Protecting, preventing, and implementing public health policies to lessen suffering among people are the main goals of public health. The effects of infectious diseases and natural calamities are also covered. Its ultimate objective is to raise people’s quality of life by giving them access to sufficient healthcare resources and services so they can lead long, healthy lives. The public healthcare sector, which consists of many different disciplines, works to safeguard the interests of global health. The COVID-19 epidemic, which has an influence on billions of lives worldwide, has underlined the sector’s vital role despite the fact that it has made various noteworthy contributions.
So, considering public health’s current importance and relevance, pursuing a career in this field offers promising opportunities. With the right training and experience, you can explore various captivating public health roles that allow you to contribute to humanity and offer lucrative pay. With that in mind, here are some well-paying public health careers for those with a public health degree.
1.Public Health Nurse
A public healthcare nurse is responsible for concentrating on the population’s health, including preventing disability and contagious diseases and enhancing general health. These medical professionals work in public schools, universities, nursing homes, hospitals, community health centers, and other healthcare-based organizations. They are responsible for determining the overall healthcare needs of a population, carrying out interventions, and promoting individual healthcare best practices to prevent mishaps, illnesses, impairments, and other healthcare issues.
Having said that, you must earn a BSN degree before pursuing a bachelor’s in public health if you want to work as a nurse in the public healthcare system. However, to increase your chances of employment, you can then enroll in a masters in public health online degree.
2.Public Health Manager
Public healthcare managers, also known as public healthcare administrators, oversee medical facilities such as clinics, hospitals, and the public healthcare system as a whole. They ensure that these medical facilities’ operations remain as cost-effective, efficient, and profitable as possible. Additional duties of a healthcare manager include supporting and managing staff, hiring healthcare personnel, training recruits, and more.
To work as a public healthcare manager, you must have a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration. You can also obtain a master’s degree in the same field to increase your chances of employment at a reputable medical facility.
The employment of health managers is expected to grow by around 28% by 2031. So, expect to earn more in the foreseeable future.
3.Community/ Social Services Manager
A community and social services manager typically works with charity and governmental groups to gather key data for health initiatives. They strive to guarantee these initiatives’ success in addressing the community’s needs via their devoted effort. A medical facility’s understanding of how the implemented health program affects the target population is aided by community and social services managers to evaluate the statistics that have been acquired.
A bachelor’s or master’s degree in business administration, social work, public health, or a closely related discipline is often necessary for people desiring to become community and social services managers. Despite the complexity of their job, their educational background gives them the knowledge and experience they need to successfully manage social services and community programs.
4.Public Health Consultant
Public health consultants offer guidance to other professionals in the field as well as to state and local public health officials. They are in charge of evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of their consulting services. These services include those that address drug abuse, pregnancy and children’s health, health screening, and health education. To be considered for this job, applicants must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in public health. But if you also have a Ph.D., your chances of landing a job will increase tenfold.
According to PayScale, the average yearly salary for a public health consultant is around $74,932. But for public health experts with nine to five years of experience, the mean yearly income is above $100,000.
5.Public Health Educator
Public healthcare educators must create health campaigns and programs to address particular health and safety concerns. They may have a title that permits them to educate the general public about healthcare even while they do higher-level administrative tasks like gathering data and creating strategies. Governments at the municipal, state, and federal levels, as well as for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations, use the programs and data that have been obtained to improve the health of the general populace.
Aspiring individuals must obtain a bachelor’s in public health or any other related field to work as a public health educator. Such a degree program must cover topics such as community health and public health, at least. A healthcare educator generally makes around $66,710 per year, according to the BLS.
6.Biomedical Researcher
Biomedical research aims to identify treatments and safeguards against diseases that can sicken and even kill individuals. Every biomedical researcher’s ultimate goal is to find medications and cures and provide the best possible care to patients. Clinical trials are used to examine therapies’ effectiveness, usefulness, and safety.
To apply for a job as a biomedical researcher, you must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a science-related discipline, such as bioengineering, biomedical sciences, biology, chemistry, or neuroscience. Furthermore, a degree in public health will also work.
Pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, development companies, labs, diagnostic centers, and labs typically hire biomedical researchers.
The Final Words
Public health is a challenging field where you can make a huge difference. The scope of public health spans from preventing diseases to training people to make healthy food choices. It also includes services that help people recently exposed to diseases to lead healthier lives.
While working in public health has its own set of challenges and obstacles, you can play your part by choosing a career in this field. The best way to start is by obtaining a public health degree. This will give you a foundation in the key areas of public health and an in-depth understanding of the field. Then, once you have the right academic background, you can go on and apply for any of the career opportunities shared in this article.
