The 10 highest paying jobs in public health today

“Students continue to show great interest in various areas of public health,” says Toy Draine, director of career services at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. “The program continues to grow and our student population continues to grow.”

For those who are interested in working in public health, here are the 10 highest paying jobs in the field.

10. Director of Public Health

Highest paying companies: Bipartisan Policy Center, Amazon, City of Detroit

Description: Public health directors work for governments at the state or local level to manage public health care organizations and programs. This role creates and manages programs designed to improve the overall well-being of the population. Public health directors address health challenges at the administrative level by consulting with other public health experts, developing budgets, and reviewing data. They also hold hearings on public health issues, create emergency response plans, and report to boards of public health directors.

Remuneration: $93,124 according to Glassdoor.

Highest paying places: Boston, Massachusetts ($121,742), Columbia, South Carolina ($100,783), Minneapolis, Minnesota ($100,076), according to Zippia.

9. Public health advisor

Highest paying companies: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NYC Health+ Hospitals, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Description: Public health advisors offer guidance and advice to government officials on community health. They work with medical and government officials to develop policies to address health problems. Often employed by federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control, they act as a liaison between private medical personnel and the government.

Remuneration: $94,165, according to ZipRecruiter.

According to ZipRecruiter, the highest paying locations: Berkeley, California ($114,003), New York, New York ($109,618), Renton, Washington ($109,289).

8. Inspector for environmental health and safety

Highest paying companies: Trane Technologies, Dunson and Associates, National Composites

Description: Occupational health and safety professionals ensure that organizations comply with environmental regulations and promote safe work practices. They monitor business operations to identify possible threats and create procedures and policies to protect employees. This role may be for a single organization or a contract with multiple organizations.

RemunerationAccording to Indeed: $100,120

Highest paying places: According to Indeed Marlborough, NH ($119,585), Springfield, MO ($109,758), Chicago, IL ($106,263).

7. Scientist

Highest paying companies: NVIDIA, Citizens, Meta

Description: In the field of public health, scientists typically specialize in specific aspects of solving common health problems. By conducting experiments and research, they are able to tackle chronic diseases, poor nutrition, antibiotic resistance and maternal mortality.

“They design and conduct experiments, collect and analyze data, and publish results to advance knowledge and inform public health practices,” Draine says.

Remuneration: According to Indeed, $101,547.

Highest paying places: According to Indeed, Menlo Park, California ($168,417), Berkeley, California ($123,453), San Diego, California ($121,238).

6. Manager of medicine and health services

Highest paying companies: AlliedMedix resources, advanced medical and professional solutions, physical therapy and the Institute of Sports Medicine

Description: Medical and health care executives work behind the scenes to keep nursing homes, hospitals and other group health care facilities running smoothly. They plan, direct, and coordinate the activities of these facilities, and often collaborate among administrators, physicians, and health insurance representatives. This role requires detail-oriented individuals with good analytical, communication, technical and problem-solving skills.

Remuneration: According to the BLS, $110,680.

Highest paying places: According to the BLS, Trenton, New Jersey ($193,730), San Francisco, California ($186,560), New York ($179,330).

5. Public health consultant

Highest paying companies: Triage Consulting Group, PwC and Floyd Lee Locums

Description: Public health consultants work with businesses, communities, health care facilities and government agencies to improve the overall health of the population. By providing information to these groups, public health consultants can directly impact society’s health through improved policies and programs. This role also includes conducting research and reporting results to government agencies.

Public health consultants “have expertise in analyzing health data, developing public health strategies, evaluating public health programs, and helping to develop policies to improve specific health challenges,” Draine says.

Remuneration: According to Glassdoor, $112,000.

Highest paying places: According to ZipRecruiter, Berkeley, California ($92,733), Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia ($88,179), Daly City, California ($87,761).

4. Executive Director of Health

Highest paying companies: Bristol Myers Squibb, Amgen, Alexion Pharmaceuticals

Description: Executive health directors oversee the delivery of health care services to communities on behalf of non-governmental and not-for-profit organizations. They make decisions about the organization’s budget and operations and oversee its day-to-day operations. They also manage program development, marketing, human resources and fundraising.

“They are responsible for creating strategy and overseeing operations,” Draine says. “In this role, they manage their organization’s budget and are a leading force in (implementing) public health programs and policies to improve community health.”

Remuneration: According to Glassdoor, $121,754.

Highest paying places: According to ZipRecruiter, San Buenaventura, California ($169,832), Berkeley, California ($117,542) and New York ($113,721).

3. Biostatistician

Highest paying companies: MWIDM Inc., Smith Hanley Associates LLC, Parexel

Description: Biostatisticians study public health topics using mathematics and statistics. Through high-level research and the analysis of information and data from clinical trials, biostatisticians can make data-driven decisions about implementing public health policy. In a public health context, they work out how best to use resources to treat a population.

Remuneration: According to Indeed, $125,350.

Highest paying places: According to Indeed, Raleigh, North Carolina ($159,790), Chicago, Illinois ($157,600), Redwood City, California ($153,118).

2. Life sciences manager

Highest paying companies: Genentech, Chevron, Novartis

Description: Life sciences managers are administrators who supervise teams of researchers, scientists, and technicians. By creating research strategies, life sciences managers lead these teams to achieve organizational goals. This role also communicates between researchers and management, determines staffing needs, oversees project resources, and evaluates the performance of the organization’s teams.

“The life sciences manager in public health leads research and development,” Draine says. “In addition, they manage data collection and analysis to ensure that science projects are aligned with their organization’s public health goals.”

Remuneration: $157,740, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest paying places: According to the BLS, Boston, Massachusetts ($222,080), New York ($199,990), Washington, D.C. ($166,780).

1. Medical director

Highest paying companies: VitalCore Health Strategies, Premise Health, Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Description: Medical directors manage the day-to-day operations of a medical center or hospital. They direct and supervise the care provided in the facility and implement preventive measures to reduce the transmission of disease. This leadership role provides a vision for quality improvement, organizes employee training, evaluates the quality of health care services, and generally promotes the health and well-being of both patients and employees.

“The medical director of public health is usually a senior-level physician,” Draine says. “This role coordinates the clinical aspects of public health programs and guides health care strategies and ensures compliance with health regulations.”

According to Indeed, salary: $199,661.

According to Indeed, the highest paying cities: Mishawaka, Indiana ($246,546), New Orleans, LA ($233,428), Bridgewater, New Jersey ($219,879).

Takeaway

With the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting that there will be 1.8 million health care job openings each year by 2032, public health remains an in-demand field, perfect for those looking to make a difference.

For those who want to learn more about public health, Draine recommends checking the websites of public health organizations such as the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health and the Pan American Health Organization.

“I always feel like we’re building a public health army to help prevent disease, chronic disease, and trying to influence policy,” Draine says. “If anyone is interested in this, public health is a good place to be.”