Healthcare Jobs 12-20-25

By mid-2025, the U.S. healthcare sector employs well over 17 million people, with major hubs in hospitals (6.7M), ambulatory care (5.2M), and nursing facilities (3.4M), continuing to be the largest U.S. job sector, growing consistently with persistent demand for nurses and other professionals despite shortages.  

Key Figures for Mid-2025:

Total Healthcare Jobs: Over 17 million.

Hospitals (Public & Private): ~6.7 million.

Ambulatory & Outpatient Services: ~5.2 million.

Nursing & Residential Care Facilities: ~3.4 million.

Home Healthcare: ~2.3 million.

Dental, Optical, & Allied Health: ~1.5 million.

Public Health & Government: ~0.9 million. 

Trends & Outlook:

Consistent Growth: Healthcare consistently adds jobs, even during economic uncertainty, with 55,000 added in July 2025 alone.

High Demand: There's a significant need for more nurses (over 200,000 annually) and advanced practice nurses (38% projected growth by 2032).

Largest Sector: It's the biggest employer in the U.S., growing from 9% of the workforce in 2000 to 13% by 2025.

Shortages & Burnout: Critical shortages and high rates of burnout (over 50% for nurses and physicians) persist. 

In 2025, the U.S. healthcare industry employs over 22 million workers, making it the largest employment sector in the country. This workforce accounts for approximately 13% of the total U.S. workforce. 

The workforce composition for 2025 includes the following major roles:

Allied Health Professionals: Approximately 12 million workers, representing over 60% of the total sector.

Registered Nurses (RNs): Approximately 3.39 million to 4.7 million active workers, the largest single healthcare occupation.

Personal Care Aides: Approximately 1.4 million workers.

Nursing Assistants: Approximately 1.2 million workers.

Physicians: Approximately 933,000 active workers, with roughly 279,000 in primary care.

Nurse Practitioners: Approximately 385,000 workers, a figure that has nearly doubled over the past decade.

Pharmacists: Approximately 334,000 workers.

Physician Assistants: Approximately 168,000 workers.

Public Health Workers: Approximately 239,000 individuals working in state and local departments. 

Workforce Characteristics and Trends

Demographics: The workforce is predominantly female, with women making up nearly 80% of all healthcare and social assistance workers.

Citizenship and Immigration: Approximately 19% of healthcare workers are foreign-born. Experts estimated in 2025 that roughly 2.8 million immigrants were employed in the sector, including over 350,000 noncitizens.

Growth: The sector continues to add jobs steadily, with a gain of 55,000 jobs in July 2025 alone, primarily in ambulatory services and hospitals.

Shortages: Despite growth, the industry faces significant shortages, including a projected gap of over 78,000 full-time RNs and 85,000 physicians. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+us+citizens+work+in+healthcare+2025

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader