What is an Allied Health Assistant? Salary, Job Description & Qualifications

Are you searching for a fulfilling career in healthcare but uncertain where to begin? Join the ranks of Australian health services heroes and make a positive impact on your community as an allied health assistant.

Are you a compassionate and caring individual? Do you find great satisfaction in helping others? If this resonates with you, it might be time for a career change or career upgrade to becoming an allied health assistant.

When it comes to caregiving and community support, allied health assistant careers tick all the boxes. Providing for people? Check. Opportunities for personal growth? Check. Supporting your clients every single day, helping patients reach their long-term goals? Check, check, check. 

If you’ve been contemplating a career change but haven’t considered the health industry, allied health may have flown under your radar. In fact, allied health assistants are the unsung heroes of Australian healthcare, often misunderstood by those outside the industry.

So, what exactly is an allied health assistant? And how can you determine if it’s the right career path for you?

“I had spent many unsatisfying years in architecture and production design. I loved the creativity, but I never had that ‘making the world a better place’ feeling at the end of the day.

My goal is to study speech therapy, but as a mature aged student, I wanted to begin work in the field right away. Becoming an Allied Health Assistant has given me the experience and exposure.”

Although you may not have been familiar with allied health until now, it plays an absolutely crucial role in the world of healthcare. Allied health professionals, who comprise more than a quarter of the health workforce, deliver an astounding 200 million healthcare services annually on average.

So, what do allied health assistants do?

Quite a lot! In simple terms, their primary responsibility is to provide support. Allied health encompasses a range of healthcare careers, all of which involve assisting healthcare professionals with administrative tasks and overall patient care.

The specific duties of an allied health assistant can vary significantly depending on the sector they work in. This includes numerous healthcare fields that fall outside the realm of traditional medicine, such as:

Allied health assistants collaborate with doctors, nurses, podiatrists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and other professionals within care facilities others. 

“Every day is so different. I work for NDIS provider Therapy Care. This means I work with participants who have a range of disabilities and conditions.

My day may include multiple one-on-one sessions with clients living with special needs.

We also run therapy groups, so my day may include running an ‘art in the park’ activity with multiple participants. Being in a position to assist people with disability is the only constant, and I couldn’t enjoy it more.”

Health and social assistance is the largest industry in terms of employment in Australia and is projected to grow by 15.8% by 2023, so there are plenty of job opportunities available.

In this industry, allied health assistants are the unsung heroes of healthcare and there’s a lot of demand for allied health services careers throughout Australia.

Your salary as an allied health assistant will depend on your experience and the role you choose. You can expect to make somewhere between $57,935 and $67,647 a year in Australia.

 As your experience grows, so do your potential earnings, especially if you choose to advance your allied health career within a specific field.

In the field of allied health, employment opportunities are abundant across Australia, particularly in NSW, VIC, WA, and QLD. One of the notable advantages of pursuing a career in allied health is its flexibility, allowing individuals to accommodate their busy schedules. With numerous part-time options available, professionals in this industry can easily transition from full-time to part-time as needed, ensuring a healthy work-life balance without compromising financial stability.

When considering a career in allied health, it is crucial to have a genuine interest in the field. The role of an allied health assistant requires a high level of interpersonal interaction, making it evident if your heart’s not really in it. To excel in this career, certain qualities are essential, including supportiveness, patience, and dedication.

As an allied health assistant, there are key skills that are vital:

Being an allied health assistant is a dynamic role that keeps you constantly engaged. Quick thinking is crucial, allowing you to adapt readily. Each day brings unique challenges, but one thing remains consistent: the opportunity to make a positive impact in your community and help individuals achieve their long-term goals.

“I launched into it on instinct. I was fortunate to find this job and started with very little experience. I loved it immediately. The difference between this career and my last is the feeling that you are doing something that matters.”

If you’re a caring, social person looking for a career that means more than just paying the bills, allied health is the career for you.

Explore courses in allied health assistance to get started.