Highest-Paying Public Health Jobs
Public health is among the fastest-growing healthcare fields because it offers expansive job opportunities, high salary potential, and several career advancement opportunities to those who pursue higher education. But what types of jobs can you get with a public health degree?
We’ve compiled a list of the top ten highest-paying public health jobs. Read on to learn more!
Top 10 Highest Paying Public Health Jobs
1. Public Health Director
- Annual Salary: $121,590 (ZipRecruiter)
- Job Description: Public health directors are a management-level position that oversees and manages the operations of a public health department or agency.
- Requirements: Minimum of a master’s degree in public health
- Top Employers:
- Government agencies
- Federal agencies
- Hospitals
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
2. Health Services Manager/Administrator
- Annual Salary: $117,960 (BLS)
- Job Description: A healthcare administrator’s primary role is to coordinate medical services in a healthcare setting. While some manage entire facilities, they can also direct services for a clinic, department, or independent medical practice.
- Requirements: Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in administration
- Top Employers:
- Pharmaceutical companies
- EMR companies
- Insurance companies
- Healthcare systems
- Retail pharmacies
3. Biostatistician
- Annual Salary: $104,350 (BLS)
- Job Description: Biostatisticians analyze data and apply computational techniques to solve problems.
- Requirements: Minimum of a master’s degree in mathematics or statistics
- Top Employers:
- Tech companies
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Biotechnology companies
- Research institutions
- Government organizations
4. Public Health Lawyer
- Annual Salary: $98,330 (ZipRecruiter)
- Job Description:
- Public health lawyers influence public health improvement through policy changes. Working with individual clients, corporations, and agencies, they advise and advocate for regulations to improve public health on local, state, and national scales.
- Requirements: Minimum of a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree
- Top Employers:
- Law firms
- Government agencies
- CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
- Health Resources and Services Administration
- Non-profit organizations
- Legal aid organizations
5. Global Health Policy Analyst
- Annual Salary: $96,920 (ZipRecruiter)
- Job Description: Global health policy analysts research, analyze, and advise on health policies, particularly those with international implications.
- Requirements: Minimum of a bachelor's degree in public health, public policy, political science, or a related field
- Top Employers:
- World Health Organization
- United Nations
- CDC
- Federal government
- Research Institutions
- Doctors without Borders
- NGOs
- Consulting firms
6. Medical and Health Services Researcher
- Annual Salary: $89,000 (Glassdoor)
- Job Description: Medical and Health Services Researcher designs and conducts studies to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of healthcare services.
- Requirements: Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a science-related field
- Top Employers:
- Academia
- Research-based biopharmaceutical companies
- Government agencies
- Medical device companies
- Insurance companies
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Healthcare consultant firms
- Clinical research organizations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- National Institutes of Health
7. Epidemiologist
- Annual Salary: $83,980 (BLS)
- Job Description: An epidemiologist investigates the patterns and causes of disease and injury. By using research to educate communities and influence health policy, epidemiologists help reduce the risk and occurrence of adverse health outcomes.
- Requirements: Minimum of a master’s degree in public health or a doctoral degree in epidemiology or medicine
- Top Employers:
- CDC
- State governments
- Police departments
- State department of health
- Environmental consulting firms
8. Environmental Health Scientist
- Annual Salary: $80,060 (BLS)
- Job Description: Environmental health scientists participate in and conduct research on how environmental factors affect human health. Their duties include collecting, studying, and reporting on data collected from air, food, water, and other environmental sources, and using their finding to recommend action.
- Requirements: Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a natural science.
- Top Employers:
- State, local, and federal government
- Academia
- Environmental consulting firms
- Engineering firms
- Food supply and distribution companies
9. Occupational Health & Safety Specialist
- Annual Salary: $78,900 (BLS)
- Job Description: Occupational Health and Safety Specialists collect data on, analyze, and design improvements to many types of work environments and procedures.
- Requirements: Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in occupational health and safety or a related field.
- Top Employers:
- Construction companies
- Energy companies
- Manufacturing companies
- Management, scientific, and technical consulting services
- Government agencies
- Healthcare organizations
10. Public Health Consultant
- Annual Salary: $71,182 (ZipRecruiter)
- Job Description: Public health consultants research current health issues while analyzing data needed to identify health risks and outcomes. Also responsible for educating the public and advising the government on health policies.
- Requirements: Minimum of a bachelor's degree in public health, health science, nursing, or a related field.
- Top Employers:
- Consulting firms
- Government agencies
- Nonprofit organizations
- Healthcare organizations
- Research institutions
Types of Public Health Degrees
Bachelor of Public Health (BPH)
The BPH is the lowest level of public health degree. You can earn a BPH by attending a public health program at a four-year university or college. These programs begin with general education studies and progress to focus on public health courses.
Master of Public Health (MPH)
The Master of Public Health degree explores the connection between society and health, and teaches students how to translate science into action. In an MPH program, students will take didactic courses while gaining real-world experience through practicums.
Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
The DrPH is a terminal degree that focuses on leadership, research, teaching, or administration. Primarily, the curriculum focuses on applied skills rather than research alone. Students interested in pursuing administrative and research roles should consider pursuing a DrPH.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Health
A PhD in public health is another terminal public health degree. It focuses on research and academia. This degree is ideal for students who want to pursue careers as scientists or professors.
Public Health Salary Factors
Degree Level
While a bachelor’s degree will get you into the public health field, a graduate degree can help land you the highest-paying public health jobs with better benefits. Earning a master’s or doctoral degree opens the door to higher-paying public health careers in administration, academia, and research.
Experience
Annual wage increases and bonuses are standard in most careers, and public health is no different. Additionally, as you gain experience, you can leverage it in salary negotiations or apply to more lucrative positions with higher experience requirements.
Certifications & Skills
Certifications and special skills make you a more valuable employee, which can lead to a higher public health salary. Some companies may even pay for you to earn certifications. Improving your credentials and enhancing your skill sets can make your resume stand out, support your salary negotiations, or help you get a new, higher-paying job.
Geographic Location and Employer Type
Geographic location has a massive impact on your annual salary. States and cities with higher costs of living will inevitably pay more. However, the best-paying public health jobs in your area can vary based on the employer.
For example, the private sector pays public health professionals more because they are not limited to government regulations and budgets. Government jobs often use a pay scale based on your level of work, with your pay grade remaining constant at each level, no matter where you work. This system locks you into that annual salary until you work your way up the scale and earn corresponding pay raises.
Highest Paying Public Health Industries
Overall, most industries in the public health sector pay relatively well. With advanced degrees, you can easily earn a six-figure salary. Generally speaking, health services managers and administrators, biostatisticians, epidemiologists, public health lawyers, and public health directors earn the highest annual salaries.
Working for the government at the local, state, or federal level may be beneficial in the long term with regard to other benefits beyond salary, such as paid time off, severance pay, and even retirement pensions. Typically, the private sector pays substantially more in all public health fields than academia or the government.
The highest-paying jobs with a public health degree offer comfortable salaries, excellent benefits, and plenty of job satisfaction and security. If you’re interested in learning about other lucrative jobs in healthcare, check out our guide to the 20 highest-paying medical jobs in 2025.
