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Major · Health

A catchall code housing specialized allied-health programs

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other (CIP 51.0999) is the catchall code for specialized allied-health programs not fitting a named CIP. About 869 students complete it across 52 institutions, with bachelor’s graduates earning around $70,854 in tracked five-year wages.

Schools offering
52
Annual completions
869
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$67k

About this major

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other (CIP 51.0999) is the catchall code universities use for specialized allied-health programs that don’t fit a named CIP sub-discipline. The CIP definition is deliberately broad: any instructional program in allied health diagnostic, intervention, and treatment professions not listed above. In practice, this code houses programs that fall outside the named clinical-credential CIPs — Radiologic Technology (51.0911), Respiratory Care (51.0908), Diagnostic Medical Sonography (51.0910), Surgical Technology (51.0909), EMT/Paramedic (51.0904). Examples include integrated allied-health bachelor’s, health-and-rehabilitation studies, pre-professional health-sciences tracks, and bridge programs from technician credentials into bachelor’s-level practice. Specific program content varies considerably by institution.

The major fits students drawn to clinical and health-science work but not yet committed to a specific allied-health credential, comfortable with science and statistics coursework, and considering graduate study in physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician-assistant programs, or health administration. It rewards careful attention to anatomy and physiology, comfort with health-care systems and policy, and the patience to work through a longer credentialing path that often extends past the bachelor’s. The career ladder at the bachelor’s level runs through technician, coordinator, and educator roles, with senior clinical and research positions reached after graduate study.

One grounded observation about institution mix and outcomes: 869 students complete this CIP across 52 institutions, with the top tier almost entirely four-year universities — Sacred Heart (86 graduates), Missouri (76), Southern Maine (68), Thomas Jefferson (61), Indiana State (58), Nebraska Kearney (54), Delaware (54). That pattern signals the code is most often used for integrated allied-health bachelor’s programs rather than technician-level associate’s. Bachelor’s graduates earn $70,854 in five-year tracked wages and associate’s graduates $65,449 — a narrower gap than typical, suggesting both levels feed similar entry-tier roles. Adjacent named CIPs — Radiologic Technology (51.0911, 9,572 completions), Respiratory Care (51.0908, 6,344), Sonography (51.0910, 5,766), Surgical Tech (51.0909, 5,490) — offer larger, more standardized credentials tied to industry-recognized clinical certifications.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary $106k +17.3% Doctoral or professional degree
Health technologists and technicians, all other $49k +5.2% Postsecondary nondegree award
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$67k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$65k

Bachelor's

$71k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you’re drawn to clinical and health-science work but not yet committed to a specific allied-health credential, you’re investigating the named curriculum at your target school carefully (since 51.0999 masks distinctive programs that range from pre-PT preparation to bridge bachelor’s for working technicians), you’re considering graduate study in PT, OT, PA, or health administration and want a bachelor’s that completes those prerequisites, you’re comfortable with the $48,000-$71,000 wage range at the bachelor’s level, and you understand the strong-growth teaching destination ($105,620, 17.3%) requires a doctorate.

Think twice if your target career is a specific named allied-health credential (radiology, respiratory care, sonography, surgical technology) — those CIPs are larger and tied directly to industry-recognized credentialing exams (ARRT, NBRC, ARDMS, CST) that drive employer hiring. Reconsider if your target is bachelor’s-terminal allied-health practice without graduate-school plans; the catchall’s narrow associate’s-bachelor’s wage gap suggests it’s most powerful as a graduate-school launching pad rather than a terminal credential. Also pause if your school’s 51.0999 program isn’t articulated to a specific graduate or licensure pathway; named CIPs like Rehabilitation Science (51.2314) or Exercise Science (31.0505) often signal pre-professional preparation more clearly.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Sacred Heart University Fairfield, CT 0 86 86
University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO 0 76 76
University of Southern Maine Portland, ME 0 68 68
Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA 0 61 61
Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN 0 58 58
University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE 0 54 54
University of Delaware Newark, DE 0 54 54
Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA 0 46 46
Empire State University Saratoga Springs, NY 0 41 41
Salem Community College Carneys Point, NJ 39 0 39
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer

9,572 completions/yr

Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist

6,344 completions/yr

Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician

5,766 completions/yr

Surgical Technology/Technologist

5,490 completions/yr

Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)

3,988 completions/yr

Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist

3,612 completions/yr

Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist

1,133 completions/yr

Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions, Other

977 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this catchall CIP actually cover?
The CIP definition is deliberately broad: any instructional program in allied health diagnostic, intervention, and treatment professions not listed above. In practice, this code houses specialized programs that don’t map cleanly to Radiologic Technology (51.0911), Respiratory Care (51.0908), Diagnostic Medical Sonography (51.0910), Surgical Technology (51.0909), or EMT/Paramedic (51.0904). Examples include health-and-rehabilitation studies, integrated allied-health bachelor’s, and bridge programs from technician credentials into bachelor’s-level practice. Specific program content varies considerably by institution.
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
Named destinations include health technologists and technicians, all other ($48,790, 5.2% growth, postsecondary nondegree typical) and health specialties teachers, postsecondary ($105,620, 17.3% growth, doctoral typical). Realistic bachelor’s-level destinations vary by program — clinical research coordinator, health-services manager trainee, allied-health educator, and continued-education paths into PT, OT, or PA programs. Bachelor’s graduates earn $70,854 in five-year tracked wages and associate’s graduates $65,449 — a narrower gap than typical, suggesting both levels feed similar entry roles.
How does this compare to named allied-health CIPs?
Named CIPs are larger and more standardized. Radiologic Technology/Radiographer (51.0911, 9,572 completions), Respiratory Care (51.0908, 6,344), Diagnostic Medical Sonography (51.0910, 5,766), and Surgical Technology (51.0909, 5,490) all offer defined curricula tied to industry-recognized credentialing exams (ARRT for radiology, NBRC for respiratory, ARDMS for sonography, CST for surgical tech). The 51.0999 catchall is smaller and content-variable. If your target career is one of those named specialties, the named CIP signals clearer specialty preparation.
Why are so many top schools four-year universities rather than community colleges?
Top producers — Sacred Heart (86), University of Missouri (76), Southern Maine (68), Thomas Jefferson (61), Indiana State (58), Nebraska Kearney (54), Delaware (54) — are mostly bachelor’s-degree-granting universities. That pattern signals the 51.0999 code is most often used for integrated bachelor’s programs in allied-health studies that don’t fit a named clinical-credential CIP, rather than for technician-level associate’s programs. Salem Community College (39) is the exception. The credential typically positions graduates for management, research, and pre-professional graduate-school tracks rather than direct clinical entry.
Is the named teaching destination realistic without a doctorate?
No. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary ($105,620, 17.3% growth) requires a doctoral or professional degree. The strong growth reflects expanding allied-health teaching needs at universities, but the gate is firm: a doctorate (PhD, EdD, or clinical doctorate like DPT or DNP). The bachelor’s in this CIP is preparatory for graduate study rather than terminal for the teaching career. Realistic bachelor’s destinations sit at the technician-and-coordinator level.
Should I pick this CIP if I’m pre-PT, pre-OT, or pre-PA?
Possibly. The 51.0999 catchall is sometimes used for pre-professional health-sciences bachelor’s tracks at universities that don’t use a more specific code. Ask whether the program completes the prerequisites for your target graduate program (anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, statistics, psychology) and whether it has a pipeline to the specific PT, OT, or PA programs you’re targeting. A more specific named CIP — Rehabilitation Science (51.2314), Exercise Science and Kinesiology (31.0505), or Biological Sciences — often signals the prerequisite preparation more clearly.