We’ve all heard the news that healthcare is getting more expensive. And while that may seem odd, given that all other industries in the world (like electronics, clothing, and food) are getting cheaper, it is to be expensive.

There are a couple of reasons for this. One is that companies in the sector don’t compete, like regular companies. Instead, they charge as much as they can for their drugs to the government, and then the government buys them without trying to negotiate the cost down. The other reason is that there are very few companies who have the resources to push their drugs through the long and complicated approvals process, meaning that the industry suffers from a lack of innovation and disruption. In the short term, the process is designed to keep patients safe. But the long run tradeoff is more expensive healthcare.

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For people looking for work in the sector, the fact that more money is pouring into it and that it’s taking up a larger and larger chunk of the economy is actually a good thing. It means that there will always be jobs available for people who want to work in the sector. According to a report published by Georgetown University, the healthcare sector is expected to generate more than six million jobs in North America before the end of the decade, making it one of the fastest-growing sectors of employment in the economy. Thousands of jobs are opening up, especially for people with the right qualifications.

There’s also a lot more money pouring into the sector. Average annual spend on healthcare was around $260 billion in 1980. Now it’s up above $2.6 trillion, or about the total amount that the government gets in annual tax revenue. In industries where total revenue is growing, unemployment is low, and new opportunities abound. This is particularly appealing for people who want long and varied careers in the sector. It’s entirely possible to start off as a technician and then continuously retrain for higher and more skilled positions. What’s more, thanks to demand in the sector, you’re more likely to get a job, should an opening become available.

The international market for healthcare is also going to boom, meaning that there could be career opportunities abroad too. Right now about two billion people, most of whom live in the West, have access to reliable healthcare. The health sector in North America, however, is going to grow dramatically thanks to the increased wealth and demand for healthcare services in emerging markets. Although the healthcare industry doesn’t yet recognize the opportunity, thanks to their short-sightedness, developing countries will become the new growth opportunities of the coming decade.

Countries like India, China and other in Africa also have a significant advantage over Western medical systems. Unlike the entrenched special interests that we have in the West, pushing up prices for medicine, these emerging markets will take the good ideas we’ve had about medicine and skip the bad, effectively leapfrogging us in the process.

According to futurist Peter Diamandis of Singularity University, an additional three to five billion consumers will come online over the next five years, demanding healthcare and wanting access to the latest treatments. This is going to represent tremendous growth potential for the world’s leading health provides, as well as other companies that supply the sector with drugs and equipment. It means that not only will there be jobs aplenty for people in the sector, there will also be ample opportunity to live and work abroad.

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Because much of the developing world is still incredibly poor, these countries are going to rely on brand new technologies and techniques to make providing health care much cheaper. For instance, the US company GeneXpert is already deploying its molecular diagnostic equipment in Africa, providing tuberculosis diagnoses at a fraction of the cost of sputum tests. Other tech companies are looking at ways to make products that help stem the flow of bleeding during childbirth, a massive problem in Africa.

Once people in the West see that people overseas are getting better and cheaper healthcare than they are, they will demand the same. There will be a kind of boomerang effect, and new opportunities will emerge for healthcare professionals in the sector.

Here are some more reasons to get into the healthcare sector you may not have thought of.

People Are Living Longer

Right now the job seeker services, like the Staffnurse website, are advertising for lots of “care” positions. In other words, health sector employers are looking for people who can take care of the elderly as help them live dignified and independent lives. But while the current glut of care jobs might seem like a one-off, it’s actually something that will accelerate in the future. The reason? People are living longer.

Essentially, we’re at the start of a demographic time bomb. As traditional medicine and living conditions have gotten better, people have started living longer. And as they’ve started living longer, they’ve spent longer in old age - precisely the time when they need medicine the most. As people live longer, there will be more demand for doctors and nurses. But they won’t be the only people needed by the system. The industry will also want call center professionals, physical therapists, lab specialists and medical technicians. In essence, they’ll want the entire support network of a thriving organization.

Earning Potential Is Rising

It’s not just job growth in the healthcare industry that’s exciting. After all, there was massive job growth in the factory sector at the end of the 19th century, but few people actually wanted to do the work. It’s also the increased opportunities to earn higher salaries. Earning potential in the medical sector is exploding, as providers continue to offer higher wages to those with the best skills.

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In the healthcare sector, like in other sectors of the economy, the more skilled you are, the higher your pay. The interesting thing about “skill” in the healthcare sector, however, is that it doesn’t depend on your market performance. Instead, it simply depends on your level of education. Getting a better education opens the door to higher-paying jobs, which is why so many people in the sector are constantly training. It’s a good idea to take advantage of these opportunities as they arise.

There Will Always Be Demand In The Sector

Because people are forced to pay for health care through taxes, there will always be demand for healthcare services from the government. Unlike other industries that are exposed to the vicissitudes of the market, the healthcare sector has a steady stream of income, paid for, if necessary, by increasing the national debt.

For people wanting a steady career, this is good news indeed. It means that no matter what;s going on in the outside economy, you’ll always have a job and stable work. The healthcare industry, in other words, is shielded from the risks that are faced by the rest of the economy, cocooned off all by itself and sacrosanct.

In single payer systems, like the one in Canada, the government pays for practically everything and decides who should get what. This means that if they bureaucrats at the top of the system say that they need a new nurse practitioner, they’ll follow through with that request, providing a lifetime employment opportunity to a lucky person.

The bottom line is that the healthcare industry is expanding and is likely to remain one of the most important sectors of the economy for decades to come. While new technologies might help defeat illness in the longer term, there are plenty of opportunities in the industry both here and overseas.