What are the Highest Paying Careers in Public Health?

The field of public health is diverse, including many different types of health care practitioners. If you are considering a career in this personally rewarding and potentially lucrative field, you may be wondering which jobs have the highest salaries. After all, everyone has bills to pay, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with considering the compensation when considering a future career. We have listed below five careers in the field of public health that pay exceptionally well.

Salary information is courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Physicians

It probably comes as no surprise that physicians represent the pinnacle of earnings potential in the field of public health. Physicians diagnose and treat illnesses as well as educate individuals and communities on such things as nutrition, accident and illness prevention, and family planning. There are many different kinds of physicians who perform a variety of public health services.

The average annual salary for a physician is $187,200.

Registered Nurses

Registered nurses are critical in the field of public health. They often carry out the orders of physicians in the care of patients, and it is impossible to imagine healthcare without them. Registered nurses are increasingly providing more healthcare services to those living in rural areas, and it is not uncommon for nurse practitioners or midwives to act as primary caregivers when there is no physician available.

The average annual salary for a registered nurse is $65,470.

Medical Directors

Medical directors are those who oversee the operations of medical facilities such as hospitals, clinics, outpatient surgery centers and others. In addition to having strong knowledge in public health, medical directors are also trained in various business disciplines such as accounting, marketing, and human resources.

The average annual salary for a medical director is $88,580.

Industrial Hygienists

Industrial hygiene is a public health specialty that focuses on increasing worker safety and minimizing accidents at manufacturing and other industrial facilities. Industrial hygienists are specialists in the field of preventive medicine. They typically work full-time on site studying potentially hazardous work situations, formulating strategies to correct or minimize the hazards and the implementation of those strategies.

The average annual salary for an industrial hygienist is $66,790.

Epidemiologists

Epidemiologists are medical researchers who investigate the causes of public health issues and how they are transmitted. These may be issues that pertain to a small community, or they could involve major diseases that have the potential to spread around the world, such as HIV and Ebola. Epidemiologists then develop and implement public health policies to prevent the spread these illnesses.

The average annual salary for an epidemiologist is $65,270.