Careers

Nursing Student in the College of Nursing

Occupational and Industrial Health in Action

A career in public health opens the door to diverse opportunities in a variety of sectors such as federal, state and local governments, private corporations, and non-governmental organizations. Public health is a growing field and you can choose from many major fields of study, including: behavioral science, bioinformatics, biomedical laboratory, biostatistics, community health, environmental health, epidemiology, health communications, health education, health policy, health services administration, global health, maternal and child health, nutrition, occupational safety, and many others. Students are encouraged to explore the following pages to learn more about these options:

Areas of Study: https://publichealth.arizona.edu/areas-of-study
Public Health - Careers: http://www.publichealth.org/careers/
Public Health Career Guide: http://www.publichealthdegrees.org/careers-for-students
A Guide to Public Health Careers: http://www.publichealthonline.org/careers/

Career Opportunities

Because the skills that one gets as a public health major are transferrable, students can choose to pursue public health careers or careers in other fields. These transferrable skills include: team work, effective written and verbal communication, program planning and evaluation, and problem solving. Many students also find that the public health major provides them a strong foundation for a graduate or professional degree in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and other health professions.

Below you can explore some detailed descriptions of salary data sourced from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Glassdoor as of September 2025.

Biostatistician

Median Annual Salary: $104,350
Minimum Required Education: Master’s degree
Job Overview: Biostatisticians research public health and biology. They help solve problems and answer questions by developing methodologies and collecting, analyzing, interpreting and communicating data.

Public Health Director

Median Annual Salary: About $150,000
Minimum Required Education: Master’s degree
Job Overview: Public health directors oversee public health departments or agencies and handle the overall functioning of the public health system. They need many years of public health experience and strong leadership skills.

Health Education Specialist

Median Annual Salary: $63,000
Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree; some positions require a master’s degree
Job Overview: Health education specialists teach people how to improve their health and well-being. Public health educators help individuals access healthcare; they also develop programs and train community health workers.

Emergency Management Director

Median Annual Salary: $86,130
Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree
Job Overview: Emergency management directors develop plans for, prevent and respond to emergencies and natural disasters. This work includes public health emergencies like disease outbreaks. Emergency management directors usually need many years of experience and may work for government, medical facilities and universities.

Medical and Health Services Manager

Median Annual Salary: $117,960
Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree
Job Overview: Medical and health services managers plan and oversee health and medical services. They often have a background in healthcare, such as nursing, and may manage an entire facility or department.

Epidemiologist (Public Health Researcher)

Median Annual Salary: $83,980
Minimum Required Education: Master’s degree
Job Overview: Epidemiologists research health issues by investigating the causes and patterns of disease and injury. They may specialize in areas like chronic disease, environmental health or infectious disease.