Top 25 Public Health Careers (with Salaries and Job Descriptions)

Updated June 24, 2022

Public health is an important part of society and is focused on improving the health of communities through research, education and the prevention of disease. The public health sector has ample job opportunities and is expected to grow more than any other sector in the nation by 2022. Public health professionals can work in a variety of industries and hold several different job titles, including researcher, social worker and educator. In this article, we discuss 25 of the top jobs that can be pursued by public health professionals and the duties and salary range of each.

Top 25 public health careers

The following are 25 of the most popular careers in the field of public health:

1. Health coach

Ntional average salary: $14.92 an hourJob duties: The main job of a health coach is to help clients become healthier through lifestyle changes. Duties of a health coach include developing health goals for clients, assessing a client's current health status and tracking a client's progress.Requirements: A minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, Fitness, Wellness or a related field. Many health coaches also hold a master's degree.

2. Community health worker

National average salary: $16.00 an hourJob duties: The main role of this position is to talk with community members about health concerns and provide education regarding available healthcare services. They also organize community outreach programs and advocate for community and individual health needs.Requirements: Bachelor's Degree in Health Education, Health Promotion or a related field is typically required.

3. Research assistant

National average salary: $16.31 an hourJob duties: Research assistants can conduct literature reviews, collect and analyze data related to public health, prepare materials to be submitted to foundations and grant agencies and assist researchers in conducting research related to public health.Requirements: Associate degree and on-the-job training. Some positions may require a Bachelor's Degree in Public Health or a related field.

4. Health educator

Nationl average salary: $19.87 an hourJob duties: Health educators assess the health needs of the community and reate materials, programs and events that provide education for community members on health topics. They also teach individuals how to cope with existing health issues and conduct research related to health education and promotion.Requirements: Bachelor's Degree in Health Education or Health Promotion is typically required. Certification through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. may be preferred by some employers.

5. Technical medical writer

National average salary: $20.01 an hourJob duties: Technical medical writer write about a wide range of healthcare and medicine-related topics. They also produce medical education materials, articles, white papers and journal articles.Requirements: Bachelor's Degree in English, Communications, Journalism or a related field is the minimum requirement.

6. Program coordinator

National average salary: $43,745 per yearJob duties: Program coordinators handle administrative and human resources tasks, organize and execute health-related programs within the company or organization in which they work and create and implement procedures and policies. They also manage program budgets.Requirements: Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration or a related field is typically required. Some organizations may hire program coordinators with only an associate degree and experience.Read more: Learn About Being a Program Coordinator

7. Health information technician

National average salary: $44,848 per yearJob duties: Health information technicians collect and document patient healthcare data including diagnostic test results, medical history, symptoms and treatments. They also organize and manage health information data.Requirements: Associate degree accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). Many employers also require health information technicians to be Registered Health Information Technicians (RHIT) or Registered Health Information Administrators (RHIA), which can be accomplished by passing an exam offered by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

8. Outreach specialist

National average salary: $48,468 per yearJob duties: Outreach specialists conduct public surveys and collect data related to the social and health needs of the community. They also organize and collaborate with other organizations to provide health-related education, counseling and treatments and oversee other public health staff.Requirements: Bachelor's Degree in Public Health or a related field is often the minimum requirement for this job.

9. Nutritionist

National average salary: $52,515 per yearJob duties: Nutritionists provide nutritional counseling to clients, create nutrition treatment plans and provide education to the public regarding nutritional issues. They often work with a team of health care professionals to develop nutritional management strategies for patients and research the effects of nutrition.Requirements: A minimum of a bachelor's degree in a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), as well as a license to work as a licensed nutritionist, is required.Read more: Learn About Being a Nutritionist

10. Social worker

National average salary: $58,443 per yearJob duties: Social workers assess clients' situations and provide help and assistance when needed. They gather information related to clients and their families, provide crisis intervention and assist clients who are impacted by domestic violence, mental health, neglect and child abuse.Requirements: Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Psychology or a related field is the minimum requirement for this position.

11. Emergency services manager

National average salary: $63,053 per yearJob duties: Emergency services managers plan and direct crisis management activities, prepare disaster response and educate companies and/or individuals on how to act in case of emergency. They also train individuals on disaster preparedness, create emergency procedures and plans for all disasters including natural, wartime and technological disasters.Requirements: Bachelor's degree and several years of experience working in disaster planning, public administration or a related field are required for this position.

12. Community service officer

National average salary: $64,330 per yearJob duties: Community service officers provide support for crime prevention and investigation and assist the police in maintaining and upholding law and order. They serve subpoenas. Issue parking tickets, investigate traffic accidents and provide traffic control.Requirements: A minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent is required. Many federal agencies also require individuals to have completed some college coursework.

13. Microbiologist

National average salary: $66,468 per yearJob duties: Microbiologists study microorganisms like viruses, fungi, parasites and bacteria. They assess how organisms cause environmental damage and disease within a community and work with genetics, biotechnology and other sophisticated means to perform duties. Microbiologists review current scientific literature to remain up-to-date on scientific advancements and consult with health industry stakeholders and government agencies regarding findings.Requirements: Most jobs as a microbiologist require a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Biology, Microbiology or a related field.

14. Public health nurse

National average salary: $67,223 per yearJob duties: Public health nurses analyze current health trends to determine risk factors for certain communities and coordinate with local, state and federal agencies to improve health services access for communities. They also create and implement health-related education programs and activities and provide health care services to at-risk communities.Requirements: Most public health nurses are registered nurses (RNs) and hold a Master's Degree in Nursing (MSN) or a Master's Degree in Public Health (MPH).

15. Professor

National average salary: $67,491 per yearJob duties: Professors deliver lectures to students related to public health and design course plans and lessons to help students learn about public health. They participate and conduct research in public health and perform administrative duties within the public health department of an academic institute.Requirements: Four-year colleges require professors to have a Doctorate in Public Health or a related field. Some community colleges require a minimum of a Master of Public Health (MPH).

16. Health care administrator

National average salary: $68,444 per yearJob duties: Health care administrators manage medical office supplies stock, create work schedules for health care employees and inform and teach employees new procedures and policies. They also keep patient medical records up-to-date and organized and ensure all departments comply with health care regulations and laws.Requirements: Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Health Care Administration or a related field, as well as several years of experience in hospital/medical administration, is typically required.

17. Environmental scientist

National average salary: $69,707 per yearJob duties: Environment scientists research to identify and control issues that affect public health and the environment. They collect and analyze various data including water, air and soil samples and develop strategies to prevent or fix environmental issues such as poor water quality and air pollution. Environmental scientists also prepare reports on findings to share with public health stakeholders and organizations.Requirements: Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Science or a related field is the minimum requirement.

18. Program manager

National average salary: $73,504 per yearJob duties: Program managers manage the budget of public health programs and oversee multiple projects within a public health program. They also provide guidance to project managers and make sure that project goals correspond with program goals.Requirements: Bachelor's Degree in Business Management or a related field.Read more: Learn About Being a Program Manager

19. Systems analyst

National average salary: $79,756 per yearJob duties: Systems analysts write and manage software used by researchers, hospitals and clinics. They research biotechnology, biology, medical informatics, and related fields as well as design databases to process and analyze biological data. They also create and track workflow metrics for variant detection and sequencing.Requirements: Most systems analysts have a Master's Degree in Statistics or a related field. Some organizations may hire individuals with related experience and a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or similar.

20. Statistician

National average salary: $84,533 per yearJob duties: Statisticians create experiments, surveys and polls to collect data related to public health. They analyze data and draw up conclusions based on interpretations, determine the most appropriate data needed to answer questions/problems related to public health and use data to improve public health conditions.Requirements: Some entry-level jobs will allow a minimum of a bachelor's degree. However, most statisticians hold a Master's Degree in Statistics or a related field.

21. Epidemiologist

National average salary: $85,183 per yearJob duties: Epidemiologists create and direct studies related to public health issues and determine ways to prevent public health problems. They develop treatment for public health issues when they arise, collect and analyze data related to the causes of diseases and pan public health programs and monitor their progress and impact. They also research illnesses, disease and sicknesses within the community.Requirements: A minimum of a Master's Degree in Epidemiology or a related field is typically required.

22. Nurse educator

National average salary: $88,419 per yearJob duties: Nurse educators teach new nurses about current health regulations and standards and develop and teach new academic curricula related to health to nursing students. They also oversee the clinical work of nursing students and work with academic institutions and health organizations to update and improve health-related education resources.Requirements: Bachelor's Degree in Nursing, registered nurse (RN) license and a nursing master's degree are typically the minimum requirements.

23. Database administrator

National average salary: $92,871 per yearJob duties: Database administrators identify the best way to store and organize data according to user needs. They maintain data security by overseeing backup strategies, privileges and access and nstall and setup database management software. They diagnose database performance issues, train employees and users on how to use new database systems, assess new database technology and present findings to management.Requirements: A minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or a related field is required. Some database administrator positions require a Master's Degree in Information Technology or similar.

24. Occupational health and safety manager

National average salary: $96,181 per yearJob duties: Occupational health and safety managers monitor health and safety risks in the workplace, train employees on how to manage and improve safety and health standards and practices at work and create company policies aimed at preventing on-the-job accidents. They implement post-injury procedures for employees who have been injured at work, maintain and report safety performance and identify ways to improve performance.Requirements: An Associate or Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Human Health or a related field is required.

25. Principal scientist /investigator

National average salary: $148,466 per yearJob duties: Principal scientists/ investigators act as lead researchers for grant projects related to the public health field. They oversee and execute funded projects and carry out the project's financial plan as outlined in the funded proposal.Requirements: Doctorate in Public Health or a related field is required.

Top 25 Public Health Careers (with Salaries and Job Descriptions)