Healthcare has become a popular choice for many individuals as a career choice due to demand. Have you ever thought about a career in healthcare? If so, what are you more interested in helping people or the pay? Due to the wide range of careers offered in the healthcare industry, proper research needs to be conducted. Unfortunately, most people considering a career in healthcare don't take the time to do the proper research to find out which career would be a good fit or benefit them the most. In fact, if the proper research is conducted, people may find that there are a multitude of healthcare jobs out there to discover. In the list compiled in a US New article, nurse practitioners and physical therapists are listed as one of the top 10 jobs in the United States (Graves, 2012). So, what are the differences between these two promising careers; how much education is required, what the average cost, job prospects and overall benefits are, and what exactly each of these healthcare professionals does. First, let's start from the beginning, what type and how much education is required to become a registered nurse versus what is required to become a physical therapist. Both careers require a high level of education, and both required completion of that education in order to take the state exam. To become a registered nurse there are several programs offered. You can choose to earn the ADN, which is a bachelor's degree in nursing, or the BSN, which is a bachelor's degree in nursing. Completing an ADN program can generally take up to 2 or 3 years and will qualify you for the NCLEX RN exam to become a registered nurse or RN in the state in which you choose to take the exam. ADN programs are typically offered at community colleges, technical colleges...... middle of paper......plorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/70/Physical_TherapistExplore Health Careers. (2014). Registered Nurses (RNs). American Dental Education Association. Retrieved from http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/21/Registered_Nurse_RNDenning, S. (2011, September 12). The ten happiest jobs. Retrieved April 18, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/09/12/the-ten-happiest-jobs/Graves, JA (nd) Registered Nurse for Best Healthcare Jobs. US News: Money Careers. Retrieved from http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/registered-nurseGraves, J. A. (2012, February 26). The 10 best works. US News: Cash Careers. Retrieved from http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/slideshows/the-10-best-jobs/11 Shinkle, K. (n.d.). The best health jobs physiotherapists. US News: Money Careers. Retrieved from http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/physical-therapist/salary