Career Outlook

Achieve a successful public health career

Public health emphasizes disease and injury prevention rather than treatment. Our program ensures you’re ready to create conditions that support and help improve the health of individuals and communities.

MPH career growth

Growing disparities in access to public health services, expanded interests in preventive care and healthy lifestyles, and an increasing focus on treating substance abuse as a health issue are all examples of the intensified demand for knowledgeable and properly trained public health professionals. Because the planning and execution of public health programs and initiatives can be complex, the field requires highly educated professionals with strong health research abilities in combination with skills in assessment, implementation, analysis, evaluation and communication.

The World Health Organization estimates a projected shortfall of 10 million health workers by 2030, mostly in low- and lower-middle income countries. However, all countries, to varying degrees, face difficulties in the education, and employment of their workforce.

Public health jobs

A few examples of fields and jobs that public health graduates can consider include:

Position	Median Annual Salary	Description
Biostatistician	$82,519	Biostatisticians use statistical and mathematical methods to design and analyze public health issues.
Emergency Management Director	$83,960	The growing field of emergency preparedness involves creating plans for communities to respond to disasters and other emergencies.
Environmental Scientist	$78,980	Environmental health science involves preventing disease by monitoring threats to the food supply, air, water and other environmental factors. Specific career applications include industrial hygiene, hazardous substances management, occupational health and toxicology.
Epidemiologist	$81,390	Epidemiologists track the distribution and severity of diseases as well as how to prevent them.
Medical and Health Services Manager	$110,680	Health management administrators handle managerial responsibilities such as planning, policy formation and analysis, and marketing.
Health Educator	$62,860	Health promotion and education requires a comprehensive understanding of the complex factors affecting health in families, communities and populations as well as effective instructional, outreach and communication strategies.

Salaries are based on 2024 calculations from Payscale (biostatistician only) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Public health career sectors

Jobs in public health are extremely varied. Some involve fieldwork and community interaction while others are office-based.

• Private sector: The private sector is a large source for jobs at health care facilities, insurance companies or pharmaceutical companies.
• Public sector: In the public and government sectors, MPH graduates can find opportunities in health departments, community clinics and agencies with disaster preparedness and emergency planning responsibilities.
• Nonprofit: The nonprofit sector is home to organizations that focus on particular issues or populations, such as LGBTQ individuals; mothers; or certain illnesses, such as diabetes or heart disease.
• Academia: Some public health professionals go into academia to perform research or teach public health students.