6 High Paying Public Health Jobs

While any job in medicine can be personally rewarding, working in the public health sector offers you the opportunity to make a real difference for public health everywhere.

And at the same time, there are financial rewards to working in public health. Here are a few of the highest paid jobs you can get while working in public health.

Health educator

These important public health workers are tasked with training people about wellness, nutrition, and overall health. Community health workers may also collect data to help governments make better decisions about how to serve certain populations.

Health educators work in schools, hospitals, nonprofits, businesses, with softgel manufacturers,  and in colleges. Some work entirely on their own or part time as consultants.

How to get there: A bachelor’s degree in any health related field and a Certified Health Education Specialist credential will make you highly sought after in this field.

Salary: Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a health educator is just over $54,000 per year.

Epidemiologist

Epidemiologists look for disease, tracking down the causes and preventing outbreaks before they start. They work in research, policy making, and in education, and they have an important part in influencing public policy. Epidemiologists work in government, colleges and universities, and in research facilities worldwide.

How to get there: This job requires more advanced education, including a master’s degree or higher in epidemiology or public health.

Salary: The average yearly salary is around $70,000 per year.

Environmental scientist

Environmental scientists can be involved in reclaiming land and soil from pollutants, collecting data to build public health policies, and active monitoring for environmental hazards. They work primarily for governments on the local, state, or even federal level. They also work in labs, as research assistants, as consultants to businesses, or for non-profits.

How to get there: To work as an environmental scientist, you’ll need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in engineering, public health, biology, or the environmental sciences. More advanced positions require a master’s degree or higher.

Salary: The modern environmental scientist makes a median wage of just under $71,000 per year, but this can vary by experience, education, and place of employment.

Biostatistician

For the mathematically inclined, work as a public health statistician can be very rewarding. Biostatisticians design surveys and experiments to collect, analyze, and comment on data that’s crucial to public health issues. Most biostatisticians work in research and development, in government positions, or in education.

How to get there: Some jobs only require a bachelor’s degree, but the highest level biostatistician jobs will require a master’s degree in statistics or mathematics.

Salary: Biostatisticians can expect to make around $82,000 per year.

Health and safety engineer

A health and safety engineer makes working environments safer by designing systems and procedures for dealing with specific situations. 

Health and safety engineers are also tasked with identifying hazards, investigating accidents, and helping companies stay in compliance with laws. They mostly work in construction, in labs and technical service environments, or for government agencies.

How to get there: You’ll need a degree in public health or occupational hygiene to advance in this field. Once you have your bachelor’s degree, experience is the most important springboard into the best jobs.

Salary: The average salary for health and safety is $89,000 per year, although it depends on location, experience, and training.

Healthcare administrator

An administrator is part of the vital support system behind successful clinics, private doctor’s offices, hospitals, and public health centers. The administrator’s role is to make sure patients are being served and getting the best quality healthcare in the most efficient way.

Healthcare administrators may work for private clinics, public or private hospitals, with a group of physicians, at nursing homes, or in government positions.

How to get there: There are many health-related bachelor degrees that will help you get started in this field, including Health Leadership and other Allied Health degrees. Some states may require you to get a license, but this is not always necessary. Salary: The average healthcare administrator makes around $99,000 a year, depending on education, experience, and the size of the practice they serve.