The ongoing nursing shortage isn’t the only staffing crisis facing health systems.
Allied health professionals are becoming increasingly difficult to staff, despite their critical role in meeting the growing demand for patient care. As facilities grapple with the rise of shortages across allied health professional positions, more are turning to staffing solutions like Medely, which allow for flexible, cost-effective coverage within minutes.
Allied health shortages
Making up about 60% of the healthcare workforce, allied health professionals play a major role in patient care. From certified nursing assistants to gastrointestinal technicians to physical therapists, the roles of allied health professionals span the entire healthcare process from preventative care to long-term care.
With more allied health professionals leaving the workforce due to retirement, burnout, or the search for flexibility, facilities are seeking ways to supplement a shrinking workforce. However, as budget restraints become tighter and facility managers are asked to make their staffing budgets stretch further, many facilities are in a challenging position with balancing safe staffing with financial constraints.
Allied health professionals play a much larger role in the patient care and overall facility function than just support staff, making it crucial that the correct number of staff are available when needed. When facilities are aware of which positions are in most demand, they can more proactively prepare for upcoming and current shortages.
Top five high-demand allied health professional positions
Based on the number of requests for each role in 2025, Medely has identified the top five most in-demand allied health positions.
5. Medical assistants
Medical assistants are in high demand, which will only continue to increase as time goes on.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected percent change in employment from 2023 to 2033 for medical assistants is 15%, much higher than the 4% average growth rate across all occupations.
Medical assistants are versatile, finding roles in facilities from post-acute to surgery centers to outpatient care. With such a diverse, varied demand, facilities must find a reliable solution for keeping up with the need for more medical assistants.
4. GI techs
With an estimated 60-70 million people suffering from digestive issues, the need for qualified gastrointestinal technicians is growing. As healthcare systems deal with higher strain based on those illnesses, it’s important to ensure that GI floors are fully staffed to achieve the best quality patient care.
3. Sterile processing techs
Sterile processing techs play a vital role in ensuring a safe, sanitary environment for surgeries. As surgeries ramp up due to chronic disease prevalence and an aging population, facilities are finding themselves needing more support to meet the demand and avoid cancelled surgeries.
2. Surgical techs
Qualified surgical techs are crucial to the success of a surgery center. Columbia Parkway Surgery Center, a Medely customer, has been a testament to the necessity of credentialed surgery techs who can jump right into cases. Columbia Parkway Surgery Center was able to create a go-to group of surgical techs who could pick up shifts at a moment’s notice, leading to an estimated 19% savings compared to traditional models.
1. CNAs
The 2024 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report by NSI Nursing Solutions, Inc. shared that CNA turnover in hospitals has reached 41.8%, so facilities are turning to flexible staffing options, such as contingent staff, in order to bridge the gap.
In 2025, 25,184 CNA shifts were posted on the platform, making it the number one most in-demand allied health professional position. CNAs play a crucial role in the healthcare system, so ensuring proper CNA staffing is critical to maintaining facility integrity.
Allied health professional positions with the most year-over-year growth
Alongside the top five most requested allied health positions, Medely has kept an eye on the allied health positions that have seen the most increase in requests year-over-year. Comparing July 2023-July 2024 to July 2024-July 2025, we’ve seen the greatest growth in requests for these five allied health professional positions:
- Certified surgical first assistant – 150%
- Registered respiratory therapist – 73%
- Sterile processing tech – 26%
- Physician assistant – 19%
- Surgical tech – 3%
Allied health professional positions Medely supports
Whether you’re looking for short-term shifts or long-term assignments, Medely can help you find allied health professional coverage quickly and efficiently. Start your free profile and post your first shift today!
Listed below is the full list of allied health professional positions Medely supports:
- Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)
- Certified Phlebotomy Tech (CPT)
- Certified Surgical First Assist (CSFA)
- GI Tech
- Medical Assistant (MA)
- Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT)
- Medical Technologist (MT)
- Occupational Therapist (OT)
- Pharmacy Tech (CPhT)
- Physician Assistant (PA)
- Physical Therapist (PT)
- Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)
- Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)
- Sterile Processing Technician (SPT) & Certified Sterile Processing Techs (CSPT)
- Surgical Technologist (ST) & Certified Surgical Technologist (CST)
