Careers in Public Health

The field of public health is a great degree to pursue a wide variety of jobs. Whether you want to work in an academic institution, a nonprofit, a governmental agency, a trade association, a think tank, a private company, or somewhere else, there is a place for you!

By Samantha Bockoven — October 19, 2022

Tags: career, college life, general info, major, public health

If you read my previous article, you know that jobs in the field of public health are not only essential but very rewarding. What you may not know is that this field is rapidly growing, which means there are also plenty of job opportunities. Have you ever wondered what you might do for a career in public health? I did too. After pursuing this degree, I have worked various jobs and gained vast experience. From international travel to clinic management—public health has it all. This article expands on several areas of public health you may pursue as a career.

Environmental Health

Did you know that where you live can affect your overall health? Environmental factors such as air pollution, poor water quality, soil contamination, and food chemical exposure can significantly affect your community's health outcomes. For example, in Flint, Michigan, the water supply changed to being sourced from the Flint River. Due to inadequate piping infrastructure, lead and other contaminants continue to seep into the drinking water. This lack of filtration ongoingly causes numerous effects for marginalized community members, including behavioral health issues and impacts on reproduction.

A career in this field identifies, analyzes, and studies the impacts of these exposures while also working to reduce harm through interventions and policy advocacy. Jobs in this area include environmental health advocates, air pollution specialists, health inspectors, toxicologists, groundwater protection specialists, and more.

Public Health Policy

One way to create change is to focus on laws and policies at the local, state, territorial, and federal levels. By advocating for policy change based on statistical evidence, you can help improve health all over. For example, advocating for tobacco-free zones in your neighborhood to protect those who do not smoke from secondhand inhalation or advocating for more sidewalks to be put into your neighborhood to increase exercise. Jobs include health policy manager, policy analyst, healthcare researcher, political coordinator, or health legislative aid.

Biostatistics and Epidemiology

Do you like data and numbers? If so, this could be a good area for you. You can learn to design research studies, gather data, and analyze the results. For example, biostatistics can gather data from experimental trials for new medications and analyze the results to see whether the medication is effective and safe. If you are interested in investigative work, the field of epidemiology is also a great career route. Perhaps multiple people on your campus reported getting sick with E. coli. An Epidemiologist can look for the source of the E. coli by tracing where those students were the last few days and what they ate. By finding out the common factor, they can eliminate the source to ensure no one else gets sick. Jobs in this area include: data analysis, epidemiologist, academic researcher, public health coordinator, biostatistician, or clinical trials researcher.

Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness

Would you know how to respond if a natural or man-made disaster came to your area? Those who work in disaster management and emergency preparedness specialize in looking out for threats of disasters, preparing the individuals and businesses in their community, responding when the disaster happens, and helping the community recover. Jobs include: disaster relief specialist, member of an emergency disaster response team, logistics management specialist, preparedness coordinator or educator, or working for FEMA.

International Health

International health workers address public health issues seen around the globe. Similar to working within a nearby community, public health employees identify problems to develop and implement programs and policies to ensure better health outcomes for the underserved population. Through collaboration with the community, they also use innovative and culturally appropriate solutions to these problems that will work within the culture and with the available resources. Jobs include: public health practitioners, policymakers, scientists, international aid specialists, development officers, global health educators, and community health workers.

Health Promotion and Education

An effective way to influence a population's health is through education. For example, suppose your community has a high prevalence of diabetes. In that case, you can implement health programs that educate that population on properly controlling their diabetes through medication compliance, diet, and exercise. You could also develop preventative programs and teach the population about lifestyle changes they could make if they are at risk of developing diabetes. Jobs in this area would be program development and management, outreach specialist, director of family health services, health educator, program analyst, or academic policy advisor.

Social and Behavioral Health

True health is not just physical but also includes mental and social well-being. This area of work looks at how different factors like behavior, culture or social status affect your health. By finding out what factors could influence health through community assessment and evaluation, programs can be implemented that address the disparities and inequalities. Careers would include: working in programming for the public health department, working in addiction or treatment centers, being a patient advocate, social worker, and mental health consultant.

As you can see, the field of public health is a great degree to pursue a wide variety of jobs. Whether you want to work in an academic institution, a nonprofit, a governmental agency, a trade association, a think tank, a private company, or somewhere else, there is a place for you!

Samantha Bockoven

Samantha Bockoven graduated from Villanova University in 2019 with a degree in Peace and Justice and a minor in Global Health. She went on to get her master’s in public health with a concentration in disaster health and emergency preparedness. Since then, she has worked in a variety of public health jobs in the United States and around the world.

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