12 Fastest-Growing Health Care Jobs

Dec. 5, 2013 — -- intro: With the Affordable Health Care Act, job opportunities in the health care industry are growing, and CareerCast.com has created a list of the hottest jobs in the sector.

"More insured people means an increase in the need for different types of health services, ranging from direct care to research and maintenance of medical records," says Tony Lee, publisher of CareerCast.com.

But Lee cautions that demand will vary by region, and job hunters should be wary of overly competitive markets, such as New York City.

Read More: Jobs Report Shows Unemployment Rate Ticked Up to 7.3 Percent; 204,000 Jobs Added

Here are 12 jobs that will see the fastest growth, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' projections.

quicklist: category: Annual Median Salary $86,960title: Biomedical engineertext:BLS Projected Growth: 62 percent

quicklist: category: Annual Median Salary: $70,210title: Dental Hygienisttext: BLS Projected Growth: 38 percent

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quicklist: category: Annual Median Salary: $75,400title: Occupational therapist text: BLS Projected Growth: 33 percent

quicklist: category: Annual Median Salary: $97,820 title: Optometrist text: BLS Projected Growth: 33 percent

quicklist: category: Annual Median Salary: $79,860title: Physical therapist text: BLS Projected Growth: 39 percent

quicklist: category: Annual Median Salary: $66,160title: Chiropractor text: BLS Projected Growth: 28 percent

quicklist: category: Annual Median Salary: $69,870 title: Speech pathologisttext: BLS Projected Growth: 23 percent

quicklist: category: Annual Median Salary: $116,670title: Pharmacist text: BLS Projected Growth: 25 percent

quicklist: category: Annual Median Salary: $116,440 title: Podiatrist text: BLS Projected Growth: 20 percent

quicklist: category: Annual Median Salary: $55,870 title: Respiratory therapist text: BLS Projected Growth: 28 percent

quicklist: category: Annual Median Salary: $34,610 title: Medical records technician text: BLS Projected Growth: 21 percent

quicklist: category: Annual Median Salary: $90,930title: Physician assistant text: BLS Projected Growth: 30 percent