Is SPD truly a dead end job?
I'm gonna ask the main question now and put the long ass explanation after:
Is there truly no place for growth in SPD beyond managerial work? (I'm not interested in being a manager ever at all.)
if so, what are some career paths I could take where SPD experience is useful? (or what did you do to further your career in or out of SPD to get better pay/living situation)
Anyways, I'm halfway through my 400 hours and everyone around me at this job is calling the department dead-end saying that they need something better. Now I'm only 19, fresh out of high school, I have lots of time to change paths and yada yada, but like, I went into SPD thinking there was room for growth (I also didn't exactly understand the extent of the cost of living until recent). I guess I was just somewhat shocked. I honestly really enjoy the work that I am doing and have found that I'm not too bad at it either. I've been offered a job starting 23/hr, which is slightly higher than the average starting pay around me (for someone with no experience working in a non-trauma hospital,) however that wage is pretty unlivable in my state. The lowest rent I could find within 25 minutes of the hospital was 1250 a month, not including utilities, which basically splits my monthly income in half.
I was also told that the big trauma hospitals near me would likely start at around 24-25/hr.
I know that there are other certifications and specialties in SPD I can do, like endoscopic repossessing, which would hopefully give me higher pay, but I was wondering how much that truly helps. Does going to specialized facilities increase or decrease the pay? Outsourcing facilities? I've also considered things like night shift and becoming a traveler, however that feels more like short-term solutions that are somewhat unsustainable or difficult to work around if I ever were to go back to school.
Obviously, as I get more experience and see more departments I may find something I'm fond of. I often hear people say scrub tech, but I don't think I would fair well in actual surgery, seeing blood and stuff in decon is much different than seeing it on an actual person. I've kinda been playing around with the idea of learning stuff for biomedical but am still a bit unsure. I just want to hear everyone's thoughts and the paths you all took, and how money is working out for y'all.
Edit: I want it to be clear that I love SPD and the work I do!!! I dont plan on escaping the industry (not immediately at least) I just would love to make more money eventually because I feel the wage I make as a tech is a bit unsustainable for my future.