PSPublic Health Specialist
PS
Career

Public Health Specialist

By the numbers
Typical pay
$64,070 / yr
Education to start
Bachelor's degree
Future demand
+4.5% by 2034
People in this job
66K
Figures shown for ·closest of 3 O*NET occupations
The work
A day, hour by hour
08:15
Surveillance check

Scan overnight disease reports and flag anything that looks like a real signal.

09:00
Data deep-dive

Pull community health records into R; map where cases are clustering by zip code.

10:30
Team briefing

Walk the team through the cluster map. Decide: outbreak or noise?

11:00
Grant writing

Draft the needs-assessment section of a prevention program funding proposal.

13:00
Community workshop

Run a neighborhood health session; read the room to gauge whether the message lands.

14:30
Stakeholder call

Brief a city council staffer on findings; pitch the policy that can actually pass.

15:30
Program review

Check vaccination campaign numbers against targets; decide where to stretch the budget.

16:15
Report & brief

Write a one-page summary pushing the health department to act on today's data.

Things you do
  • Track disease outbreaks by digging into community health data.
  • Design prevention programs that stop illness before it spreads.
  • Go door-to-door or host workshops to teach communities healthy habits.
  • Write reports and briefs that push lawmakers to change health policy.
  • Jump into emergency response when an outbreak or disaster hits.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Is this data signal a real outbreak, or just noise in the numbers?
  • Should I sound the public alarm now, or wait for more evidence?
  • Is this community ready to hear this health message, or will it backfire?
  • Do I push for the policy that's most effective, or the one that can actually pass?
  • Should I stretch my limited program budget here, or save it for a bigger need?
Education Pathways · how you get there
97 in 100 went the college route · 3 in 100 found another way in None, typically
Education mapped from O*NET:
If you like this, also look at