If you would like to dedicate your career to supporting the health and wellness of our region, there are opportunities for you in health care — the largest industry in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.
Here’s a glance at a few stats:
Northeast Minnesota
- 32,821 health care jobs
- $57,431 average annual wage
- That’s $5,131 higher than the average across all industries
Northwest Wisconsin
- 7,995 health care jobs
- $46,939 average annual wage
- That’s $3,463 higher than the average across all other industries
If you’re considering a career in health care, you might think of hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies. In addition to these crucial institutions, this sector also spans a wide range of health support providers and specialty health service centers, including:
- Assisted living
- Residential care
- Extended care
- Nursing homes
- Hospice homes
- Birthing centers and midwife services
- Physical rehabilitation and therapy
- Vocational rehabilitation
- Mental health support and therapy
- Addiction treatment
- Imaging and radiology centers
- Holistic care
- Chiropractic care
- Health Insurance providers
- Telehealth
Earning a median salary of $77,482 per year, registered nursing is the number one occupation in demand for this area, according to DEED’s Occupations in Demand rankings. Registered nursing is closely followed by high demand for personal care aides, nursing assistants, and home health aides.
Jobs are also available across specialties from HR professionals to IT specialists, finance experts, and more. Your skills and interests likely align with a health care career path.
Northland Health Care Employers
Many employers provide health and wellness-related services and support. Here is a small sample of organizations actively hiring positions across a broad range of disciplines, from diagnostic specialists to culinary artists:
- AccessNorth
- Benedictine Health System
- Bigfork Valley Hospital
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Diamond Willow Memory Care and Assisted Living
- Duluth Regional Care Center
- Ecumen
- Essentia Health
- Fairview Health Services
- Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital
- Integrity Health Network
- Quest Diagnostics
- Riverwood Healthcare Center
- Scenic Rivers Health Services
- Saint Ann’s
- St. Luke’s
- United Healthcare
Education Pathways
Attending medical school and receiving a doctoral degree is one of many routes that can lead to a rewarding career. Other forms of accreditation include two-year technical degrees, four-year programs, and more types of certification.
The majority of these programs enjoy extremely high rates of job placement. You are virtually guaranteed a secure and high-paying job upon graduation. The following schools offer training for health care careers:
- College of St. Scholastica (Duluth, MN)
- Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College (Cloquet, MN)
- Minnesota North College – Hibbing Campus (Hibbing, MN)
- Minnesota North College – Itasca Campus (Grand Rapids, MN)
- Lake Superior College (Duluth, MN)
- Minnesota North College – Mesabi Range (Virginia, MN & Eveleth, MN)
- Northland College (Ashland, WI)
- Northwood Technical College, formerly WITC (Ashland, WI & Superior, WI)
- Minnesota North College – Rainy River Campus (International Falls, MN)
- University of Minnesota Duluth (Duluth, MN)
- University of Wisconsin Superior (Superior, WI)
- Minnesota North College – Vermilion Campus (Ely, MN)
Depending on where you would like to conduct your studies, compare the programs provided by these schools to pinpoint the degree that is right for you.
To explore careers, plan your education, and find jobs in Minnesota, you can visit Minnesota State’s Healthcare Career Exploration site and check out this health care careers resource from CareerForce.
