Public Health Degree: Considering a degree in public health? Take into account the range of career options and their significant impact. Options include offering workshops on preventive care for low-income communities, conducting experiments testing new pharmaceuticals, and educating the public about the effects of chemical spills. All three paths contribute to public health and safety, making a degree in public health a valuable opportunity.
Aside from the significant cause it serves, a public health degree also offers job growth and attractive salaries. Over the next 5 to 10 years, many public health jobs are expected to grow. The median salary for a public health bachelor’s degree is approximately $50,444, with advancement opportunities also available.
Ultimately, a public health degree is ideal for individuals seeking a meaningful, impactful, and financially rewarding career.
10 Common Career Options To Consider With Public Health Degree
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Public Health Attorney
Are you interested in pursuing a career in public health? We’ve highlighted a few options that might interest you. In addition to research, education, safety, and care-based careers, becoming a public health attorney could be a fulfilling track.
As a public health attorney, you’ll work as an advocate, legal representative, or advisor for individuals, communities, and government agencies. Your contributions to public health will be in developing policies aimed at improving wellness and health, while also advising businesses, individuals, and governments on their legal rights in public health.
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To excel at this job, you’ll need good organizational and public speaking skills, be able to assemble, organize, and effectively communicate complex information. Strong problem-solving skills are equally important, especially when dealing with complex cases. You’ll need to obtain a bachelor’s and a law degree, with the option of attending a law school that specializes in public health.
The annual salary for a public health attorney averages at $70,959.
Community Health Coordinator
Another promising career in healthcare is becoming a community health coordinator. Due to an increasing focus on affordable, preventative care, it’s an excellent option for someone interested in public health.
Your main responsibility as a community health coordinator is creating and managing health initiatives and programs that address various health issues while improving health outcomes. These programs inform local residents about different diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, and obesity; they also encourage residents to adopt preventative measures or help manage their health conditions.
Community health coordinators can work for a wide variety of institutions and agencies, like schools, non-profits, and government agencies. To qualify for this job, most individuals start with a bachelor’s degree in public health, biology, or health education. They later earn master’s degrees in subjects like public health, epidemiology, or healthcare administration. An entry-level position typically pays around 45k/year.
Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
The role of an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist is to ensure that employees have a safe work environment, complying with the standards set by OSHA. This career path is an impactful choice for someone with a public health degree, as it focuses on the well-being of others in the workplace. Day-to-day responsibilities include inspections, accident investigations, proactive communication with employers and management, and developing procedures for improving workplace safety. Core skills necessary for success in this job include tech-savviness, critical thinking, attention to detail, and problem-solving ability. To boost chances of landing a great job, it is recommended to obtain a master’s degree in public health with a concentration in occupational health. The reported average salary for occupational health and safety specialists is $76,340.
Biostatistician
A Biostatistician is a key player in public health research, utilizing statistical research tools to collect data from experiments, surveys, and questionnaires, which they analyze and disseminate to agencies and organizations involved in public health and health policy. A master’s degree in statistics with a specialization in public health is required for entry-level jobs in this field. The average annual salary for a biostatistician is $85,742. Access to accurate and timely data on health, diseases, biology, and medicine is essential in public health issues and policies.
Emergency Management Director
For individuals seeking to apply their public health degree in areas beyond disease prevention and control, the roles of an Emergency Management Director and Environmental Scientist offer exciting and purposeful career paths.
As an Emergency Management Director, you will play an important role in mitigating, preparing for, responding to and recovering from disasters and emergencies. Depending on the sector or industry you work in, the specifics of the job may vary. However, as long as natural disasters pose a threat to humans, there will be a vital need for Emergency Management Directors in many sectors and all over the country. The projected job-growth rate for this role is 4% within the next decade, where directors can expect to earn an average salary of $76k/year.
Environmental Scientist
On the other hand, a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health can also enable you to embark on entry-level roles in Environmental Science. As an Environmental Scientist, you will be responsible for studying the biological, chemical, and physical conditions of the environment and their impact on the organisms living in those conditions. Your role will involve providing solutions for countering such effects on environmental health and human health, or offering guidance to governments, organizations, and companies to limit hazards to both. The projected job growth rate in the Environmental Sciences is 8% from 2019 to 2029, with an average salary of $71,360/year.
Both careers offer an opportunity to serve the public good, and the increasing public interest in environmental issues and natural disasters make them highly valuable career paths.
Health and Safety Engineer
The profession of Health and Safety Engineer holds the top spot on the list and involves working in the private, scientific, and technical sectors. Health and safety engineers play a critical role in ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals by creating safer products and work environments. The objective of this profession is to prevent injuries and illnesses caused by products, equipment, or work environments, while also maintaining compliance with health and safety regulations.
To become a health and safety engineer, one must possess a bachelor’s degree in public health, engineering, or occupational/industrial hygiene, along with exceptional observational, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. With advancements in the field, the salary for this profession has risen to $91,410 annually, with private science and technical sectors offering higher compensation.
Health Education Specialist
Health Education Specialist, on the other hand, is a unique profession that combines the passion for public health with an aspect of education. Health educators, also known as health education specialists, help execute public health initiatives and programs by serving as a liaison between policymakers, health administrators, and the community. They gather and analyze community data, plan programs, and promote healthy lifestyles and practices. These professionals find employment opportunities in various fields such as hospitals, schools, governments, and community organizations.
With a degree in public health, health educators can utilize their knowledge of educational initiatives focused on disease prevention and patient care or work on general community outreach programs. The health education sector is expected to grow by 11%, with an average salary of $54,101 annually.
Healthcare Administrator
A healthcare administrator is an excellent career path for those interested in public health. If you are passionate about promoting equitable access to high-quality healthcare and possess strong leadership skills, then a career as a healthcare administrator may be your calling. As a healthcare administrator, your role involves developing and managing healthcare programs and systems to cater to the needs of families and communities. You will work for hospitals, large healthcare systems, or hospital networks and provide the necessary infrastructure to support primary caregivers.
While it is a comprehensive job, you need to understand not just public health basics, but also navigate policies and laws surrounding healthcare administration across different county, state, and national levels. Knowing billing, staff schedules, HR, and the demographics of populations you serve are as essential as public health knowledge. With a bachelor’s degree, you can get a managerial position in medical and health services, but a master’s degree and experience are necessary for advanced positions or promotions. The median salary for this position is $69,927, although it ranges from $41k-$113k/year, depending on education, experience, and location.
Epidemiologist
If you want to be at the forefront of disease and virus prevention, a career in epidemiology may be for you. Epidemiologists are the investigative professionals of the health sector, determining the causes and spread of diseases and viruses and identifying who is most susceptible to them. They make necessary recommendations to stop the spread and prevent future outbreaks by collecting and analyzing research data. They are typically employed by hospitals, colleges and universities, and health departments at the federal, state, and local levels, working for government agencies like the Center for Disease Control or the National Institutes of Health. Fieldwork opportunities are plenty, including interviews and sample collection for laboratory analysis.
Most epidemiologists possess a Master’s degree in Public Health, with a specialization in epidemiology, for entry-level positions, with some having completed a Doctoral degree in medicine or epidemiology. Despite the desired education requirements, epidemiologists’ job prospects are good overall, as their skills are highly sought after. In 2020, the median pay for an epidemiologist was $74,560 per year.
