The Average Salary of Gerontologists
Gerontologists are health care professionals who specialize in working with elderly patients. According to World Wide Learn, gerontologists can hold a variety of jobs. People who have graduated with a degree in gerontology commonly hold jobs as social workers, health aides, social scientists and health care managers.
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Types of Gerontologists
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Gerontology offers a variety of careers working with older adults and as advocates for the elderly, according to World Wide Learn. MS Health Careers finds that research gerontologists perform research onthe aging process. Applied gerontologists work directly with the elderly, and administrative gerontologists develop and coordinate programs and services for the elderly.
Salary
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Due to the field of gerontology being so vast in ways to use the degree, a variety of jobs can be held by a person who has a degree in gerontology.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2006 the average social worker earned approximately $37,500 a year. Being employed by family services lowered the average pay to around $35,500,and being employed by nursing care centers boosted pay to approximately $38,500.
Home health aides earned an average of $9.34 per hour, and nursing aides made approximately $10.67 per hour, according to World Wide Learn.
Health care workers who hold degrees in gerontology often work their way up the ladder to become health care managers, according to World Wide Learn. In 2006, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found health care managers reported a median annual income of $73,340.
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Educational Requirements
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A student looking to pursue a career as a gerontologist should have a high school diploma or equivalent and at least some college. The level of college education can vary.
Many colleges and universities offer programs in gerontology at associate's, bachelor's, and master's levels. According to MS Health Careers, some institutions also offer doctoral and post doctoral research programs.
According to World Wide Learn, some jobs that gerontologists are eligible for will require accreditation or licensure, while others do not .
Work Environment
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Gerontologists work in many different facilities. The most common workplaces are hospitals, nursing homes, senior citizen centers, and public health offices. Gerontologists also teach, according to MS Health Careers.
Job Outlook
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The jobs for gerontologists is projected to increased by over 36 percent during the next eight years, according to MS Health Careers. A large majority of the jobs will be produced as the baby-boom generation ages.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of lost in translation) (Gordana Adamovic-Mladenovic
