Protecting the health of whole populations: tracking outbreaks, inspecting what we eat and breathe, and preventing disease before it starts.
Top pay: highest pay, longest training
Preventive Medicine Physician: A doctor whose 'patient' is an entire community, working to stop disease before it starts. Typical pay $230k.
Public Health Director: Leads a city, county or state health department, overseeing disease tracking, vaccine clinics, restaurant inspections and emergency plans. Typical pay $135k.
Pharmacoepidemiologist: Studies how medicines affect huge populations after they're approved, finding rare side effects and benefits. Typical pay $150k.
Occupational Medicine Physician: Doctor who keeps workers healthy and treats job-related injuries and exposures. Typical pay $260k.
Health Equity Director: Leads efforts to close gaps in health and health care between different communities. Typical pay $125k.
Mid pay: solid pay, degree or apprenticeship
Epidemiologist: Investigates patterns and causes of disease and injury to prevent them. Typical pay $84k.
CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer: A 'disease detective' in the CDC's famous two-year training program, deployed to outbreaks across the US and the world. Typical pay $90k.
Biostatistician: Designs studies and analyzes data that prove whether treatments work. Typical pay $104k.
Infection Preventionist: Tracks and stops the spread of infections inside hospitals and nursing homes, investigating outbreaks and training staff on hygiene and cleaning. Typical pay $95k.
Industrial Hygienist: Protects workers from chemicals, noise, dust, and other hazards on the job. Typical pay $85k.
Environmental Health Specialist: Inspects restaurants, pools, water, and housing to protect the public from health hazards. Typical pay $62k.
Health Policy Analyst: Researches health laws and programs and recommends how to improve them. Typical pay $80k.
Global Health Program Manager: Runs health projects in other countries, like malaria prevention, vaccination drives, or clean water. Typical pay $85k.
Health Education Specialist: Teaches people and communities how to live healthier, from nutrition to sexual health to quitting vaping. Typical pay $63k.
Medical Entomologist: Studies mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects that spread diseases like West Nile, Lyme, and malaria. Typical pay $75k.
U.S. Public Health Service Officer: Uniformed health professional in one of the 8 US uniformed services, serving where the nation needs care. Typical pay $95k.
Wastewater Surveillance Epidemiologist: Tracks diseases like COVID and flu in a community by analyzing sewage test results for health departments, spotting rises before hospitals see them. Typical pay $82k.
CDC Quarantine Public Health Officer: Works at one of about 20 CDC quarantine stations at major airports and border crossings, responding to sick travelers and risky imports. Typical pay $100k.
Syndromic Surveillance Analyst: Watches near-real-time data from emergency rooms to spot outbreaks, overdose spikes or heat illness before anyone reports them. Typical pay $82k.
Refugee Health Coordinator: Makes sure newly arrived refugees get health screenings and vaccines and get connected to doctors in their first months in the US. Typical pay $60k.
Starter: fastest way in
Community Health Worker: A trusted member of the community who helps neighbors get healthcare and resources. Typical pay $51k.
Disease Intervention Specialist: Tracks down people exposed to diseases like syphilis, HIV, and TB and helps them get tested and treated. Typical pay $50k.
Vector Control Technician: Controls mosquitoes, rats, and other disease-carrying pests for local governments. Typical pay $45k.
Lead Risk Assessor: Inspects homes for lead paint and dust that can poison children. Typical pay $52k.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.