The public health sector is one of the largest and fastest-growing sectors in the United States. Even with technological advancements, the sector continues to have a high demand for workers. This has made public health one of the few sectors that you can find the highest paying and specialized jobs.
Are you wondering what career path to choose with a degree in public health? Public health offers a wide range of career options – ranging from research, management, clinical care, academics, to administration.
Here are some of the best career options in the public health sector:
Policy Analyst
Public health workers play a significant role in maintaining global and national health. This is why the job of a policy analyst is an important role in the public health sector.
Policy analysts are the stand-in between the government and the people. They ensure that government policies favor health at both national and global levels. Policy analysts also study trends, health issues, and programs, then report back to the government to facilitate better public health policy formulation. They also help organizations interpret public health laws, ensuring that stakeholders always have the bigger picture in mind.
To have a career as a public analyst in public health, a person must have a master’s in public health or a doctorate, especially if you want to have a successful career. It’ll also help if the person has a political science degree for a better understanding of the political system.
Most times, policy analysts are required to have years of experience to pursue a career in public health. With a median pay of USD$114,290, this is easily one of the highest paying jobs in the public health sector.
Epidemiologists
Epidemiologists research the causes of diseases and injuries among populations to reduce adverse health outcomes. By recognizing patterns and existing data, they can study, research, form favorable policies, and educate the public. They also perform the important role of communicating research findings to the public and policymakers. As an epidemiologist, you can work with hospital research organizations and even the government.
People who want a career in this line have to obtain a master’s degree in either epidemiology or any other related and relevant public health programs. An epidemiologist is also required to have good communication skills, paying attention to details, and critical thinking skills.
Epidemiologists receive a median salary of USD$69,660, which makes it one of the highest paying jobs in the public health sector.
Health Scientist
Health scientists are as important as epidemiologists because they also research to ensure safe public health. They perform several roles ranging from community surveys and interviews, laboratory research, to field research and finding solutions to global health issues and concerns.
Health scientists conduct scientific studies, analyzing data and results, and reporting findings to the government and other stakeholders. They also develop new methodologies and are always at the forefront and background of public health issues.
People who want to pursue careers as health scientists will need a minimum of bachelor’s degree in public and other related fields, such as social science and biostatistics. Nonetheless, having a master’s degree and a wealth of experience can give you an edge in career advancement as a health scientist.
The median salary for a health scientist is between USD$80,000 and USD$100,000.
Public Health Attorney
Contrary to popular belief, not all jobs in the healthcare industry are medical-related. One such job is a public health attorney.
Public health attorneys work with government at local, state, and national levels to develop policies, pass laws, and set regulations on public health standards. Public health attorneys can also pursue a career by representing victims of medical malpractice and slamming lawsuits against companies that violate public health laws and standards.
To become a public health attorney, a person must have a Juris degree from an accredited law school. Besides, taking course works or specializing in public health law is also necessary for someone who wants to become a public health attorney.
The median salary of a public health attorney is USD$120,910.
Health and Safety Engineer
Pursuing a career in health and safety engineering is as important as any other job in the public health sector. Health and safeguard engineers are in charge of developing systems for public safety to prevent people from getting injuries and falling sick.
Health and Safety engineers work by using their combined knowledge of engineering and public health safety to make sure products (both tangible and intangible) are safe for public consumption and use.
This is actually one of the easiest jobs to get in the public health sector because it requires no work experience to start, and people applying for the job only need a minimum of bachelor’s degree.
Health and Safety engineers work with government agencies, construction sites, and other technical service companies. The median salary for health and safety engineers is USD$76,830.
Community Service and Social Service Managers
Community and social services managers are in charge of supervising and coordinating community and social services programs. They usually work for government or facilities that focus on taking care of the vulnerable, such as children, seniors, and veterans, among others. They may also work specifically to help people with social or community challenges, such as mental illness, providing shelter for the homeless, and solving other social public health issues.
To pursue a career as a community or social service manager, you need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in public health or other related fields. The job also requires applicants to have at least five years of on-hand experience.
The median salary of a social or community service manager is $59,970.
Computer and Information System Managers
Computer and information managers are at the helm affairs in the public healthcare industry. They coordinate and maintain all computer and information systems for the health care industries or companies where they work.
Computer and information managers are also in charge of setting the ICT goals of the organizations and devising ways of how to achieve those goals. They’re in charge of keeping public health data safe, update system software, and installing new information and communication systems.
People looking forward to a career in this field will need to be an IT manager first to get a chance of becoming a computer and information system manager. Fortunately, there has been an increasing demand for computer and information managers, especially since most organizations and other stakeholders have gone digital.
The median salary of a computer and information manager ranges from USD$85,300 to USD$208,000.
Conclusion
The public health sector is one of the few sectors that you can find several great career options. They also hold some of the highest paying jobs in America.
The list above shows some of the career options to explore for people who want to pursue a career in public health. From epidemiologists, public health attorneys, information, and computer system managers, the list is endless.
Andrie Steliou
Latest posts by Andrie Steliou (see all)
- 8 Ways to Help Keep Your Child Focused and Engaged in Online Learning - October 19, 2022
- How to Improve Social Intelligence Skills? - May 10, 2022
- How to Improve Organizational Skills at Workplace? - May 6, 2022