 | 41% | 9% | $8,539 |
| South Louisiana Community College | 1101 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, Louisiana 70506-4109 | 2-year, Public | 6534 | 6534 | 30% | 19% | $9,015 |
| Southeastern Louisiana University | 548 Ned McGehee Ave., Hammond, Louisiana 70402 | 4-year, Public | 14285 | 13317 | 41% | 33% | $12,135 |
| Southern University and A & M College | 3rd Floor, J.S. Clark Adm. Building, P.O. Box 9374, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70813 | 4-year, Public | 6118 | 5149 | 29% | NA | $13,668 |
| Southern University at New Orleans | 6400 Press Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana 70126 | 4-year, Public | 2546 | 2108 | 20% | NA | $6,967 |
| Southern University at Shreveport | 3050 Martin Luther King Dr, Shreveport, Louisiana 71107 | 2-year, Public | 3088 | 3088 | 9% | 27% | $10,237 |
| SOWELA Technical Community College | 3820 Senator J. Bennett Johnston Ave, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70615 | 2-year, Public | 3347 | 3347 | 38% | 7% | $8,913 |
| Tulane University of Louisiana | 6823 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118-5698 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | 12384 | 7871 | 83% | 13% | $33,886 |
| Unitech Training Academy-Alexandria | 2800 S. MacArthur Drive, Alexandria, Louisiana 71301 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 82 | 82 | 59% | NA | $23,975 |
| Unitech Training Academy-Baton Rouge | 10551 Coursey Blvd, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70816-4040 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 70 | 70 | NA | NA | $23,591 |
| Unitech Training Academy-Houma | 6007 West Park Avenue, Houma, Louisiana 70364 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 63 | 63 | 56% | NA | $24,873 |
| Unitech Training Academy-Lafayette | 3253 Ambassador Caffery, Lafayette, Louisiana 70506 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 168 | 168 | 63% | NA | $24,664 |
| Unitech Training Academy-Lake Charles | 2827 4th Avenue, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601-7887 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 84 | 84 | 45% | NA | $24,966 |
| Unitech Training Academy-West Monroe | 111 Crosley Street, Suite 4, West Monroe, Louisiana 71291 | < 2-year, Private for-profit | 78 | 78 | 56% | NA | $23,314 |
| University of Holy Cross | 4123 Woodland Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana 70131-7399 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | 1246 | 912 | 52% | 33% | $13,124 |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 104 University Circle, Lafayette, Louisiana 70503 | 4-year, Public | 17297 | 15666 | 44% | NA | $12,502 |
| University of Louisiana at Monroe | 700 University Avenue, Monroe, Louisiana 71209-0000 | 4-year, Public | 9181 | 7948 | 41% | NA | $10,787 |
| University of New Orleans | 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana 70148 | 4-year, Public | 7964 | 6472 | 32% | 37% | $10,858 |
| Xavier University of Louisiana | 1 Drexel Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana 70125-1098 | 4-year, Private not-for-profit | 3044 | 2293 | 44% | 43% | $17,034 |
Louisiana Support roles in healthcare
Even though most people see physicians and other professional-level positions as average health workers, the fact is that the majority of individuals employed in the industry are employed in either nursing or Healthcare Support Occupations (55,840 in Louisiana). These workers receive an annual median salary of $25,340, which places them near the top of those positions which don’t call for a college education.
In the table below, you’ll find employment and salary statistics for ten entry-level healthcare occupations in Louisiana.
| Louisiana Healthcare Careers | Employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | 920 | 27.90 | 58040 |
| Pharmacy Technicians | 6290 | 14.78 | 30740 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 20340 | 18.52 | 38530 |
| Medical Records and Health Information Technicians | 2870 | 17.18 | 35730 |
| Home Health Aides | 8570 | 9.86 | 20500 |
| Nursing Assistants | 20550 | 10.52 | 21880 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistants | 700 | 27.55 | 57310 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | 1530 | 22.73 | 47270 |
| Dental Assistants | 4310 | 14.26 | 29660 |
| Medical Assistants | 7610 | 13.37 | 27810 |
| Phlebotomists | 2160 | 14.13 | 29390 |
Finding an allied health entry-level job in LA
Regardless of the potential for getting an entry-level job without prior education, the majority of employers in Louisiana would prefer to find people who have some type of certification. This means that the completion of a formal training program and some kind of specialized credential is an essential step for anyone thinking about a career in healthcare.
In the case of healthcare support courses, most can be completed in 12 months or less.
Find healthcare training programs in Louisiana
By simply clicking on the links listed below, you can find useful information on training in Louisiana for each profession. You can additionally click the name of any of the listed vocations to find out more about how to get started on that career path.
- CNA schools in Louisiana
- Dental assistant classes in Louisiana
- EMT programs in Louisiana
- HHA programs in Louisiana
- LPN training in Louisiana
- Medical assistant training in Louisiana
- Medical billing & coding classes in Louisiana
- Pharmacy technician programs in Louisiana
- Phlebotomy classes in Louisiana
- Ultrasound technician training in Louisiana
Where to search for healthcare jobs in Louisiana
The greater New Orleans area of Louisiana is where the state’s highest concentration of healthcare opportunities can be found. Most of these jobs (13,540) are in the New Orleans metropolitan area.
Important cities in Louisiana where you will find a large number of healthcare job opportunities are:
- Baton Rouge, LA
- New Orleans, LA
- Alexandria, LA
- Lafayette, LA
- Lake Charles, LA
- Shreveport, LA
- Monroe, LA