10 Emerging Public Health Careers

• Public health professionals provide essential community services to specific groups of people.
• Health crises highlight the need for educational and preventive public health services.
• Many careers in public health boast lucrative salaries and above-average projected growth.
• Health educator, biostatistician, and epidemiologist are a few emerging health careers.

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated just how important public health services are to society. Such services are vital to support vulnerable groups in the community and policies that promote healthy environments and communities. It's no surprise then, that most public health careers are seeing accelerated growth.

A degree in public health can open career opportunities in education, healthcare, and epidemiology. Many public health jobs require a bachelor's degree in public health or a similar subject, but some jobs require a master's degree.

In this guide, we'll cover some of the most popular emerging public health jobs.

What Are Emerging Public Health Jobs?

What exactly is an emerging public health job? Many careers in public health are expected to grow faster than the average of all occupations over the next decade. This is what we classify as an emerging public health job — an occupation that is projected to see considerable growth.

Most careers in the public health field involve keeping communities safe through preventative and educational services. Careers range from research-oriented roles like clinical research scientists to applied healthcare roles like public health nurse. Keep reading to learn more about public health jobs.

1. Health Promotion and Education Specialist

• Projected Job Growth (2022-2032): 7%
• Number of Jobs (2022): 60,400
• Median Salary (May 2022): $59,990
• Minimum Education Required: Bachelor's degree
• License/Certification: Some employers may prefer or require certification

A health promotion and education specialist works on specific projects to prevent disease and risk factors. These specialists also develop and implement public health policies. You may work one-on-one with patients in healthcare facilities or work in nonprofits to create programs to educate the community and spread awareness about health or specific diseases.

In public health departments, these specialists develop campaigns on such issues as emergency preparation, immunizations, chronic disease prevention, and nutrition. The role requires strong interpersonal skills and project management. This career may suit you if you're interested in serving the public's well-being through educating and spreading awareness.

2. Occupational Health and Safety Specialist

• Projected Job Growth (2022-2032): 13%
• Number of Jobs (2022): 113,800
• Median Salary (May 2022): $78,570
• Minimum Education Required: Bachelor's degree
• License/Certification: Some employers may prefer or require certification

If you have a passion for health safety, consider a career as an occupational health specialist. Occupational health and safety specialists work to evaluate workplace health and safety to ensure organizations are complying with government safety regulations and keeping employees safe.

You may develop and conduct employee training programs on how to use safety equipment and what to do in the event of an emergency. You will also investigate incidents to identify their causes and recommend solutions to prevent the same incidents in the future.

3. Biostatistician

• Projected Job Growth (2022-2032): 32%
• Number of Jobs (2022): 33,300
• Median Salary (May 2022): $84,930
• Minimum Education Required: Master's degree
• License/Certification: Not required

Biostatisticians apply mathematics and statistics to find patterns in public health. You use math to help design clinical trials, develop methodologies for collecting data, and draw conclusions from data to inform public health policy.

This role could be a good fit if you possess strong analytical and math skills and are comfortable analyzing data each day. You should also be self-motivated and comfortable working independently.

4. Epidemiologist

• Projected Job Growth (2022-2032): 27%
• Number of Jobs (2022): 10,000
• Median Salary (May 2022): $78,520
• Minimum Education Required: Master's degree
• License/Certification: Not required

Epidemiologists direct studies of public health epidemics and communicate findings to policymakers and the public. Applied epidemiologists work for state and local governments, while research epidemiologists often work for universities or federal agencies like the National Institute of Health.

In this field, you usually specialize in one or more areas of public health, such as infectious disease, maternal health, or even veterinary epidemiology. You should have strong communication and analytics skills, as well as a passion for helping people.

5. Social and Community Health Manager

• Projected Job Growth (2022-2032): 9%
• Number of Jobs (2022): 178,400
• Median Salary (May 2022): $74,240
• Minimum Education Required: Bachelor's degree
• License/Certification: Not required

A social and community health manager works with stakeholders to create programs designed to improve community social conditions, spread awareness about public health issues, and promote public well-being.

You may focus on a specific demographic or on addressing a particular health challenge. Writing funding proposals may also be a part of the job. This role may be a good fit if you enjoy working directly with your community, with the goal of improving overall health and mitigating health issues.

6. Medical and Health Services Manager

• Projected Job Growth (2022-2032): 28%
• Number of Jobs (2022): 509,500
• Median Salary (May 2022): $104,830
• Minimum Education Required: Bachelor's degree
• License/Certification: Some states require licensure

A medical and health services manager works to improve the efficiency and quality of healthcare services. In this role, you hire, train, and lead staff members in carrying out health services.

Some specific roles in this field include working as a nursing home administrator, clinical manager, and health information manager. If you're interested in leading a team and managing the daily operations of a healthcare facility, this role could be a great match.

7. Clinical Research Scientist

• Projected Job Growth (2022-2032): 10%
• Number of Jobs (2022): 119,000
• Median Salary (May 2022): $99,930
• Minimum Education Required: Doctoral or professional degree
• License/Certification: Not required

A clinical research scientist designs and conducts studies to learn more about how to prevent and treat diseases. You may analyze medical samples, find standards for drug dosages, and create and test medical procedures. You may need to take classes in statistics and epidemiology to prepare for this role.

You may also write grant proposals and articles to support your research and training goals. Many programs allow you to specialize in a specific area, such as pharmacology, pathology, or toxicology. If you're interested in hands-on experiences and having a direct impact in medical research, consider becoming a clinical research scientist.

8. Healthcare Consultant

• Projected Job Growth (2022-2032): 10%
• Number of Jobs (2022): 987,600
• Median Salary (May 2022): $95,290
• Minimum Education Required: Bachelor's degree
• License/Certification: Not required

Healthcare consultants often act as management analysts. You help healthcare providers expand their services and recommend changes to organizational procedures. You typically work contractually and help organizations make the changes needed to run their business efficiently before moving on to the next project.

If you're interested in improving the efficiency of systems, analyzing management, and working hand-in-hand with healthcare organizations, you could make a great healthcare consultant.

9. Emergency Management Director

• Projected Job Growth (2022-2032): 3%
• Number of Jobs (2022): 11,800
• Median Salary (May 2022): $79,180
• Minimum Education Required: Bachelor's degree
• License/Certification: Some states require certification

Emergency management directors assess risk and prepare plans for emergencies and disasters. You organize and train staff and first responders and coordinate the distribution of resources throughout a community during disaster and emergency response.

Emergency management directors who work in hospital settings may be referred to as continuity managers. In this role, your focus would be on helping hospitals maintain operations during and after an emergency. If coordinating first responders and disaster relief efforts sounds interesting to you, consider becoming an emergency management director.

10. Public Health Nurse

• Projected Job Growth (2022-2032): 6%*
• Number of Jobs (2022): 3,172,500*
• Median Salary (May 2022): $81,220*
• Minimum Education Required: Bachelor's degree
• License/Certification: Licensure is required

Editorial note: Figures marked with an asterisk symbol (*) represent data for all RNs, not just public health nurses.

A public health nurse uses knowledge from nursing and public health to promote the health and wellbeing of populations. You may identify and provide care for those who may not pursue care but pose a risk to themselves and the community, such as in cases with infectious diseases.

If you're interested in applying clinical knowledge to public health and want to help people suffering from various illnesses and diseases, a career as a public health nurse may be well suited for you.

Is Public Health a Good Career?

Pursuing a career in public health can allow you to make a difference in the health of entire communities. Public health workers focus primarily on preventive care and use education, science, and collected data to improve health outcomes and positively impact people's lives.

The field of public health features many stable, in-demand jobs in a variety of settings. You can pursue public health careers that focus on areas like math, biology, public policy, or business, finding an area that matches your personal strengths and interests.

Frequently Asked Questions About Public Health Careers

Note: The insights on this page — excluding school descriptions — were reviewed by an independent third party compensated for their time by BestColleges. Page last reviewed March 14, 2024.