Are you planning your career and wondering what jobs you can find after earning a Master of Public Health degree? Smart move! As a public health professional, your skills are in high demand around the world, especially with your master’s degree in hand. Because of this, as a public health worker, you have a choice when it comes to where you want to work and where you want to work in public health.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best jobs you can get with a master’s degree in public health.
Need for public health workers
First, we have to ask the question: “Why is there such a demand for public health workers?” There are actually many reasons.
With the advancement of the medical industry, the average life expectancy in many countries has increased significantly. As a result, the older generation population continues to grow, placing greater pressure on the healthcare system due to their medical needs. As you can imagine, older adults are more susceptible to injuries and illnesses; therefore, they require more medical care.
On the other hand, a higher proportion of people die from non-communicable diseases (NCDS) – an average of 17 million people under the age of 70 die from NCDS every year. Public health workers are at the forefront of research into the causes and solutions to these diseases. For example, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, public health professionals helped study variables and statistics about the virus and educate the public on the best ways to avoid contracting the virus.
Public health careers worth considering
From aspects such as epidemic prevention, career opportunities in public health are vast and the career paths are diverse. Here are 6 Master of Public Health (MPH) careers worth considering.
From volunteering in poor countries to being on the front lines during a pandemic, public health professionals can pursue a variety of careers. Here are some of the jobs you can get with a master’s degree in public health:
1. Biostatistician
The health industry collects vast amounts of patient data every year. In Australia alone, 12.1 million people are admitted to hospital every year, not including GP visits. Each time a patient is admitted, a medical form containing diagnostic information is filled out and captured into the data system. To help the health system process the data, a biostatistician was hired to help sort and schedule the dates.
The job isn’t just about keeping things organized, though. By organizing data for easy assessment, healthcare systems can better track outbreaks and health trends in the population. These data provide important answers to the health issues faced by countries; therefore, sorting the data can make these answers clearer.
Job responsibilities
A biostatistician’s primary responsibility is to collect and analyze data to answer important questions about the healthcare industry. Whether it’s a question about a sudden surge in the common cold or studying the link between smoking and disease, biostatisticians sift through data looking for connections and answers.
Expected salary
As a biostatistician, you can earn an average salary of $90,500 per year, depending on the company you work for.
2. NGO managers
NGO managers lead NGOs that work with disadvantaged and marginalized populations. Their roles often focus on protecting human rights and working to build sustainable community health practices.
NGOs are non-governmental organizations that often work with displaced, vulnerable or marginalized groups. A good example of Australian NGOs is CARE Australia and the Australian Red Cross. These NGOs serve as charities and other humanitarian programs to help those who are unable to help themselves. With a master’s degree in public health, you could potentially manage an NGO.
Job responsibilities
As an NGO manager, your role is to facilitate the operations of the entire organization. Depending on its size, you may need to oversee marketing, manage volunteers, and choose the problems your NGO plans to solve.
Expected salary
Generally, NGOs operate very similarly to NPOs (non-profit organizations). This means your salary may depend on the level of support you receive from other businesses. That means the average annual salary for an NGO manager is about $80,000.
epidemiologist
If you remember the chaos the 2020 novel coronavirus pandemic brought to the world, epidemiologists were at the forefront of discovering the cause of the disease and the best treatments.
Job responsibilities
Their main role is to conduct research into the causes of diseases and outbreaks in various countries. They typically measure the severity of the disease and its impact on the country or (in the case of COVID-19) the world.
Expected salary
Some of the places you can find work as an epidemiologist include the private healthcare industry, government, or universities. Epidemiologists can earn up to $95,000 a year.
4. Public health researcher
The role of a public health researcher is very similar to that of a biostatistician. However, public health researchers study health data to detect health trends that could harm the public. For example, after wild fires in the Amazon in 2019, public health researchers will study the region’s air quality to study its possible impact on population health.
Job responsibilities
Public health researchers respond to health threats in communities every day by studying their causes and their potential impact on communities. In this role, you’ll find yourself regularly working alongside epidemiologists.
Expected salary
Public researchers can expect annual salaries of about $70,000.
final thoughts
These are just a few of the career options available to you if you have a master’s degree in public health. Other opportunities include traveling as a volunteer to gain experience and working in education. Regardless, a career in public health opens many doors for you.
