Healthcare professions 2026–2045 – education, employment and the future

If you are thinking about a career in healthcare, changing jobs or studying further, it helps to know:

• which healthcare professions you can practise in Slovenia,
• what education is required,
• which professions are regulated,
• where you can find work,
• which competences matter,
• what the options for further development are,
• how to search for current vacancies,
• how individual professions may change by 2045.

How to read this page: each profession has a link to its job adverts. If there is no advert for that profession right now, the page will offer you all open vacancies and the option of an e-mail alert when the first one appears.

1. Doctors

Medical doctor

What do they do? Diagnostics, treatment, monitoring the state of health and preventing disease.

Education: medical faculty and meeting the conditions for practising the profession. The profession is regulated.

Where do they work: community health centres, hospitals, private practices, specialist services, research, public health.

The future: a profession central to the health system; demand is tied to demography, access to healthcare and how the system is organised.

→ Full profession guide: medical doctor

→ Medical doctor: current vacancies

Specialist doctor

Specialisation allows work in individual fields of medicine: internal medicine, surgery, paediatrics, gynaecology and obstetrics, anaesthesiology, psychiatry, radiology, dermatology, neurology, orthopaedics, emergency medicine, family medicine, infectious diseases, oncology, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, pathology and many more.

Where do they work: hospitals, community health centres, specialist clinics, private providers, research.

→ Full profession guide: specialist doctor

→ Specialist doctor: current vacancies

→ Advertised specialisations

2. Dental medicine

Doctor of dental medicine – dentist

What do they do? Care for the health of teeth, the oral cavity and periodontal tissues — diagnostics, treatment, prevention and advice for patients.

Education: medical faculty, dental medicine programme. The profession is regulated.

Where do they work: dental surgeries, community health centres, private practices, dental centres, specialist services.

→ Full profession guide: dentist

→ Dentist: current vacancies

Dental assistant

What do they do? Take part in the nursing care of the patient in dentistry, prepare patients and materials, and assist with diagnostic and therapeutic procedures within the scope of their competence.

Education: a regulated profession; a traineeship and the professional examination matter, and a national vocational qualification is available.

Where do they work: dental surgeries, community health centres, dental centres, private practices.

→ Full profession guide: dental assistant

→ Dental assistant: current vacancies

Dental technician and dental prosthetist

The dental technician makes and adapts dental prosthetic products; the dental prosthetist is a specialised field of planning and making prosthetic solutions. Both professions are regulated.

Where do they work: dental laboratories, dental centres, private laboratories.

→ Full profession guide: dental technician

→ Dental technician: current vacancies

→ Dental prosthetist: current vacancies

Oral hygienist

Works on prevention and oral health within the scope of their competence. A regulated profession.

→ Full profession guide: oral hygienist

→ Oral hygienist: current vacancies

→ All vacancies in dental medicine

3. Nursing

Registered nurse

What do they do? Nursing care, monitoring patients, carrying out healthcare procedures, health education, working with doctors and other professionals, and coordinating and organising nursing care.

Education: professional higher education in nursing. A regulated profession with a licence.

Where do they work: in practically every part of the health system.

→ Registered nurse: current vacancies

→ Specialist nurse: current vacancies

Nursing technician

An important member of the healthcare and nursing team; a regulated profession.

Where do they work: hospitals, community health centres, care homes for older people, social care institutions, private providers.

→ Nursing technician: current vacancies

Hospital orderly

What do they do? Help with the nursing care of patients and residents and with their basic daily activities.

Education: three-year upper secondary vocational programme; since 2024 also a new traineeship programme. A regulated profession.

Where do they work: hospitals, care homes for older people, long-term care, social care.

The future: in its Occupational Barometer 2026, the Employment Service of Slovenia explicitly lists hospital orderlies among healthcare occupations in short supply.

→ Full profession guide: hospital orderly

→ Hospital orderly: current vacancies

→ All vacancies in nursing

4. Midwifery

Registered midwife

Cares for the woman during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period, and for the newborn, within the scope of their competence. A regulated profession with a licence.

Where do they work: maternity hospitals, gynaecology services, community health centres, preventive services.

→ Full profession guide: midwife

→ Registered midwife: current vacancies

→ All vacancies in midwifery

5. Pharmacy

Pharmacist (Master of Pharmacy)

A specialist in medicines and in the pharmaceutical care of patients. A regulated profession.

Where do they work: pharmacies, hospitals, the pharmaceutical industry, wholesale, research, regulatory affairs, clinical pharmacy.

→ Full profession guide: pharmacist

→ Pharmacist: current vacancies

→ Specialist pharmacist: current vacancies

Pharmacy technician

Works in pharmacy services and other tasks in the pharmaceutical field within the scope of their competence. Listed among the regulated professions on SPOT.

Where do they work: pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, wholesale, production, logistics.

→ Full profession guide: pharmacy technician

→ Pharmacy technician: current vacancies

→ Pharmacy engineer: current vacancies

→ All vacancies in pharmacy

→ All vacancies in the pharmaceutical industry

6. Laboratory and diagnostics

Laboratory biomedicine engineer

Work with laboratory diagnostics, biological samples, analytical methods and quality assurance. A regulated profession.

Where do they work: medical laboratories, hospitals, community health centres, research institutions, industry.

→ Laboratory biomedicine engineer: current vacancies

Laboratory technician and laboratory associate

The laboratory technician takes part in laboratory diagnostics and carries out laboratory procedures; the laboratory associate performs supporting and professional tasks according to their education and competences.

→ Laboratory technician: current vacancies

→ Laboratory associate I: current vacancies

→ Laboratory associate II: current vacancies

Specialists in laboratory medicine

Specialist fields of laboratory medicine: medical biochemistry, medical microbiology, laboratory medical genetics and medical embryology.

→ Specialist in medical biochemistry: current vacancies

→ Specialist in medical microbiology: current vacancies

→ Specialist in laboratory medical genetics: current vacancies

→ Specialist in medical embryology: current vacancies

→ All vacancies in laboratory and diagnostics

7. Radiology and medical imaging

Radiologic technologist

Carries out or assists with medical imaging procedures and other procedures within the scope of their competence. A regulated profession.

Where do they work: hospitals, community health centres, diagnostic centres, private healthcare institutions.

→ Radiologic technologist: current vacancies

Medical physicist

A specialist in the physical aspects of medicine, above all where advanced physical procedures and safety assurance are needed. A regulated profession.

Where do they work: hospitals, radiotherapy, diagnostics, research.

→ Medical physicist: current vacancies

→ All vacancies in radiology

→ All vacancies in nuclear medicine

8. Rehabilitation

Physiotherapist

Helps improve or maintain movement, function and quality of life. A regulated profession.

Where do they work: hospitals, community health centres, rehabilitation centres, health resorts, private practices, sport, social care.

The future: for 2026 the Employment Service of Slovenia lists physiotherapists among the occupational groups in short supply.

→ Physiotherapist: current vacancies

→ Senior physiotherapist – neurophysiotherapy specialist: current vacancies

Occupational therapist

Helps people reach the greatest possible independence in everyday activities. A regulated profession.

Where do they work: hospitals, rehabilitation centres, social care, special institutions.

→ Occupational therapist: current vacancies

Orthotist and prosthetist

Makes and adapts orthopaedic and prosthetic aids and supports their use. A regulated profession.

→ Orthotist and prosthetist: current vacancies

→ Kinesiologist in healthcare: current vacancies

→ All vacancies in rehabilitation

9. Psychology and mental health

Psychologist in healthcare

Works on psychological assessment, treatment and support for patients within the scope of their competence. A regulated profession.

→ Psychologist: current vacancies

→ Clinical psychology specialist: current vacancies

Speech and language therapist

Treats speech, language and communication disorders and certain swallowing disorders. A regulated profession.

→ Speech and language therapist: current vacancies

→ Clinical speech and language therapy specialist: current vacancies

→ Special and rehabilitation educator: current vacancies

→ All vacancies in psychology and mental health

10. Dietetics and nutrition

Dietitian in healthcare

Works on nutritional assessment and nutrition in relation to a person’s state of health. A regulated profession.

Where do they work: hospitals, healthcare institutions, care homes for older people, rehabilitation, the food industry.

→ Dietitian: current vacancies

→ All vacancies in nutrition

11. Sanitary engineering and public health

Sanitary engineer

Works in hygiene, health protection, the environment, safety and risk prevention. A regulated profession.

Where do they work: public health, healthcare institutions, laboratories, environmental health, the food industry, inspection services.

→ Sanitary engineer: current vacancies

→ Sanitary technician: current vacancies

→ All vacancies in prevention and public health

12. Social work in healthcare

Social worker in healthcare

Connects healthcare treatment with the social needs of the individual and the family. Particularly important in chronic illness, long-term care, hospital discharge, social hardship and in linking different services. A regulated profession.

→ Social worker in healthcare: current vacancies

→ All vacancies in social work

13. Health informatics and digital health

Healthcare is becoming steadily more digital, which raises demand for people who understand health information systems, electronic health records, data, interoperability, cyber security, artificial intelligence and digital health services.

This mainly covers health informaticians, data specialists, developers of health information solutions, system administrators and specialists in cyber security and in artificial intelligence in healthcare. These are not necessarily regulated healthcare professions, but they matter more and more to how modern healthcare works.

→ IT and eHealth: current vacancies

14. Management and administration in healthcare

The health system also needs people who organise it: heads of healthcare institutions, healthcare administrators, HR specialists, accountants, quality and public procurement specialists, project managers and organisers of healthcare processes. These are not necessarily healthcare professions in the regulatory sense, but they are an important part of the system.

→ Healthcare administration: current vacancies

→ Healthcare administrative associate: current vacancies

→ Allied health professionals: current vacancies

15. Emergency medical services

Emergency care calls for specially trained teams. Doctors, emergency medicine specialists, registered nurses, nursing technicians, hospital orderlies and other professional or support staff work together, depending on how the service is organised.

Speed, expertise, teamwork, communication and decision-making under pressure all matter.

→ Emergency medical services: current vacancies

16. Support occupations in healthcare

A healthcare institution cannot run without its support staff: ward assistants, escorts, patient transporters, helpers, carers, sterilisation staff, technical staff, logistics, stores, maintenance, cleaning of healthcare premises, catering, the kitchen and the laundry. Requirements for these posts depend on the individual employer.

→ Full profession guide: cleaner in healthcare

→ Full profession guide: ward attendant in healthcare

→ Support services: current vacancies

→ Cleaner: current vacancies

→ Cleaning operative: current vacancies

→ Ward attendant: current vacancies

→ Housekeeping assistant: current vacancies

→ Technical services: current vacancies

→ Logistics and supply: current vacancies

→ Catering, nutrition and hygiene: current vacancies

17. Education, research and advanced medicine

The future of healthcare is also tied to research and education. Work is possible in biomedicine, pharmacy, genetics, laboratory medicine, epidemiology, public health, clinical trials, medical technology and health data. The development of medicine is also opening up medical genetics, genomic diagnostics, personalised medicine, cell and advanced therapies, and bioinformatics.

→ Health education and training: current vacancies

→ Health education teacher: current vacancies

18. First jobs, student work and work abroad

→ Internships

→ University student jobs

→ High school student jobs

→ Contract work

→ Work abroad

Which healthcare professions are regulated?

A regulated profession means the conditions for practising it are set by legislation. Under the Ministry of Health, SPOT lists, among others, the hospital orderly, occupational therapist, dietitian in healthcare, registered midwife, registered nurse, orthotist and prosthetist, medical doctor, specialist doctor, doctor of dental medicine, pharmacy technician, physiotherapist, laboratory biomedicine engineer, laboratory technicians and associates, speech and language therapist, pharmacist, medical physicist, psychologist, radiologic technologist, sanitary engineer, social worker in healthcare, nursing technician, oral hygienist, dental prosthetist, dental technician and dental assistant.

For a regulated profession, always check the current conditions: the required education, the traineeship, the professional examination, entry in the register and, for some, a licence. Requirements differ between professions, and SPOT also publishes a list of regulated education and training programmes.

Which healthcare professions will matter in the future?

The future of an individual profession cannot be predicted reliably as far as 2045. The main trends, however, can be identified.

An ageing population

According to the EUROPOP2025 projections, the share of the population of Slovenia aged 65 or over is expected to rise as follows:

The share of people aged 80 or over is projected to reach 10.9 % by 2050. This raises the importance of nursing care, long-term care, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, geriatrics, rehabilitation, social work, mental health and pharmaceutical care.

A shortage of healthcare staff

The Occupational Barometer 2026 forecasts shortages across several healthcare occupational groups — among them doctors, nursing professionals, physiotherapists, dentists and hospital orderlies. That is an important signal for candidates and employers, although a present shortage should not automatically be projected as far as 2045.

Long-term care

The development of long-term care raises the importance of staff who can take part in nursing, care, rehabilitation, home help, institutional care and support for families.

Digitalisation

The healthcare worker of the future will ever more often use electronic documentation, digital health systems, telemedicine, diagnostic technology, automation, data tools and artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence will not necessarily mean fewer healthcare professions. The more important question is how it will change the work of a healthcare worker. It can help with administration, documentation, data analysis, diagnostic support, planning, research, communication and the organisation of work. Human competences — judgement, empathy, communication, responsibility, practical skills and teamwork — remain important.

Which profession should you choose?

There is no single best healthcare profession; the choice depends on what interests you.

• Diagnostics: laboratory, radiology, medicine.
• A great deal of direct work with people: nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dental medicine.
• Medicines: pharmacy, pharmacy technician.
• Mental health: psychology, clinical psychology, speech and language therapy.
• Children and families: midwifery, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy.
• Technology: radiology, medical physics, health informatics.
• A faster route into healthcare: hospital orderly, nursing technician, pharmacy technician.

Find current vacancies in healthcare

The list below updates itself. The number beside a profession shows how many posts are open right now; professions without a number have no advert at the moment, but they are worth following — on each of those pages you can sign up for an e-mail alert.

How to use this list

If you know your profession, go straight to it — you will see only the adverts looking for exactly that. If you are open to several posts or still choosing a direction, click a field and you will see every advert within it, including those for related professions.

Every advert carries both a field and a profession, so an employer finds you through either kind of search. To search by place, use the list of current vacancies, where you can combine profession and location.

→ Find current vacancies in healthcare

→ See the employers who are hiring

Full profession guides

Some professions have a detailed guide of their own — what the work involves, what education is required, what the pay is and where the field is heading.

• Dentist – doctor of dental medicine
• Dental assistant
• Hospital orderly
• Nurse – nursing technician
• Registered nurse
• Midwife – registered midwife
• Oral hygienist
• Medical doctor
• Cleaner in healthcare
• Ward attendant in healthcare
• Pharmacy technician
• Specialist doctor
• Dental technician
• Pharmacist (Master of Pharmacy)

→ All profession guides

Are you a student thinking about a career in healthcare?

Choosing a healthcare profession is a long-term career decision. Before you decide, check:

1. What interests me?
2. Do I want to work directly with people?
3. What education is required?
4. Is the profession regulated?
5. Are a traineeship, a professional examination or a licence required?
6. Where can I find work?
7. How can I develop in the future?
8. How will the work change because of digitalisation and artificial intelligence?
9. What does the labour market need?
10. Do the way of working and the responsibility of this profession suit me?

Healthcare 2026–2045: what will change?

The health system of the future will probably need more knowledge, more technology, more cooperation, more specialisation and more long-term care. Professions that combine expertise with technology and a human relationship will have to keep developing their competences.

The future of a healthcare profession therefore does not depend only on its present job title, but also on how it adapts to the needs of patients, the health system, technology and demographic change.

The main healthcare professions in one place

Official lists and legal conditions can change, so for any individual profession check the current information from the competent institutions. SPOT and the Ministry of Health are the key sources for regulated professions, while SKP-08 (SURS) provides the standard classification of occupations.

Frequently asked questions about healthcare professions

Which healthcare professions are most in demand?

For 2026 the Occupational Barometer lists several healthcare occupational groups among those in short supply, including doctors, nursing professionals, physiotherapists, dentists and hospital orderlies.

Which healthcare professions are regulated?

SPOT keeps the official list of regulated professions under the Ministry of Health. They include doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nursing technicians, hospital orderlies, dentists and many others.

Which healthcare profession will matter most in 2045?

No single profession can be named reliably. Demographic trends, however, raise the importance of nursing care, long-term care, rehabilitation, medicine, pharmacy, mental health and other health services.

Will artificial intelligence replace healthcare workers?

What to expect above all is a change in the way the work is done. AI can support administrative, analytical and diagnostic tasks, while direct care, communication, empathy, practical skills and professional responsibility remain important.

Where should I look for work in healthcare?

Specialised vacancies in healthcare and pharmacy are published on the list of current vacancies, where you can filter adverts by profession, location, category, type of employment and other criteria.

What education is needed to work in healthcare?

It depends on the profession: from a three-year upper secondary vocational programme (for example the hospital orderly) through upper secondary technical and professional higher education to university programmes in medicine, dental medicine or pharmacy. For regulated professions, education is followed by a traineeship, the professional examination, entry in the register and, for some, a licence.

A healthcare profession is not just a job. It is a career.

From a first post through specialisation, further education, management, research or a move into the pharmaceutical industry, a healthcare profession can offer many career paths. Choose the field that interests you, build your knowledge, follow the labour market and find the opportunity that fits your career.

→ Find your next job in healthcare

Are you an employer and hiring?

Looking for healthcare staff? Reach people who are looking for work in healthcare, nursing, pharmacy, dental medicine, laboratory diagnostics, rehabilitation, social care, long-term care and other healthcare fields.

→ See the packages and prices for posting an advert

→ Post a job advert

→ What is a BOOST advert?

Official sources

• SPOT – the list of regulated professions and the competent Ministry of Health.
• Ministry of Health – Healthcare Workforce Division.
• SPOT – regulated education and professional examinations.
• SURS – SKP-08, the standard classification of occupations.
• SURS / Eurostat – EUROPOP2025, population projections.
• Employment Service of Slovenia – Occupational Barometer 2026.