Careers and salary in public health
The American public health sector is a large, diverse, and rapidly growing field that’s employing professionals to perform vital work ranging from disease prevention to healthy diet promotion
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than 422,000 people were employed as medical and health services managers in 2019. Add epidemiologists, dietitians, nutritionists, and medical scientists to the mix, and total public health employment is over half a million just in these select professions.
The sheer size and variety of the public health field means you have many possible career options, but is public health a good career path? Whether you seek to lead health education programs in your community, build upon a career in nursing, or enter into health care administration, there’s likely a role in public health for you, and your work could ultimately touch countless lives.
Public health expertise is in high demand. The BLS estimates that employment in health care occupations, which includes careers in public health, will increase 15% from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. That translates to almost 2.4 million new careers in public health.
This growth is fueled in part by the need for public health workers who are adept at navigating major ongoing challenges that are affecting every part of the country, such as preventing disease outbreaks, protecting the food supply, and reducing opioid abuse. Regarding the latter, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated there were more than 81,000 drug overdose deaths in the 12 months through May 2020.
Becoming a public health professional puts you at the forefront of addressing these types of issues, with the opportunity to materially improve health outcomes through your work. Beyond making a large societal impact in an in-demand role, why else might you consider public health a good career choice? Some other motivations may include the following.
A growing job market
The expansion of public health careers is not limited to or driven by any single role. Indeed, multiple occupations are expected to far outpace overall U.S. employment growth. The job growth from 2019 to 2029 for medical and health services managers is projected to be a robust 32%. It’s 17% for social and human service assistants during that same time span, and 13% for health educators. All of these rates are also slightly higher than the BLS forecasts for health care professions in general.
A variety of disciplines
Public health encompasses many disparate disciplines, including epidemiology, statistics, data science, health administration, and fitness. You have immense choice in the type of work you will do.
Let’s say you’re proficient in the R programming language, the most sought-after specialized skill among Master of Public Health (MPH) public health graduates. You could pursue a clinical data analyst role, in which you might help a provider optimize its electronic health records (EHR) systems. A 2019 Mayo Clinic Proceedings study found that the “usability of current EHR systems received a grade of F by physicians,” underscoring widespread demand for such expert assistance.
Opportunities for high compensation
Salaries vary considerably given the wide variety of public health jobs, but many offer relatively high entry-level pay that can rise over time. Per Burning Glass Technologies, clinical data managers can start at roughly $75,000 and rise to more than $100,000 with nine years of experience; median pay for the profession is $91,000. The expansive BLS category of medical and health services managers, which includes many managerial public health roles, had a median 2020 pay of $104,280.
Different working environments
As expected from a field with many possible specializations, good public health careers offer varied working environments to choose from. In addition to settings such as hospitals and outpatient care centers, you could also realistically work in consulting, the public sector, or for a social advocacy organization.
For example, you might help a local government agency design public health awareness campaigns, which are often highly effective in changing behavior. A study published in the npj Digital Medicine journal found that 48% of people who see public health ads promoting healthy dieting later search for weight loss information, compared to only 32% of the control group.
When it comes to careers in public health, there are several information-centric trends that can help us understand the broader public health system and its priorities.
Professionals with a degree such as an MPH can best differentiate themselves through their proficiency as managers and researchers. Such management expertise meets robust employer demand for capable administrators. Physicians for a National Health Program calculated that employment of health care administrators grew 3,200% from 1975 to 2010, compared to an only 150% increase for physicians. The strong BLS job forecast for medical and health services managers from 2019 to 2029 points to a continuation of this long-term trend.
Positions requiring an MPH have become more focused on technical skills over time as public health organizations have sought to automate more tasks and reduce overhead. Among the 10 fastest-growing public health skills in job postings, six are related to specific software applications or IT competencies. A 2019 JMIR Research Protocols study found the growing use of such technology-driven automation in health care might actually increase the need for skilled administrators, as emerging tech complements rather than replaces human workers.
Employment of dietitians and nutritionists is rising quickly as the relationship between food intake and health conditions becomes clearer. The CDC estimated obesity prevalence at 42.4% in 2017 and 2018. It also notes that obesity can raise the risk of multiple health complications. In this context, the BLS forecasts 8% job growth among dietitians and nutritionists from 2019 to 2029, compared to 4% for all occupations.
The BLS lists the following industries as offering the highest levels of employment for selected public health careers.
| Medical and health service managers | Health education specialists | Epidemiologists | Dieticians and nutritionists | Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. General medical and surgical hospitals | 1. General medical and surgical hospitals | 1. State government | 1. General medical and surgical hospitals | 1. Scientific research and development services | |
| 2. Offices of physicians | 2. Local government | 2. Local government | 2. Outpatient care centers | 2. Colleges, universities, and professional schools | |
| 3. Outpatient care centers | 3. Individual and family services | 3. General medical and surgical hospitals | 3. Nursing care facilities | 3. General medical and surgical hospitals | |
| 4. Nursing care facilities | 4. Outpatient care centers | 4. Colleges, universities, and professional schools | 4. Special food services | 4. Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing | |
| 5. Home health care services | 5. State government | 5. Scientific research and development services | 5. Local government | 5. Medical and diagnostic laboratories |
Source: BLS
These are the top industries as ranked by their average public health careers salary:
| Medical and health service managers | Health education specialists | Epidemiologists | Dieticians and nutritionists | Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing ($205,470) | 1. Federal executive branch ($108,510) | 1. Grantmaking and gift services ($146,610) | 1. Federal executive branch ($77,580) | 1. Employment services ($141,380) | |
| 2. Scientific research and development services ($167,910) | 2. Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods ($82,070) | 2. Specialty hospitals ($135,050) | 2. Home health care services ($73,460) | 2. Federal executive branch ($136,970) | |
| 3. Wholesale electronic markets and agents and brokers ($162,880) | 3. Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll Services ($74,820) | 3. Management of companies and enterprises ($118,990) | 3. Outpatient care centers ($70,650) | 3. Management of companies and enterprises ($131,210) | |
| 4. Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing ($158,670) | 4. Scientific research and development services ($69,460) | 4. Offices of physicians ($116,870) | 4. Spectator sports ($69,370) | 4. Management, scientific, and technical consulting services ($121,190) | |
| 5. Chemical manufacturing ($155,180) | 5. Wholesale electronic markets and agents and brokers ($68,970) | 5. Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing ($114,050) | 5. Employment services ($69,140) | 5. Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing ($111,780) |
Source: BLS
The metropolitan areas with the highest levels of employment for public health professionals are mostly the largest U.S. cities, with a few smaller ones on the list for certain professions. Average compensation for each area (per the BLS) is indicated in parentheses.
| Medical and health service managers | Health education specialists | Epidemiologists | Dieticians and nutritionists | Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. New York City ($153,590) | 1. New York City ($59,530) | 1. Los Angeles ($97,420) | 1. New York City ($73,120) | 1. Boston ($109,700) | |
| 2. Boston ($143,020) | 2. Washington, D.C. ($87,090) | 2. Seattle ($121,560) | 2. Los Angeles ($78,210) | 2. New York City ($116,610) | |
| 3. Los Angeles ($132,950) | 3. Los Angeles ($73,700) | 3. Denver ($64,520) | 3. Chicago ($64,260) | 3. San Francisco ($130,250) | |
| 4. Chicago ($128,980) | 4. Atlanta ($99,030) | 4. Atlanta ($65,770) | 4. Philadelphia ($66,530) | 4. Los Angeles ($108,610) | |
| 5. Dallas ($113,770) | 5. Boston ($68,180) | 5. New York City ($134,580) | 5. Boston ($72,190) | 5. Philadelphia ($105,840) | |
| 6. Washington, D.C. ($113,770) | 6. Chicago ($61,940) | 6. Minneapolis ($76,360) | 6. Dallas ($58,520) | 6. Seattle ($91,690) | |
| 7. Philadelphia ($120,550) | 7. Minneapolis ($61,870) | 7. Baltimore ($84,810) | 7. Atlanta ($53,440) | 7. Washington, D.C. ($116,890) | |
| 8. Houston ($114,140) | 8. San Francisco ($77,550) | 8. Chicago ($88,510) | 8. Houston ($61,170) | 8. San Diego ($103,870) | |
| 9. Miami ($113,190) | 9. Phoenix ($51,130) | 9. Washington, D.C. ($117,320) | 9. Washington, D.C. ($70,630) | 9. Chicago ($96,510) | |
| 10. San Francisco ($156,050) | 10. Dallas ($62,480) | 10. Boston ($92,000) | 10. San Francisco ($95,060) | 10. Minneapolis ($98,970) |
Source: BLS
Health care organizations
Hospitals, outpatient sites, and physician offices are the largest overall employers of public health professionals. For these organizations, you might perform tasks as varied as medical research, community health program evaluation, or nutritional counseling, depending on your role.
Many public health professionals working for health care firms focus on curbing disease outbreaks — for instance, via vaccination campaigns. Although vaccines exist or are in development for many widespread conditions, ensuring that the public actually becomes vaccinated in sufficient numbers remains a challenge.
According to the CDC, just over 50% of people in the U.S. (ages 6 months and up) received a vaccine for the 2019-2020 flu season, which means nearly half the public did not. This illustrates the ongoing need for concerted public health efforts.
Federal, state, and local governments
The public sector is a significant employer of public health workers who bring their expertise to agencies like the CDC, and to state and local health departments. Conducting awareness campaigns is a major responsibility of public health professionals employed by these governmental bodies.
The CDC oversees many such campaigns, including one dedicated to prediabetes that offers an online risk assessment. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) estimated that 84.1 million Americans have the condition. Accordingly, public health outreach is essential for helping at-risk individuals identify the actions they can take and the relevant resources to which they have access.
Entry-level opportunities
The compensation website PayScale has compiled the following data. It shows what level of pay professionals in different public health careers can expect. Variables include levels of experience, and different metro areas (noting their wage premiums). Numbers are based on PayScale’s most recent report, as of April 2021.
| Job category | With less than 1 year of experience | With 5-9 years of experience | Metros with different wage differentials | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical and health services managers | $61,869 | $64,819 | Nashville (+24%) | |
| Health educators | $38,977 | $50,322 | San Diego (+34%) | |
| Epidemiologists | $52,593 | $76,481 | Washington, D.C. (+36%) | |
| Dietitians | $48,871 | $58,841 | New York City (+9%) | |
| Medical scientists | $78,046 | $92,500 | New York City (-33%) |
Source: PayScale
Advanced job options
There are many viable public health degree options. An MPH, Master of Health Administration (MHA), or other master’s in a field like dietetics may help you compete for certain positions and improve your overall public health career outlook. You will also need sufficient working experience in most cases.
Burning Glass Technologies found the share of entry-level postings in public health that require a master’s degree ranges from 2% for clinical dietitians to 19% for rehabilitation directors, indicating that many employers value experience at least as much as an advanced credential. At the same time, a master’s degree can help you acquire this needed experience.
Most public health positions do not require a master’s degree, but some will. Here’s the percentage of job postings mentioning a master’s degree, along with their entry-level salaries.
| Position | Share of 2019 job postings requiring a master's degree | Average entry-level salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical manager | 12% | $50,000 | |
| Research analyst | 11% | $47,000 | |
| Director of rehabilitation | 19% | $67,000 |
Source: Burning Glass Technologies Occupational Insights, 2019
A master’s degree can also translate into a higher average salary for some occupations.
| Position | With bachelor's | With master's | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical manager | $63,000 | $75,000 | |
| Research analyst | $55,000 | $74,000 | |
| Nutritionist | $49,000 | $55,000 | |
| Health information manager | $76,000 | $88,000 |
Source: Burning Glass Technologies Occupational Insights, 2019
The skills needed for a career in public health will vary greatly based on your chosen specialization. That said, a blend of baseline skills, such as communication and problem-solving, and specialized skills (proficiency with specific programming languages or software, for example), is integral across all modern public health professions.
Here’s a list of the skills you are most likely to need in the coming years when applying for MPH- and MHA-specific positions, as well as those in diet/nutrition and health informatics. Projected growth rates of these skills, in terms of their expected percentage increases in job postings from 2018 to 2023, is indicated in parentheses.
| Public health/MPH | Health administration/MHA | Diet and nutrition | Health informatics |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICD-10 (115%) | ICD-10 (117%) | HIPAA (66%) | Data science (102%) |
| Emotional support (98%) | Talent management (83%) | Social services (55%) | Tableau (86%) |
| Blood pressure measurement (77%) | NetSuite (75%) | Food delivery (54%) | Python (72%) |
| Employee engagement (57%) | Information technology industry knowledge (60%) | Restaurant experience (54%) | Onboarding (67%) |
| Onboarding (56%) | Employee engagement (57%) | Meal preparation (49%) | Data visualization (65%) |
| Claims knowledge (51%) | Onboarding (56%) | Meal serving (49%) | Employee engagement (60%) |
| Spreadsheets (50%) | Pivot tables (52%) | Food safety (36%) | ICD-10 (59%) |
| Communicable disease knowledge (40%) | Spreadsheets (48%) | Assisted living (33%) | Coding quality (53%) |
| Patient follow-up (39%) | Human resource information systems (46%) | Patient monitoring (33%) | Spreadsheets (50%) |
| Bloodborne pathogens (39%) | Budget forecasting (41%) | Home health (24%) | R (42%) |
Source: Burning Glass Technologies Occupational Insights, 2019
Baseline skills
Burning Glass Technologies has identified the following baseline or soft skills as the most sought-after by public health employers, expressed as a percentage of all job postings that mention them.
| Public health/MPH | Health administration/MHA | Diet and nutrition | Health informatics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research (73.1%) | Communications (51.3%) | Communications (30.7%) | Decision-making (39.51%) |
| Communications (47%) | Teamwork/collaboration (37.3%) | Research (21.3%) | Teamwork/collaboration (27.16%) |
| Writing (34%) | Planning (23.5%) | Planning (18.9%) | Communications (26.85%) |
| Teamwork/collaboration (33.7%) | Creativity (23.1%) | Teamwork/collaboration (18.3%) | Research (24.07%) |
| Microsoft Excel (32.1%) | Problem solving (22%) | Physical abilities (17.6%) | Microsoft Excel (17.59%) |
| Planning (27%) | Microsoft Excel (21.3%) | Building effective relationships (15%) | Editing (17.13%) |
| Detail-oriented (24.1%) | Presentation skills (21.2%) | Organizational skills (14.9%) | Detail-oriented (16.20%) |
| Microsoft Office (18.5%) | Organizational skills (19.9%) | Microsoft Office (14.6%) | Problem-solving (16.05%) |
| Patient follow-up (39%) | Building effective relationships (19.3%) | Computer literacy (14.5%) | Organizational skills (13.73%) |
| Problem-solving (18%) | Research (16.4%) | Microsoft Excel (10.8%) | Writing (11.88%) |
Source: Burning Glass Technologies Occupational Insights, 2019
Specialized skills
Compared to baseline skills, these competencies are more technical. They often involve particular software other than the ubiquitous Microsoft Office suite, or advanced medical and/or fitness knowledge.
| Public health/MPH | Health administration/MHA | Diet and nutrition | Health informatics | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R (53.4%) | Sales (67.2%) | Dietetics (72.7%) | SAS (64.01%) | |
| SAS (42.7%) | Digital marketing (42%) | Nutrition services (18.8%) | SQL (58.02%) | |
| Data analysis (30.4%) | Business development (35%) | Patient care (17.8%) | Quality management (46.6%) | |
| SPSS (30.1%) | Sales management (27.4%) | Scheduling (16.9%) | Tableau (43.06%) | |
| Project management (27.1%) | Salesforce (23.9%) | Care planning (16.8%) | KPIs (38.89%) | |
| STATA (25.7%) | Budgeting (17.5%) | CPR (14.7%) | Customer service (38.43%) | |
| Data science (23.1%) | Machine learning (16.2%) | Nutrition (14.4%) | Predictive analytics (38.43%) | |
| Economics (22.8%) | Sales goals (15.8%) | Patient/family education and instruction (13.9%) | Predictive models (38.43%) | |
| Data collection (20.5%) | Data science (14.6%) | Fitness (13.4%) | Data management (38.12%) | |
| SQL (20.1%) | Customer service (14.4%) | Quality assurance and control (12%) | Clinical information systems (37.65%) |
Source: Burning Glass Technologies Occupational Insights, 2019
Public health skills
These are the top emerging public health skills, according to Burning Glass Technologies, with their projected job posting growth rate from 2018-2023.
Public health/MPH
- Amputation (127%)
- Joint replacement (92%)
- BrassRing (80%)
- Chest pain diagnosis/treatment (50%)
- Biotherapy (43%)
- Health care delivery systems (40%)
- Pulmonology (40%)
- Spinal cord injuries (40%)
- Patient referral (38%)
- Flu vaccination (33%)
Health administration/MHA
- Full cycle accounting (45%)
- Cash flow forecasting (28%)
- Patient care assessment (26%)
- Multi-state payroll (20%)
- Employee recognition (18%)
- Construction accounting (17%)
- Revenue accounting (15%)
- Inventory accounting (8%)
Diet and nutrition
- Pulse oximetry (21%)
Health informatics
- Coding quality (53%)
- Coding accuracy (26%)
- Clinical documentation improvement program (20%)
If you are looking to begin or accelerate your public health career, an internship can help. Both public and private sector employers offer relevant opportunities, including the following organizations.
Numerous organizations promote public health causes. Joining one or more of these associations can help you learn more about the latest developments in public health while expanding your professional network.
Is public health a good career path for you? Explore your options
As a public health professional, you will help more people live longer, healthier lives. A public health degree can help you find the right career, whether your interest lies in health informatics, nutrition, administration, or another related area.
Compare programs or find a degree program that is tailored to your goals with the Pathways recommendation engine. Start developing the public health skills you need to cultivate a better future.
Find your path
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- JMIR Research Protocols
- Mayo Clinic Proceedings
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- npj Digital Medicine
- PayScale
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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