Public Health Major: Pros, Cons & Job Opportunities

We think of health as personal. We get sick, we visit a doctor, and then we get well. If we hope to avoid that cycle, we eat right, exercise, and avoid dangerous scenarios.

But what about the risks you can't avoid? And what should you do if you aren't sure how to eat right or exercise?

Public health professionals aim to help entire communities avoid or treat illnesses and injuries. You might work with individuals and their specific concerns, but you'll spend most of your time addressing the root causes of disease.

Nurses, doctors, and surgeons can all work for public health organizations, but there is an entire subset of careers that don't require doctoral degrees and decades of study. If you want to give back to your community but think becoming a healthcare practitioner isn't right for you, a career in public health could be a good fit, which makes it an excellent major choice.

In this article, we'll explore a few good career choices for public health majors, including:

• Health educator
• Community health worker
• Emergency preparedness specialist
• Public health writer

We'll also tell you more about how to get a public health degree, and we'll explore a few downsides to this major.

Public health professionals do critical work. As our communities deal with issues like contaminated water, out-of-control wildfires, opioid overdoses, and widespread poverty, these workers find solutions and ease suffering. If you're hoping for a job that deals directly with trauma, it's hard to find a better fit, but people who work in this field do face challenges.

The fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has left a sizeable mark on the public health field. Despite the harrowing ordeal many public health professionals went through during the height of the pandemic, this Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey found that the vast majority believe their work is still important (94 percent) and are determined to do their best each day (93 percent).

Those numbers seem to suggest that public health is both imperative and rewarding, which sets this field apart from most.

In the same survey, participants also disclosed the following:

• Stressful environments. More than half of public health employees report at least one symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder, and one in five report their mental health as either “fair” or “poor.”
• High turnover. Nearly one in three public health employees are considering leaving their organization.
• No advancement opportunities. Of those leaving, 40% said there were no opportunities to move up.

At the same time, funding for public health is disappearing. Fewer jobs are created, and any new jobs tend to come with small salaries.

An opportunity exists here. If so many people plan to either leave or retire, you shouldn't have trouble getting a job. But you might struggle with the same challenges, which could leave you looking for a new role before your career even peaks.

You understand the challenges, and you still want to move forward with a degree in public health. You're in luck! Plenty of colleges and universities offer programs for people just like you. You'll need to pick an emphasis, and that decision will guide your career options.

Some institutions, like the University of Iowa, offer two types of bachelor's degrees.

• BA degrees: Your public health education will be augmented by courses in psychology, political science, anthropology, and sociology.
• BS degrees: You'll take classes in mathematics, computer sciences, chemistry, and biology.

Emerge with a BS degree, and you'll be well suited to conduct research or support others that do. Graduate with a BA, and you might be well prepared to explain difficult concepts, craft appealing programs, and reassure communities.

Other researchers call this split the difference between natural sciences and social sciences. One prepares you for lab work, and the other prepares you for jobs with people.

Your college advisor can help you make a smart decision about the track that works best for you, but as we move through potential jobs you can land, keep in mind what's the best fit for your passions and aptitudes.

We all know that choices influence our health, and many of us are trying to do better. Statista says at least 50% of us are trying to consume a healthier diet, for example. With so many options to change and so little time to research, it can be hard for people to prioritize and plan. Health educators can help.

As a community health educator, you'll create opportunities for learning. Your plans might help people to get regular health screenings, see the value in exercise, or swap out snacks.

You might hold small classes in a clinic, or you could create programs that are administered statewide. Sometimes, these programs are a vital part of securing funding. Your organization might need to boost scores to qualify for a grant, for example.

You might also sit on statewide committees to inform future policy. If so, you'll do research to uncover pressing issues, and you'll collect your data so everyone else can understand your plans.

To be a health educator, you'll need to learn how to:

• Assess the needs and resources of your community
• Plan an educational program and promote it
• Implement that plan for your community
• Evaluate plan effectiveness and prove it with research
• Manage the program as it evolves
• Serve as a resource for your community
• Advocate for similar professionals in your community

You'll prove that you have this knowledge with certification, which means passing an exam to become a Certified Health Education Specialist. You must prove you have a degree in health education to sit for the test.

While you must know quite a bit to hold this job, you won't pull down a large salary. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says most people in this position make about $49,000 per year.

State and local health and wellness plans help to lift up an entire community. There are also some people within that group who need a little extra help, and they may have unique problems not covered by huge programs. As a community health worker, you'll connect with these people and give them the assistance they need.

You'll do your work within community-owned clinics and hospitals, and your work will vary depending on the needs of your patients. You might explain:

• Diabetes management. Someone newly diagnosed may have no idea how to test blood sugar or eliminate excess sugar. You'll illuminate those concepts.
  
• Post-surgical treatment. You might help someone understand how to change a bandage and how to spot an infection growing within the incision.
  
• Pregnancy care. You'll help moms-to-be understand how their bodies will change during the next nine months, and you might help craft physical therapy and diet plans to ease any discomfort.
  
• Pain management. You could develop a program of gentle stretches to help someone recover from a difficult injury, and you'll follow up to ensure it's working.

You'll have access to many different stories of illness and recovery, which could fuel your research. The data you collect could help your colleagues develop bigger plans to help many people all at once.

You might also work up grant responses, so your clinic or hospital can keep the doors open.

The salary for this position is typically $49,000 per year, according to the BLS. With a degree, you can get started right away.

Meteorologists predict that a tsunami will hit your coastal town later today. How will you warn residents? Where should they go to stay safe? What sorts of injuries will they have, and what do you need on hand to treat them?

Planning for the unthinkable is crucial, considering it can save lives. As an emergency management specialist, you'll do that work.

You will probably work for the state or federal government, and you'll work full-time. Your job will involve:

• Planning. The problems you'll solve depend on the threats inherent to your community. Fires, flooding, earthquakes, and terrorist attacks could be on your list of problems to plan for.
  
• Education. With plans in place, you'll need to train emergency professionals. You'll also need to buy equipment, and you'll probably need to hold a few drills.
  
• Outreach. You'll work closely with public relations experts to publicize your work and plans.
  
• Organization. If the unthinkable happens, you'll be on the frontlines, ensuring your plan is followed and adjusting your approach as needed.

Expect to make about $77,000 per year, based on reports by the BLS. You may also need to assist someone else before you take on a management role. Most employers require about five years of experience.

Documentation is part of the public health career path. Positions in this field require at least some writing skills, and you can apply your major in public health to jobs that have an exclusive focus on words, sentences, and paragraphs.

You could focus your job search on:

• Grant writing. Pulling together a public health program is expensive, and many organizations use grant funds to fill gaps. Most grant writers work for themselves, says the BLS, and their fees depend on experience and expertise. You could work for the same client on retainer or have new clients to serve every day. You'll describe the programs in detail and explain why the organization needs more money.

• Journalism. Imagine that you live in a hotbed of public health. There are several nonprofit organizations in your community, as well as clinics and hospitals. A newspaper in that area might have a "public health beat" you're qualified to fill. You'll stay abreast of the news and write it up in ways your community can understand.

• Research. Some public health professionals need help collecting data and presenting it to research boards and technical journals. As a technical writer, you'll help digest the data and create the article that changes the world.

These careers differ vastly, and salaries often depend on experience, organization size, and community appetite. Overall, you should expect to make less than those conducting research or working in purely academic settings.

Is public health right for you? Scan through job listings on our website to find out more.

Find out what it takes to land the job of your dreams, and find out about the competition. Are there dozens of openings? Or do you see just a few? One quick spin through the website will give you data you can build on as you plan for your career and your future.

We add new listings every day, so be sure to check back often.