Career Specializations

• Biogerontology: Working primarily at research institutions like private firms and universities, biogerontologists investigate the physical effects of aging. They draw from a broad range of disciplines such as biology, chemistry, and psychology in their work, and their discoveries have profound implications on how we as a society can treat our aging citizens.
• Medical Gerontology: Medical gerontology is similar to biogerontology, but it places a heavier emphasis on the examination and curing of diseases than on a general analysis of the effects of aging. This discipline is approached from a strong chemistry background and constitutes primarily research.
• Social Gerontology: This gerontological work is centered on dealing directly with the elderly. It covers everything from governmental agencies and inheritance issues to social work in group living homes. Social gerontologists will often become fully dedicated social workers.

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Degree Levels

• Associate Degree: 2 years to complete
• Bachelor's Degree: 4 years to complete
• Doctor of Medicine (MD): 4 years after undergraduate studies and one year of practice, or nine years to complete
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD): Undergraduate studies plus 3 to 7 years of classes, research, and practice, or 6 to 10 years in total

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Education & Certification Requirements

The education requirements for various careers in gerontology vary drastically. Workers can do anything from nursing with an associate degree, to cutting-edge research with a PhD or MD.

For the social work side of gerontology, 2- and 4-year degrees are sufficient. In these programs students will learn the basics of the sociology of aging, the biological changes that elderly residents experience, and the difficult aspects of working with the financial assets and family members of patients. Many programs also have a heavy focus on the administrative and business side of gerontology. These schools will teach students how to run companies and organizations that work with the elderly.

For social workers, certification is rarely required, but degrees and specific certifications are highly useful. Most agencies will grant a level of freedom and responsibility to their workers in accord with prior education level. High school diploma holders will help with paper work and not work directly with patients, while associate and bachelor's degree holders may coordinate workers, run agencies, or conduct counseling services. (BLS)

For the research side of gerontology, much more specific education is in order. The MDs and PhDs who conduct this work must pass comprehensive examinations in their field as well as contribute some form of significant original knowledge to the pool of human thought in the form of a dissertation. Additionally, the majority of MD programs will have a substantial field practice element built in requiring one or more years of experience with actual work for candidates. It is nearly impossible to get into research without substantial higher education, as the world of pursuing grants and private firms is already highly competitive. There are many jobs, but they require advanced credentials.

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Salary Information

Salary levels for those in the gerontological profession vary with education. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that social service assistants made a median wage of $27,280 in 2008. These positions largely reflect the type of work that high school diploma or associate degree holding individuals would conduct. At the upper end of social work pay scales was a median wage of roughly $43,510 annually. These higher paid workers are likely those with bachelor's degrees who can compete for the more lucrative positions running private companies and working in the more critical public agency roles.

Social workers, who also generally belong to the group of individuals with at least a bachelor's degree made significantly more than social service assistants. Medical social workers had a median wage of $46,650 in 2008; many gerontologists fall into this category. Those with MDs, PhDs, and bachelor's degrees in gerontology are the most competitive for positions like these. (BLS)

On the research side of gerontology, wages are much, much higher. Researching biochemists made a median salary of $82,840 in 2008. Gerontological researchers likely fall snugly into this middle tier of research and may escalate in terms of position, as the changing age demographic presents a higher demand for cures and medicines to private research companies. (BLS)

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Job Outlook

In all of three of the gerontology-based careers listed above, research, social work, and social assistance, the job outlook in the coming years is considered very strong by the U.S. government. This forecast is based on the same age demographic shift we have been discussing. The bottom line is that a lot of people are going to retire quite soon, and the majority of them will be willing and able to spend pensions, 401k plans, hoarded assets, and retirement savings on expensive care, new medicines, and indirectly provide the means for medical research.

What this means for potential students of gerontology is a huge windfall in demand across the board. If an industry is based primarily on sale of goods and services to retired and elderly Americans, that industry is going to see better economic times that it has, fewer workers due to retirement, and in general, fantastic job prospects for new entrants. Now is an amazing time to investigate the opportunities that a career in gerontology can present.

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Related Careers

Nurse: Nurses are the contact point with patients of the healthcare system. They collect data, administer basic tests, meet patient needs, and make the system function smoothly. The nursing profession is rapidly expanding as healthcare needs increase and is a fantastic option for those looking to start a new career.

Orthotics: One of the most fascinating developments in medical science is the ability to fabricate limbs and other systems for patients. Orthotics professionals specialize in creating artificial body parts to replace what has been lost or damaged. They provide solutions that allow people to live normal, happy lives, when this would have otherwise been extremely difficult.

Patient Care: Patient care professionals provide for the needs of patients in conjunction with doctors and nurses. They see to such things as physical therapy, quick navigation through the healthcare system, and general welfare-oriented things like eating and bathing for patients needing extended stays in hospital environments. Patient care professionals work hard to make hospital visits more comfortable for patients.

Physical Therapy: Physical therapists specialize in rehabilitation. After major injuries it can be seriously tough to get back into shape and recover normal function. The task of physical therapists is to see that successful treatments transfer into long-term success and to see that patients who lose some part of their normal function are able to live like they once did.

Public Health: Public health professionals take a macroscopic view of the health problems that face a society. They work with issues like mass vaccination, insuring clean water supply, and promoting knowledge of good health habits like exercise and nutrition to the general public. These workers fight some of the most significant problems that our society faces head on, and are responsible for the positive standards of living of thousands.

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