7 health tech roles clinicians use to beat burnout

A new job isn't the cure for burnout, but leaving a toxic one can be a good start. If you're burned out by endless charting and on-calls, you’re not alone. More clinicians are making the leap into tech, bringing their medical expertise to digital health, startups, and AI companies where innovation meets impact. Here are seven roles where your clinical knowledge is not only transferable, it's in demand.

1. Clinical Product Manager

Salary range: $115K–$165K+
Why it’s a fit: Your experience solving patient problems translates well into building user-centered digital products.

Day-to-day responsibilities:

• Collaborate with engineers, designers, and data scientists to develop product features
  
• Translate clinical workflows into digital experiences
  
• Define product roadmaps and measure product outcomes
  

Tools to learn: Jira, Figma (for wireframes), product analytics tools (Mixpanel, Amplitude)

Pros:

• High influence over product direction
  
• Opportunity to build solutions that scale beyond individual care
   

Cons:

• Steep learning curve in agile and software development practices
  
• Fast-paced environment can be overwhelming at first
  

Pro tip: Add a quote here from a former nurse now working as a PM at a digital health startup. 

2. Clinical Informatics Specialist

Salary range: $100K–$140K
Why it’s a fit: If you’re already optimizing EHR workflows and building smartphrases, you’re halfway there.

Day-to-day Responsibilities:

• Analyze data and workflows to improve clinical system usability
  
• Implement and customize EHR platforms
  
• Serve as a bridge between clinicians and IT teams
  

Tools to learn:

Epic, Cerner, SQL, Tableau, Python (optional but helpful)

Pros:

• Leverages your clinical background directly
  
• Often still based in hospital systems or payers
  

Cons:

• May require formal informatics certification
  
• Can still feel bureaucratic if within traditional systems
  

Pro tip: Include a quote from a physician informaticist on how they broke into the field post-residency.

3. Medical Science Liaison (MSL) 

Salary range: $130K–$180K
Why it’s a fit: You already communicate complex clinical data clearly—MSLs do this full-time with strategic partners.

Day-to-day Responsibilities:

• Engage with key opinion leaders (KOLs) and clinicians about emerging tech products
  
• Support pre-sales and post-sales conversations
  
• Provide scientific training to sales and product teams
  

Tools to learn: CRM software (Salesforce), PubMed, conference platforms

Pros:

• High compensation
  
• Great role if you enjoy public speaking and travel
  

Cons:

• Frequent travel and external-facing responsibilities
  
• Requires building comfort with commercial aspects of tech 

4. Clinical Content Strategist

Salary range: $90K–$130K
Why it’s a fit: If you love teaching patients and writing clear discharge instructions, this is your creative outlet.

Day-to-day responsibilities:

• Create clinically accurate content for apps, chatbots, or health education platforms
  
• Collaborate with editorial and UX teams
  
• Review copy for tone, clarity, and medical accuracy
  

Tools to learn: Google Workspace, Notion, Contentful, UX writing frameworks

Pros:

• Flexibility and remote-friendly
  
• Uses your voice and authority as a clinician
  

Cons:

• Requires strong writing skills and ability to adapt tone
  
• May be undervalued in orgs unfamiliar with content strategy
  

5. Clinical UX researcher

Salary range: $100K–$145K
Why it’s a fit: Clinicians excel at empathizing with patients—UX research turns that into data-driven design.

Day-to-day Responsibilities:

• Conduct interviews and usability tests with clinicians or patients
  
• Translate insights into product recommendations
  
• Work cross-functionally with designers and PMs
  

Tools to learn: Dovetail, Lookback, Figma, Airtable, research frameworks

Pros:

• Human-centered, low-burnout work
  
• Can work on a variety of products
  

Cons:

• May require a portfolio of research or certificate programs
  
• Less emphasis on clinical authority, more on methodology
  

6. Medical Director at a health tech company

Salary range: $180K–$250K+
Why it’s a fit: If you want to lead strategy, compliance, and clinical insight at scale—this is the path.

Day-to-day responsibilities:

• Oversee clinical quality and regulatory compliance
  
• Advise product and business teams on clinical strategy
  
• Collaborate with external partners and stakeholders
  

Tools to learn: Slack, Notion, regulatory frameworks (HIPAA, HEDIS, NCQA), basics of SaaS

Pros:

• Executive role with strategic influence
  
• Leverages your full clinical and leadership background
  

Cons:

• Demands strong business acumen
  
• Requires cross-functional leadership skills
  

Pro tip: Great section for a quote from a former CMIO now advising startups.

7. Implementation Specialist

Salary range: $85K–$120K
Why it’s a fit: Clinicians who love troubleshooting, training, and seeing systems work in the real world thrive here.

Day-to-day responsibilities:

• Support onboarding of digital health products in hospitals or clinics
  
• Train end users (often other clinicians)
  
• Customize software implementations to suit clinical needs
  
  

Tools to learn: Zendesk, EHR platforms, project management tools (Asana, Trello)

Pros:

• You get to stay close to clinical work
  
• Rewarding to see immediate impact
  

Cons:

• Some travel may be required
  
• Can involve customer support during go-live phases
  

Key challenges & how to overcome them

👉 Ready to explore open roles that match your clinical background? Head over to the Hey Health Tech job board to see what's out there.