We used the latest data and insights to identify the Highest Paying Gerontology Jobs so that you can learn and earn more.
Old age can be a burden. The fleeting beauty that once adorned your skin now seems to have left you with nothing. Wrinkles and hairlessness mark the end of the beautiful lives we used to lead, but it is not always the case. Like how a coin has two sides, everything in life has an opposite.
Gerontology encompasses some of the highest-paying disciplines for those who love caring for the elderly.
We have pulled together a list of the highest-paying gerontology jobs based on data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and other major sources. We hope that you find this information helpful in planning your professional future.
Let’s delve into the highest-paying gerontology jobs.
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Table of Contents
#10. Geriatric Social Workers
How much do they get paid?
- Source: Comparably
- Low Range: $20,223 per year
- High Range: $77,880 per year
- Median Pay: $32,190 per year
What do they do?
Geriatric social workers are healthcare providers who help the elderly, disabled, and those with chronic illnesses live independently. They may also help their clients by offering human services to make life easier.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
The qualifications required for social workers vary depending on where you work. Still, you will need to have at least an undergraduate degree in social work and some experience working with older people.
Who’s hiring for these jobs?
These clinical social workers may work in hospitals or nursing homes, but they can also find jobs working with people in their own homes.
What’s the best way to get this job?
Besides education, you need to be compassionate and caring to be a geriatric social worker.
With your experience and education level, you’ll find it easy to land this well-paying gerontology job. Networking can also help you find positions that aren’t advertised publicly.
What’s it like to be a geriatric care manager?
#9. Life Enrichment Coordinator
How much do they get paid?
- Source: Payscale
- Low Range: $30,000 per year
- High Range: $50,000 per year
- Median Pay: $38,531 per year
What do they do?
A life enrichment coordinator works in the healthcare industry and helps elderly patients to live their lives more fully. They do this by providing resources and opportunities to engage in activities that will help them stay mentally active and physically healthy.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
Most life enrichment coordinators hold bachelor’s degrees in social work or psychology, but some may also hold bachelor’s degrees in public administration or education. Most employers prefer applicants with several years of experience working with people with disabilities or special needs.
Who’s hiring for these jobs?
They work in various settings, from hospitals and assisted living facilities to daycare centers and homeless shelters.
What’s the best way to get this job?
With a strong educational background, you can get this job by applying directly through companies that offer these positions.
What’s it like to be a life enrichment coordinator?
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#8. Certified Healthcare Specialist
How much do they get paid?
- Source: Salary.com
- Low Range: $15,000 per year
- High Range: $225,000 per year
- Median Pay: $53,135 per year
What do they do?
Certified healthcare specialists help elderly patients manage their health and lead independent lifestyles. They achieve this by providing supportive care, including nutrition counseling, medication management, safety assessments, and fall prevention education.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
Most employers require a minimum bachelor’s degree in gerontology or a related field (nursing or social work). Many employers will also require certification from an approved organization like the National Council on Aging (NCOA) or the American Geriatrics Society (AGS). There are also some states where a license is required to practice gerontology professionally, so it’s important to check with your state’s licensing board before applying for any jobs in this field.
Who’s hiring for these jobs?
Certified healthcare specialists work in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities. They may also work for government agencies or non-profit organizations that focus on aging.
What’s the best way to get this job?
The quickest way to get this job is by starting as an assistant in a gerontology clinic, then taking continuing education classes at local colleges or universities that offer certificates or degrees in gerontology.
How do you become a healthcare specialist?
#7. Geriatric Care Manager
How much do they get paid?
- Source: Salary.com
- Low Range: $45,004 per year
- High Range: $71,285 per year
- Median Pay: $54,897 per year
What do they do?
Geriatric care managers oversee the care of elderly patients in their homes, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. They ensure that these patients receive the best possible healthcare services. These healthcare managers also make sure that their families know how to best care for their loved ones.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
These managers typically have a master’s degree in social work or a related field. They may also need certification through the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM). In addition to education and training, experience working with older adults is important for this job.
Who’s hiring for these jobs?
Geriatric care managers work primarily in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and adult day care centers.
What’s the best way to get this job?
With a solid educational background, you can start with an entry-level position at a facility that provides long-term care services for seniors. Then move up within that facility’s hierarchy until you become manager of a unit (or several units) of your own.
Should you become a geriatric care manager?
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#6. Elder Law Attorney
How much do they get paid?
- Source: ZipRecruiter
- Low Range: $20,500 per year
- High Range: $103,000 per year
- Median Pay: $57,078 per year
What do they do?
Elder law attorneys help the aged with legal issues that may affect their ability to live independently and make decisions.
They can handle everything from wills and trusts to guardianships, Medicaid applications, and estate planning.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
To become an elder law attorney, you must obtain a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school. Most states require applicants to have completed three years of study at an accredited law school before taking the bar exam.
Because elder law is such a specialized area of practice, employers tend to look for candidates with experience in other areas of the law before hiring them into this position. Experience in family law, probate, and estate planning would be beneficial because these areas all intersect with elder law issues like inheritance rights and medical decision-making capacity.
Who’s hiring for these jobs?
Elder law attorneys work in private practice and corporate law firms. They also work for government agencies such as public guardians or conservatorships.
What is the best way to get this job?
You can become an elder law attorney by going to law school to get a law degree. You can also get a degree from a university specializing in elder law, but not all universities do this.
With your law degree, you can begin your career as a paralegal, then move up into the elder attorney position. You can also find an internship with a small firm specializing in elder law to learn more about the field.
Should you become an elder law practitioner?
#5. Nursing and Home Health Aides
How much do they get paid?
- Source: Glassdoor
- Low Range: $33,000 per year
- High Range: $161,000 per year
- Median Pay: $63,381 per year
What do they do?
Nursing and home health aides are the people who help out when you’re sick or recovering from surgery. Their responsibilities usually include helping patients eat and bathe and administering medications to patients who need them.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
Nursing aides typically need a high school diploma and on-the-job training. Home health aides may need formal education or vocational training from an accredited program. In some cases, states require certification from the state’s health or social services department.
Who’s hiring for these jobs?
Nursing and home health aides typically work in hospitals, nursing homes, doctor’s offices, and private homes.
What’s the best way to get this job?
You can start with a certificate or diploma program at a two-year college. You’ll learn how to assist with personal care such as dressing, bathing, grooming, and toileting.
Once you get your degree or certification, you’ll interview for the open positions in the job market.
What’s it like to be a home health aide?
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#4. Gerontology Counselor
How much do they get paid?
- Source: Glassdoor
- Low Range: $40,000 per year
- High Range: $130,000 per year
- Median Pay: $70,104 per year
What do they do?
Gerontology counselors help those who are aging or experiencing the effects of aging. They help their clients develop strategies to deal with any challenges they may be facing related to aging.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
A bachelor’s degree is required, but many gerontology counselors have master’s degrees. To become a gerontologist, you should take classes in human development, psychology, sociology, biology, gerontology, or social work.
These counselors need excellent communication skills and a strong understanding of human behavior. They must also be comfortable working in an environment that involves a great deal of stress, both for themselves and their clients.
Who’s hiring for these jobs?
Gerontology counselors often work in hospitals, nursing homes, retirement communities, and other facilities that serve older people. The average gerontology salary is $70,104 per year.
What’s the best way to get this job?
The fastest way to get this job is to earn a bachelor’s degree in gerontology or human development. You may also want to consider earning a master’s degree in social work or counseling. Then you begin looking for available jobs on job boards or websites.
How do you become a gerontology counselor?
#3. Geriatric Community Health Workers
How much do they get paid?
- Source: ZipRecruiter
- Low Range: $20,500 per year
- High Range: $114,000 per year
- Median Pay: $71,076 per year
What do they do?
Geriatric community health workers are professionals who work to improve the health of older adults. They also provide support for caregivers and family members caring for an elderly loved one.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
Most geriatric community health workers have at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field, though some may be trained on the job. Some states may also require certification.
Who’s hiring for these jobs?
They usually work in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and adult daycare centers.
What’s the best way to get this job?
You should first get your bachelor’s degree in social work or nursing from an accredited university. Then, if you want practical knowledge on how to work with older people and their families, you should get more training through an approved graduate program or internship program.
Should you become a community health worker?
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#2. Occupational therapists
How much do they get paid?
- Source: Glassdoor
- Low Range: $34,000 per year
- High Range: $251,000 per year
- Median Pay: $91,157 per year
What do they do?
Occupational therapists work with people who have physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities. They help their patients develop skills that will enable them to live independently. This may include assisting with dressing, feeding, and bathing.
These therapists also work with people recovering from injury or surgery.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
The requirements for occupational therapists’ jobs vary widely depending on where the therapist is working. Some of the more common requirements are:
- A bachelor’s degree.
- A license from the state where they are working.
- Experience working with patients who have similar injuries or disabilities.
Who’s hiring for these jobs?
Occupational therapists work in hospitals, mental health facilities, schools, and community centers.
What’s the best way to get this job?
To become an occupational therapist, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from an accredited program. You can interview for open positions after earning your license.
What’s it like to be an occupational therapist?
#1. Geriatric Nurse Practitioners
How much do they get paid?
- Source: Glassdoor
- Low Range: $32,000 per year
- High Range: $461,000 per year
- Median Pay: $118,994 per year
What do they do?
Gerontology nurse practitioners provide medical and health services to the elderly population and their families. They take care of people:
- With chronic illnesses.
- Those who are dealing with dementia or other mental health issues.
- The elderly in nursing homes and hospitals.
- Those who need help managing their medications.
What degrees and skills are usually required?
Geriatric nurse practitioners typically have a master’s degree in nursing. They may also have an advanced degree, such as a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP). Besides the degree, these nurse practitioners must pass a national certification exam.
Who’s hiring for these jobs?
Registered nurses work in hospitals, home health agencies, community clinics, rehabilitation centers, and nursing homes.
What’s the best way to get this job?
You can get this job by obtaining the necessary education and then getting hired by an employer that provides training for new employees. You can also enroll in internships at local hospitals or other healthcare facilities. These programs will equip you with the required experience for the job.
What’s it like to be a geriatric nurse practitioner?
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Conclusion
We have looked at the kind of work gerontology professionals do, their educational background and training, the opportunities available in the various fields within gerontology, and how much those jobs pay. Therefore, the highest-paying jobs in gerontology are in social work and health.
We hope this information will be helpful to you in deciding your career path.
Thank! you so much for this wonderful article. I’m looking to work with the elderly and this was a very helpful and eye opening of a wealth of information thank you again