When I first heard about a nurse with a career in health technology, I was curious. But right away a negative voice in my head said: You know nothing about tech. There is no way you can do that.

I am glad I did not listen to that negative voice.

Since making the move to health technology, I have seen tons of people with no tech background have very successful careers. In many cases not coming from a technical background is actually a big bonus. Us non-techies are people who think differently and solve problems creatively.

If you are thinking about a career in health technology, but feel held back by not being ‘technical enough,’ I will give you ten reasons to still consider making the leap.

Reason #1: You add a different perspective.

Being ‘not technical’ can actually be a very good thing. Unless you are a coder, having real world experience with problems people face with their health is more valuable than technical skills. If you have worked in other areas, your experience can be helpful in solving problems differently.

For example, if you are a clinician, you bring perspective from taking care of patients on the ground. That is not something technical people can do. A software engineer cannot be dropped off in the emergency room and start inserting IVs or triaging trauma cases.

Too often technology is designed by people who are too technical and lack real world perspective in how the software will be used. This is why they need non-techie people on their team. People who are non-technical will look at technology from the perspective of how it will be used in real life.

Reason #2: Career growth, career growth, career growth.

Two areas where jobs are expected to grow above 10% over the next decade are information technology and healthcare. Jobs at the intersection of those two fields are expected to grow even faster as technology helps to healthcare be more efficient.

With Baby Boomers aging and the number of healthcare workers already stretched thin, technology will have to step in to fill the gap. To make sure the technology actually works as needed, non-technical people who understand how the tech should help will be in high demand.

Reason #3: Many high paying jobs.

I do not want to give the impression that as soon as you join a technical team, the dollars just start rolling in. That is simply not true for most jobs out there. It takes time and hard work to make top salaries.

What I can say is depending on the area and what skills you bring, the pay in healthcare technology can be much higher than other jobs in healthcare.

In fact, the informatics nurses I know would have to take a pay cut if they became nurse practitioners. And that holds true even fore jobs that are not technical. You do not have to be a coder to make a great salary.

For example, I live in the New York City area, which includes New Jersey and Connecticut. There are many hospital systems, pharmaceutical, and health insurance companies between those three states. On top of that there are doctor’s offices, outpatient clinics, and urgent care centers. So, many places to work!

Here are some typical salary ranges in my area:

• Entry level analysts here start in the $90,000 range
• Senior analysts are in the $120,000-$140,000 range
• Product Owners go from $130,000-$160,000
• Directors go from $150,000-$200,000+

And that is not to mention getting to Vice President or Chief Clinical Information Officer.

But you do not have to climb the corporate ladder to make a big salary. There are many people in health tech who got some experience under their belt and demand much higher pay than where they started.

To search in your area, look for job titles like ‘clinical analyst,’ ‘clinical systems analyst,’ and ‘health systems analyst,’ as starting positions. But also talk to people in health technology since job titles vary and may not be the same across salary reporting websites.

Reason #4: Be part of a mission.

As a non-technical person, you are not looking at companies that want your hot-shot coding skills. Instead, you can look at companies based on what they do and how they help people.

Because technology is not just about coding and building software. It is also about applying it to real life problems. Health technology is the clearest example of where you can be part of a mission.

You can help people become healthier, get assistance to someone who needs it, and even track a pandemic and keep infection from spreading. You can use your non-technical skills to help the company achieve its goals.

Reason #5: Work with (more) smart people.

As a nurse, I worked with many talented doctors, therapists, and other team members. But my professional circle was limited.

When I made the move to health technology, I also got to know brilliant people working for software vendors and consulting companies. These are people who work with hundreds of healthcare systems, constantly travel, and are usually called in by top leaders.

That kind of exposure makes you stronger at solving problems and thinking differently.

Reason #6: Job security.

A lot of people worry technology will take their job some day. But jobs that require people skills critical thinking, and creativity are not at risk. The more health technology grows, the more there will be a need for people who can bridge the gap between tech and non-tech.

Being a non-tech person going into this field means you can help translate technology for other non-tech people. You are likely to be in roles working with other people to help them use technology. Jobs like that are hard to automate.

Reason #7: A chance to be at the center of change.

Remember the song in Hamilton about being in ‘the room where it happened’? Technology is one of the biggest game changers in the history of healthcare. Many healthcare companies put technology at the center of their strategies for the future.

A career in health technology means being in the middle of one of the greatest changes healthcare has ever seen. It is the place to be if you want to be in ‘the room where it happened’.

Reason #8: Lots of new challenges.

Healthcare is always changing – new rules, new patients, and even new viruses. Health technology has to help providers and patients navigate those changes. Think of how quickly technology companies moved to help fight COVID-19.

You will have no reason to be bored with a career in health technology.

Reason #9: You can take your skills anywhere.

The combination of healthcare and technology is very in demand. This is true all over the world. Countries everywhere are working to use telehealth, data, AI, and connected health records.

I was recently asked what will happen to someone in health technology at an insurance company if the United States moved to a single payer system. My answer: “Nothing. Unless that person wants to change jobs.”

That is because no matter what happens to healthcare laws, there will always be a need for healthcare. And technology is at the center of every major healthcare system. If you hate a job, company, or city you are in, you will have the ability to move.

Reason #10: You can help other non-techies make the transition.

Once you make the transition to health technology, you can be the shining example for others nervous about making the change. I remember talking with nurses who wanted to move to health technology. But so many of them were scared.

They did not know anyone who made that transition, and had no idea what it looked like to build a career. Once I moved to health tech, there was a flood of nurses who reached out with questions. A number of them decided to take the leap themselves.

Key Takeaways:

To have a career in health technology, you do not need to be a super-techie who spends their weekends programming video games for fun. In fact, you would probably add more to a technology team if you did not.

Health technology is not just about the tech itself – it is also about solving real problems for real people. Being non-technical is not a barrier to a career in health technology. You can offer this field as much as this field can offer you.