Career Paths

The community health program offers students the chance to prepare for exciting public health careers – some which they have yet to imagine! Say “health professional” and most people think doctor, dentist, nurse. Say “public health professional” and individuals often pause. One reason is the invisible nature of much public health work – when it is working well, we tend not to notice it. Another reason is the wide variety of professions that aim to promote and protect the health of all people.

Public health career paths typically fall into 7 main categories, according to the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials*:

Infectious and communicable disease control
Chronic disease and injury prevention
Environmental public health
Maternal, child, and family health
Access to and linkages with clinical care, including public health nursing and nutrition sciences
Laboratory sciences
Program administration, grants management and finance, and executive leadership

The positions below are a sampling of occupations in the public health workforce and the types of work they do. Some roles require a bachelor’s degree; others, a master’s degree or more. Some jobs call for strong “people” skills, while others rely more heavily on technical competences:

Public Health Nurse prevents illness and promotes community health and safety; reviews health trends, identifies risk factors, and improves access to health services	Health Informaticist works at the intersection of data and health, applying technology and information systems to public health practice and research
Epidemiologist applies science and statistics in analyzing public health data, to detect and monitor outbreaks and to determine causes of illness and injury	Behavioral Health Manager directs programs that improve a community’s quality of life, addressing mental health, substance use disorders, and social functioning
Health Educator provides outreach, education, and program oversight to advance community health and wellness, principally through sharing health information	Health Policy Analyst engages in research and data analysis to support health decision-making, by identifying concerns and recommending solutions
Health Inspector scrutinizes everyday systems to assure food safety and promote environmental wellbeing, especially in terms of water or air quality	Occupational Health and Safety Specialist identifies and manages workplace hazards to protect employee health and wellbeing
Community Health Worker connects people to health and social services, relying upon their trusting relationships and embeddedness in the local community culture	Environmental Scientist analyzes data at the intersection of human health and the environment, often for the purpose of pollution or waste management
Emergency Preparedness Coordinator oversees the advancement of a jurisdiction’s readiness, response, and recovery for crises with major health impacts	Lab Technologist performs the practical hands-on work in laboratories, including testing that supports monitoring and improving public health outcomes

The outlook for public health careers and salaries is very good, as illustrated below by 2024 data of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.** Moreover, in its January 2025 assessment, the U.S. Government Accountability Office*** concluded that critical gaps exist between today’s public health workforce and what the country requires. The public health workforce faces shortages in occupations such as nursing, epidemiology, and financial administration; skills such as leadership and informatics and data analysis; and places such as rural communities and southern states. Demands during public health emergencies further widen these gaps.

	Community Health Workers median annual salary of $51,030 13% anticipated 10-year hiring rate increase
	Epidemiologists median annual salary of $83,980 19% anticipated 10-year hiring rate increase
	Health Education Specialists median annual salary of $63,000 7% anticipated 10-year hiring rate increase
	Environmental Scientists median annual salary of $80,060 7% anticipated 10-year hiring rate increase

To learn more about public health careers today, please use the following resources:

_{*Public Health Careers.org. Areas in Public Health. Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. https://www.publichealthcareers.org/areas-in-public-health.html}_{**U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/}_{***Government Accountability Office. (2025). Public Health Preparedness: HHS and Jurisdictions have Taken Some Steps to Address Challenging Workforce Gaps. GAO-25-107002. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107002}

Career Paths

Career Paths

Professional Categories

Sample Occupations

Labor Market Outlook

Job Search Databases