Healthcare jobs are hot, and the call for qualified candidates shows no signs of slowing. Salaries are also on the rise for many of the most in-demand positions in the industry, according to the “2011 Compensation Data Healthcare” survey results from Compdata Surveys.

If you’re a healthcare recruiter in the United States, this is good news for you, also. With the need for healthcare positions to be filled, demand is predicted to be strong for the foreseeable future. With salaries in most fields on the rise, you can expect a correlating increase in recruiter fees, so there is definitely money to be made on both sides of the table.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) anticipates a 22% increase in jobs in the healthcare industry between now and 2018. In fact, sixteen of the 30 fastest-growing occupations identified by the BLS are healthcare related. High growth areas include the following:

• Biochemists and biophysicists
• Physician Assistants
• Physical Therapists
• Occupational Therapy Assistants
• Pharmacy Technicians

According to the BLS, the industry added more than 37,000 jobs in April.

Salaries for healthcare occupations are also increasing, as reported earlier this month when results of the recent 2011 Compensation Data Healthcare survey were released. Compdata surveyed 250 industry-specific job titles and more than 350 benchmark titles ranging from entry-level to top executives. Data was collected from more than 1,100 health-care employers reporting on nearly 5,300 locations across the country.

The results show base salary increases nearing 5% or more for many healthcare occupations. Some of the most compelling information:

• Occupational therapists saw a salary increase of 6.3 percent from 2009 to 2011
• Staff nurses’ salaries increased steadily from $55,300 to $57,600 this year
• Staff pharmacists’ pay rates have risen  nearly 5 percent since 2009
• Physical therapists’ average salary rose 5.5 percent, from $70,400 to $74,500
• EMTs have seen a spike in pay of 5.3%

“Due to the shortage of skilled healthcare workers – because that shortage is growing at such a rapid rate – salaries for healthcare jobs continue to increase,” said Amy Kaminski, Compdata’s marketing director. “There are just not enough people.”

Kaminski noted that electronic medical records technicians will be in demand as healthcare organizations move to EMRs, so that occupation will also see increases in salary.

So, what can a healthcare recruiter do? New job growth, combined with the positive salary news, will make it easier to lure skilled medical professionals away from their existing employers. Savvy healthcare recruiters with access to a strong talent pool will be well positioned to take advantage of the needs in this niche.