There are many different professions within the healthcare industry, particularly in the public health career. A person with a degree in public health might provide educational programs to raise others’ physical well-being or contribute to the development of laws that uphold health standards. Your job search can be improved, and your earning potential can increase, with a public health degree.
In this post, we’ll look at some of the best jobs that a public health degree can help you land.
High-paying positions in public health
Opportunities are provided at all degree levels for those with a public health degree to pursue careers in clinical treatment or field research. Following is a list of professional paths you can choose if you have a degree in public health, along with descriptions of typical responsibilities and starting pay.
1. A public health instructor
National average hourly wage: $19.57
A public health educator’s main responsibilities in public health careers include teaching populations how to encourage wellness. They frequently offer advice on subjects like diet and exercise. To ascertain the community’s healthcare needs and develop policies that enhance practices, public health educators gather data. To enhance safety procedures, some health educators might collaborate primarily with medical professionals.
2. A nutritionist
National average yearly wage: $49,336
Nutritionists’ main responsibilities in public health careers include analyzing patients’ and clients’ eating patterns to develop meal plans and provide guidance. Dietitians and nutritionists are professionals in understanding each person’s unique nutritional needs. Among the responsibilities are developing specific health objectives and collaborating with patients to sustain or enhance overall health.
3. The social services director
National average yearly wage: $50,000
A director of social services’ main responsibilities in public health careers includes organizing and supervising community health programs. They hire and train new employees in their capacity as managers. They might create reports for awards or sponsorship or develop bids to secure money. Directors of social services might work in the public or commercial sectors and may serve the entire community or just a specific demographic.
4. Manager of health and wellbeing
National average yearly wage: $52,803
Managers of health and wellness in public health careers are responsible for directing the creation of plans for organizations like businesses, educational institutions, and hospitals. Managers of health and wellness carry out programs and report outcomes. Additionally, they might research to determine the effectiveness of existing healthcare programs and teach classes on health education.
5. Emergency management coordinator
National average yearly wage: $64,022
Emergency preparation managers’ main responsibilities in public health careers include providing emergency planning to the general population and first responders. They assess local emergency preparation and might support the creation of plans for disaster response. These experts might be in charge of directing how communities are handled before, during, and after a disaster. Writing grant applications is yet another typical task for emergency management managers.
6. A nurse in public health
National average yearly wage: $67,145
Public health nurses’ main responsibilities in public health careers include developing wellness programs and delivering clinical treatment to enhance community health. In places where there are inadequate services, nurses frequently work to enhance healthcare access. Public health nurses work to improve access to healthcare while serving the community. Even though some healthcare facilities may hire healthcare nurses with an associate’s degree, many nurses pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing to broaden their employment options.
7. A manager of health services
National average yearly salary: $71,677
Health services administrators in public health careers are primarily responsible for managing and supervising different healthcare institutions. Administrators of health services may also be in charge of each department’s specific responsibilities. They can operate in both the public and private sectors, managing healthcare operations and coordinating healthcare services. Budget management, facility policy creation, and staff member supervision are among the responsibilities.
8. A vaccine expert
National average yearly salary: $73,406
Researchers in public health careers that work on vaccines have as their main responsibility to use the scientific approach to develop drugs that prevent diseases. To investigate the immune system of the body, researchers may collaborate with physicians, clinical laboratory staff, medical researchers, or microbiologists. To stop outbreaks, scientists research new drugs and enhance vaccines. Many vaccination researchers also hold degrees in microbiology, chemistry, or biochemistry in addition to their public health degrees.
9. A manager of environmental health and safety
National average yearly salary: $81,600
Officers in environmental health and safety in public health careers are primarily responsible for identifying environmental dangers that may cause or exacerbate illnesses or diseases. To assess the risks to the public, they might conduct a study and gather information on contaminants or toxins. They collaborate with companies in some positions to stop activities from hurting the environment. Officers in charge of environmental safety and health may also recommend secure locations for community planning.
10. An epidemiologist
National average yearly salary: $85,972
Epidemiologists in public health careers are primarily responsible for identifying problems with public health and figuring out the origin of infections. They research the patterns of disease transmission and utilize the knowledge gained to advise lawmakers on how to stop or slow the spread of illnesses. To prevent diseases and illnesses in the community, epidemiologists participate in community education.
11. Clinical nurse instructor
National average yearly salary: $90,168
Primary responsibilities of clinical nurse teachers in public health careers include teaching nursing classes and acting as new nurses’ mentors. They prepare lesson plans and enhance health education on an operational level. These instructors instruct employees on how to follow accepted procedures to protect patients’ safety and well-being. Before taking on this position, the majority of clinical nurse educators had a wealth of nursing expertise.
12. An expert in occupational safety and health
National average yearly salary: $91,644
Specialists in occupational health and safety in public health careers detect and evaluate workplace safety and health problems. They remove risks that could endanger the safety and well-being of the business’s employees and employers. These experts could carry out workplace inspections to check for compliance with laws and regulations in addition to creating and implementing procedures to enhance workplace conditions.
13. A medical author
National average yearly salary: $96,862
The main responsibility of medical writers in public health careers is to generate basic, comprehensible documents about medical topics. By creating press releases, web content, and health educational tools, writers support public health. To create reports for the approval of novel medications or the enhancement of medical devices, they might collaborate with hospitals or other institutions.
14. Expert in health education
National average yearly salary: $48,860
A key component of a public health career is educating people and groups on how to enhance their wellness and health. Health education professionals frequently engage in a variety of activities with communities, such as doing research into persistent health problems, putting training materials into place, evaluating communication and messaging initiatives, and interacting directly with community people.
If you appreciate conducting a study, analyzing prospective health outcomes, talking with others, and imparting knowledge to them, this position might be a better match.
15. A worker in community health
National average yearly salary: $46,590
Community health worker in public health careers functions similarly to health education expert in that they frequently act as a liaison between an institution and a community to facilitate residents’ access to vital health services. They may occasionally even provide a few of these services, such as blood pressure checks. To improve local groups’ general well-being, community health workers could also provide them with health education.
If you appreciate listening, organizing, collecting information, and dealing closely with individuals to locate and reap the benefits of essential health services, this position could be a better match for you.
16. Public health specialist
National average yearly salary: $84,003
In terms of health, every demographic has a unique narrative to tell. A public health researcher in public health careers is frequently responsible for figuring out what it is by examining test findings and other data. Reports that can help guide programming and policy are how public health specialists most often convey their findings. They might work with government organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other businesses in a range of fields including epidemiology, vaccines, and drug misuse.
If you appreciate asking and answering larger-scale questions, dealing with data, interviewing people, and sharing your findings, this position could be a better match for you.
17. Officer for environmental health
National average yearly salary: $74,188
The health and happiness of humans are significantly influenced by the environment. Environmental health officers in public health careers examine the environmental safety and wellness of a location or region. They are sometimes known as sanitarians or work health & safety experts. They could carry out inspections for the safety of the food, the water, and the facilities to make sure that local businesses like eateries and public pools are secure.
If you appreciate conducting research, evaluating what you learn, exercising critical thought, and communicating, this position could be a better match for you.
18. Medical Editor
National average yearly salary: $88,627
Various health-related information is now easily accessible through media websites, scholarly journals, and other sources. Medical editors in public health careers, often known as health content editors, frequently check articles and larger manuscripts for grammatical correctness and factual scientific assertions. On a variety of health-related subjects, they guarantee users receive accurate, vetted information.
If you appreciate dealing with information, fact-checking, and proofreading for language, use, and consistency, this position might be a better match for you.
19. Public policy writers
National average yearly salary: $71,890
Numerous crucial choices that have an impact on health are guided by public policy. Public policy writers in public health careers, sometimes known as policy analysts, conduct research, examine and disseminate results about enacted or proposed laws, regulations, and financing. They frequently write in a manner that compiles pertinent information and motivates individuals and institutions to pursue a particular course of action.
If you appreciate researching, thinking critically, sharing your results, and writing, this position could be a better match for you.
20. Demographer
National average yearly salary: $114,929
Dates of birth and gender ratios are two examples of population figures that can disclose a lot and influence more effective healthcare outcomes. Demographers in public health careers produce studies to guide broader projects by going further than the what and delving deeper into the why. They typically work for governmental institutions like the BLS, the US Census Bureau, and other institutions tasked with gathering data on the populace. While associate and advanced roles typically call for a master’s, you might be able to obtain a junior-level demographer position with just a bachelor’s.
If you have powerful computer abilities and a passion for math and science, this position could be a better match for you. You take pleasure in gathering data, performing statistical analysis, and sharing your findings.
21. Administrator of healthcare
National average yearly salary: $62,576.
A person working in the background is needed in almost any healthcare center to make sure that operations, including personnel and protocols, are running well. Medical professionals in public health careers may concentrate on supplying their patients with outstanding care when health administrators are in charge of managing the commercial side of the industry.
If you appreciate business but have a stronger interest in healthcare, have excellent organizational skills, and pay close attention to detail, this position could be a better match for you.
22. Coordinator for refugees
National average yearly salary: $65,184.
Refugee coordinators in public health careers assist refugees in settling into their new city by assisting them with immigration, language and skills training, and other settling-in services. Refugee coordinators can promote cultural interchange between existing communities and incoming refugees while assisting with issues like psychological health.
If you enjoy dealing with various demographics, have a high level of empathy, and are adept at communicating, problem-solving, and listening, this position could be a better match for you.
A public health degree will give you transferrable skills.
With a B.Sc. in Public Health, you have a wide range of options to explore; however, you are not required to work in public health following graduation. You will probably acquire significant transferrable abilities that can aid you in exploring other job options during your undergraduate study.
A BSPH curriculum may help you acquire the following transferrable skills:
- Critical reasoning
- Problem-solving
- Organizing and planning
- Coordinating
- Researching
Understanding what you’ve studied and the abilities you’ve built throughout your program is helpful as you begin choosing your job or looking into various options. Spend some time considering your broad set of skills and how you might be able to use them across several sectors.
Do you require an MPH in public health?
Due to the variety of advanced positions, it can lead to, many BSPH students seek a postgraduate public health degree, like the Master of Public Health. You typically have the choice to focus on a particular area when you register for an MPH degree, such as maternity and youth development, global health, or epidemiology, which can equip you for a job in each area.
Even though it’s not always mandatory, having an MPH may be advantageous depending on the kind of work you want to do and the positions you’d want to apply for.
How Useful Is a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health?
The entry-level degree for new students in college and reentering workers is a bachelor’s in public health (BPH). Students must choose this choice and enroll in general education classes like English, math, and history as well as particular public health programs including environment and health, diseases, healthcare, and public health concepts.
1. Specialist in Community Health
National average yearly salary: £22,454 to £54,600
Specialists in public health careers are required in this line of work to address a variety of specific ailments and their exposure. These experts closely collaborate with microbiologists and disease experts to carry out investigations and offer site control in the event of exposures.
2. Quality Assurance Manager
National average yearly salary: £31,971 to £33,216
These experts in public health careers assist in enhancing public health awareness initiatives. Performing site reviews, keeping track of data, organizing input, dealing with inquiries or issues about public health services, producing documentation and site reports, and managing public health initiatives are just a few job tasks.
3. Administrator of Public Health
National average yearly salary: £21,243 to £89,091
Administrators of public health in public health careers develop and carry out public health initiatives. Additionally, they could check sure that these programs’ quality complies with national standards and, if necessary, update or improve them. Professionals in this career field may serve as a key link between regional prevention organizations and laws governing public health initiatives.
4. Assistant in research
National average yearly salary: £28744
To aid in identifying solutions to health-related problems, research assistants in population health can be employed by laboratories, colleges, or research organizations. Usually, research professionals will focus on a particular area of public health, including screening for particular disorders or diseases. Professionals in this industry may have duties including obtaining research subjects, carrying out research investigations in part, and data analysis.
5. Prevention Expert
National average yearly salary: £32,485
Specialists in prevention in public health careers may concentrate on community or other targeted groups of society’s preventive services. Developing preventative programs and services, informing the public about them, and assessing program effectiveness are all responsibilities.
How Useful Is a Master’s Degree in Public Health?
The Master of Public Health is the most popular public health degree (MPH). It can give students the chance to build a specialism and a well-rounded understanding of public health. Those with a healthcare degree or prior professional experience would benefit most from this program. Biology, Nursing, sociology, psychology, and social work bachelor’s degree programs are a few of the undergraduate degrees that might come before the MPH.
1. Educator in public health
National average yearly salary: £37932
Public health educators in public health careers may concentrate on several facets of public health, like dietary habits, physical activity, drug usage, and chronic illnesses. Teachers can use advertising, outreach programs, and local schools to spread the word about their activities.
2. Epidemiologist for public health
National average yearly salary: £34,764
Professionals in this public health career may assist with the collection and analysis of data related to disease, sickness, and injury inside certain locations. Additionally, epidemiologists can write reports on their results, keep them up to date, and submit them to the proper data reporting source. To develop efficient treatment and preventative services for the general public, one of the main objectives of this subject is to better comprehend the statistics underlying public health.
3. Public Health Advisor
National average yearly salary: £84,559 to £114,003
Public health advisors in public health careers make sure that the public is receiving the appropriate level of services from public health services. This can be accomplished by reviewing a company’s public health initiatives, medical procedures, drug storage, and material handling practices. To suggest adjustments and improvements, consultants often provide a summary of their assessment to the organization where they are hired.
4. Expert in Health Promotion
National average yearly salary: £32,306 to £39,027
Health promotion professionals in public health careers are comparable to public health educators because they educate the public on how to promote general health and well-being. However, creating and enhancing public programs for health education is the main focus of this job path. This may entail looking into biostatistical information, successful public health educational programs, and programs for health education that need to be changed.
5. Director of Clinical Research
National average yearly salary: £33,411
The main factor that makes public health benefits society is research. For studies involving public health, medical research coordinators in public health careers recruit volunteers and secure their permission. They support research, analysis, and the distribution of findings to the appropriate organizations.
What Are the Career Options for a Public Health Doctorate?
You can become a leader in subjects related to public health by earning a doctorate in public health (DrPH). The DPH program’s objective is to prepare learners to make wise decisions and to advocate for wider public health with knowledge and expertise. Students in these courses may concentrate on a few of the indirect facets of population health, like communication, professional leadership, community engagement, and evidence-based management since these programs place a strong emphasis on leadership.
1. Assistant Professor
National average yearly salary: £45938
Graduates of the Ph.D. program can significantly advance the profession of education because it is a research-focused degree course. The public health courses that universities and colleges provide include statistics, epidemiology, policy analysis, public health teaching, and public health ethics and law. Workers at this stage can work for these institutions. You can instruct students who are interested in professions in the field as an assistant professor. The planning, execution, grading, and mentoring of curricula are all possible job responsibilities.
2. Prevention Specialist
National average yearly salary: £30,233
This research-focused professional path in public health careers entails applying knowledge to develop and put into action beneficial prevention strategies. Communities with high rates of sickness or illness may consult preventive experts for advice on effective prevention initiatives. These experts could serve as consultants or be engaged by regional public health agencies. To figure out the incidence of the condition and link residents with the appropriate services, they can examine the biostatistical data collected from the neighborhood.
3. Program Director
National average yearly salary: $69244
Program managers in public health careers may be responsible for hiring people, training them, and managing the finances of pertinent programs that fall under their purview. They may also organize and administer public health initiatives in certain locations. Some program administrators make ensuring their initiatives adhere to laws governing public health and support adjustments as necessary. To deliver top-notch public health solutions, it may be expected of you as a professional in this field to assume a main leadership position within your company.
4. Coordinator of Clinical Services
National average yearly salary: £32,872
The major responsibility of the clinical services director in public health careers is to supervise the provision of administrative services. Additionally, these experts might create and carry out beneficial community public health initiatives and preventive care. In this line of work, management responsibilities could be significant.
5. Directors of Research
National average yearly salary: £76,316
Research directors in public health careers, who are experts in a higher level of research, may supervise research studies, data gathering, and report presentation. In their research groups, directors frequently present their findings to senior experts like chief financial officers. These experts could manage a group of researchers using customary guidelines for hiring, research procedures, and information dissemination.
6. Managers of healthcare services
National average yearly salary: £25,368
Healthcare and medical service administrators in public health careers organize, direct, and transform healthcare settings. These experts may oversee workers in a particular department of a hospital or be in charge of the whole facility. Financial planning, purchasing, employing and training new hires, scheduling, and increasing service performance are among the responsibilities.
7. Medical professionals
National average yearly salary: £40608
The public is educated about public health and the elements that can influence it by medical scientists. This public health career is research-based and focuses on identifying drugs, therapies, and environmental factors that can enhance human health. Medical science experts may contribute to the design and execution of clinical studies and experiments to find strategies to enhance public health.
Conclusion
Although it is not necessary to have the medical or practical expertise to start studying toward a public health degree, most people who are employed in the field of public health have formerly held positions in the healthcare sector as doctors, nurses, dentists, or pharmacists.
Frequently Asked Questions on public health careers
- What professions in public health are in the highest demand?
Community health workers, administrators of medical and health services, national healthcare social workers, alcohol and substance abuse, social services, and counselors for behavioral disorders and mental health are all predicted to have higher growth than other occupations between 2020 and 2030, as you can see in our overview to the top earning public health careers. Social and community services occupations are expected to rise by 12%, whereas other professions in public health and wellness are expected to grow by 16%, according to the BLS.
- What is an MPH good for?
With a master’s degree in public health, you could work as a public health educator, statistician, consultant, or health education professional. You might also think about positions like community health expert or public health administrator, which need a bachelor’s degree at the very least in the field of public health.
- What professions suit persons with a degree in public health the best?
Numerous variables may affect a successful career. Examine the job descriptions against your abilities and areas of interest. Examine the potential career options and growth forecasts for the jobs that meet your professional objectives.