Growing Demand for Allied Healthcare Workers in the US 2027

The demand for allied healthcare workers is growing fast across the United States. Hospitals, clinics, labs, and home care teams need more therapists, technicians, and assistants than they can find.

This is not a short-term spike. An aging population, more chronic illness, and a bigger focus on preventive care keep adding patients every year. As a result, allied health jobs are opening faster than many employers can fill them, and healthcare recruitment teams feel the pressure every day.

In this blog, we look at the latest numbers, why hiring is so hard, and how a simple one-way video interview can help you screen more candidates in less time.

TL;DR

• The demand for allied healthcare workers keeps rising, and healthcare is expected to add nearly 2.0 million jobs by 2034.
• About 1.9 million healthcare job openings are expected each year, so allied health jobs will stay in short supply.
• Facilities report a healthcare staffing shortage, slow hiring, and staff burnout.
• Slow candidate screening makes allied health staffing even harder.
• ScreeningHive helps recruiters screen faster with one-way video interviews.

What Are Allied Healthcare Workers?

Allied healthcare workers are health professionals who support doctors and nurses. They help test, treat, and rehabilitate patients. Common roles include physical therapist assistants, radiologic technologists, lab technicians, respiratory therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and medical assistants. These allied health professionals do the hands-on work that keeps care moving, which is why the demand for allied healthcare workers affects every hospital and clinic.

Why the Demand for Allied Healthcare Workers Keeps Growing

• More older patients. People are living longer, and older adults need more care, more often.
• More chronic conditions. Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes need long-term care, which means more therapy, testing, and follow-up.
• More preventive care. Early checks and screenings send more patients to labs and imaging rooms.
• Workers leave and retire. Many allied health jobs open up because someone moved on, not only because the field is growing.

Challenges Facing Healthcare Employers

An AMN Healthcare survey of 1,005 facilities (2022) is still one of the clearest looks at why allied health staffing is under strain. It found that 85% of facilities had at least a moderate shortage of allied health professionals, and 71% said it now takes longer to fill roles. Another 46% named worker burnout as a problem. The strain shows up in single jobs too. The American Society of Radiologic Technologists reported that the vacancy rate for full-time radiography jobs reached 18.1% in 2023, up from 6.2% in 2021.

Newer research from the University of Washington agrees. Employers in Washington State still face fewer and less-qualified applicants, pay pressure, and burnout. These healthcare hiring challenges are not going away on their own.

How Slow Screening Hurts Allied Health Staffing

The demand for allied healthcare workers means every open role has a real cost. A vacant imaging or therapy job means longer patient waits and extra shifts for current staff. Many teams still screen allied health jobs by phone, which takes hours of scheduling and back-and-forth. When many people apply for allied health jobs at once, recruiters cannot call everyone, so good candidates get lost to faster employers. A clear candidate screening step early saves time for both sides.

5 Simple Steps to Fill Allied Health Jobs Faster

1. List must-have skills first. Write down the skills and soft skills each of your allied health jobs needs before you post it.
2. Ask everyone the same questions. The same first-round questions make answers easy to compare.
3. Screen by video before live calls. Send a one-way video interview link first, so you only book calls with strong candidates.
4. Share top answers fast. Send the best recorded answers to the hiring manager within a day.
5. Keep candidates updated. A clear, quick process helps you win skilled allied health professionals before another offer does.

How ScreeningHive Helps You Meet the Demand for Allied Healthcare Workers

A one-way video interview lets candidates record answers to set questions on their own time. ScreeningHive makes this step simple for healthcare employers and staffing agencies, so your team gets a quick first round instead of long phone screens. Here is how it helps when the demand for allied healthcare workers is high:

• Same questions for every candidate. Set questions once per role and reuse them for every opening.
• Review on your own schedule. Watch a full day of answers in one sitting, with no missed calls.
• See real skills on camera. Communication and role knowledge show in a way a resume cannot show.
• Easy for busy shift workers. Candidates can answer from any device after a long shift.
• Quick manager feedback. Forward recorded answers to department heads before the final round.

Join 1000+ teams already using ScreeningHive to remove scheduling stress. Keep your license and credential checks in your normal process; video screening helps you find the right people to move forward.

What the Data Shows

Here is what recent research says about the demand for allied healthcare workers:

• Healthcare and social assistance is the fastest-growing sector in the U.S., with employment set to rise 8.4% from 2024 to 2034 and add nearly 2.0 million jobs. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, via Staffing Industry Analysts) (Resource)
• The BLS expects about 1.9 million healthcare job openings each year from 2024 to 2034, from both growth and replacement needs. (Kent State University, citing BLS) (Resource)
• Physical therapist assistants are projected to grow 22%, psychiatric technicians 20%, and occupational therapy assistants 19% by 2034. (Becker’s Hospital Review, citing BLS) (Resource)
• 34% of healthcare leaders named a longer time to hire as a hiring challenge in 2025. (GoodTime Hiring Insights Report, via Medical Economics) (Resource)

The numbers agree: the demand for allied healthcare workers will not slow down soon.

Conclusion

The demand for allied healthcare workers is one of the strongest hiring trends in the U.S. right now. With about 1.9 million healthcare openings a year, employers cannot afford a slow screening process for allied health jobs. Faster screening, fair comparison, and early manager input help you fill allied health jobs before good candidates move on.

ScreeningHive makes this easier. Its one-way video interview tool helps you screen more people in less time, so your team can focus on interviews that matter.

FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is the demand for allied healthcare workers growing?

An aging population and more chronic illness mean more patients need therapy, testing, and long-term care. The BLS expects healthcare to be the fastest-growing sector through 2034, so the demand for allied healthcare workers will last.

2. Is there a shortage of allied health professionals in the U.S.?

Yes. An AMN Healthcare survey found 85% of facilities had at least a moderate shortage, and newer regional findings still show fewer and less-qualified applicants.

3. How can employers hire allied health professionals faster?

Employers can use standardized questions and one-way video interviews to screen candidates faster and reduce scheduling delays.

4. Is video interview software affordable for healthcare staffing agencies?

ScreeningHive offers a free plan to help healthcare recruiters get started with one-way video interviews. Start with the free plan to simplify candidate screening, save time, and hire allied health professionals more efficiently.

5. How does ScreeningHive help with allied healthcare hiring?

ScreeningHive lets candidates record answers to set questions so recruiters can review them anytime. It cuts phone tag and helps teams shortlist faster.