Is Public Health a Good Career?

By Dr. Carol Hoban  |  06/08/2026

Have you thought about starting a career path in the public health industry? Have you ever wondered what an epidemiologist or an environmental health specialist does?

The field of public health is growing fast and is expected to continue growing for the foreseeable future. If you ever wondered if public health is a good career path, the answer is yes.

Potential Career Paths in Public Health

Public health is a good career because it offers a vast array of career opportunities. Public health graduates might choose to follow one of several career paths, including:

• Epidemiologist
• Health educator
• Biostatistician
• Environmental health specialist
• Public health administrator
• Public health service manager
• Public health advocate

Each of these public health careers supports communities in different ways. Some public health professionals tackle research and disease prevention, while others work in education, leadership, policy, or environmental safety. Understanding these roles can help prospective students to determine which public health career path best aligns with their interests and goals.

Epidemiologist

If you are considering a career path in public health, it will be necessary to decide what interests you most. For instance, do you like the thought of being a detective to discover the source of an illness or a pandemic?

Epidemiologists investigate infectious disease patterns and causes, especially in regard to emerging health threats. They often have a master’s degree or a doctoral degree in public health.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a team of epidemiologists around the globe worked to trace the origins of the virus, find contacts of exposed people, and mitigate the further spread of the virus to entire populations.

Note: Advanced education and/or a credential in a different field of study beyond/from a bachelor’s degree in public health may be required to work as an epidemiologist. It is important to check the educational requirements needed to work as an epidemiologist.

Health Educator

Another option to explore with a public health career path is health educator. Health educators develop and promote programs to encourage healthy behavior.

Health educators are vital to public health because they promote healthy lifestyles and raise awareness of health issues. Health educators can work at community health centers and conduct health promotion programs in their communities. They work to get people on the right path to living a longer, healthier lifestyle.

Biostatistician

If you enjoy analyzing all of the data that public health programs collect and have a keen eye for numbers, consider becoming a biostatistician if you're a public health degree holder. Biostatisticians play an important role in analyzing public health data and look for disease trends, rates, or patterns of disease.

Biostatisticians collect and analyze all disease reports through doctors, labs, clinics, and hospitals. They also help public health workers make sense of their data analyses and aid disease control.

For example, biostatisticians examine flu outbreaks across the U.S. every year. They determine which states are being hit the hardest, so public health workers can help reduce the spread.

Note: Advanced education and/or a credential in a different field of study beyond/from a bachelor’s degree in public health may be required to work as a biostatistician. It is important to check the educational requirements needed to work as a biostatistician.

Environmental Health Specialist

Environmental health specialists monitor problems in the environment such as air and water quality. They also perform inspections at restaurants to ensure business owners are following all health protocols and work with companies to guide them in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA®) standards.

Note: Advanced education and/or a credential in a different field of study beyond/from a bachelor’s degree in public health may be required to work as an environmental health specialist. It is important to check the educational requirements needed to work as an environmental health specialist.

Public Health Administrator

Another key position in a public health career is working as a public health administrator, leading different health initiatives. Public health administrators generally hold top-level leadership positions. They may oversee and manage various people while coordinating a variety of public health projects and programs at any time.

This type of position typically requires a higher level of education such as a graduate degree. For instance, it can require a doctoral degree in public health or a master of public health degree with sufficient years of experience.

Public Health Service Manager

If you want to work within your community to make a difference in your area, then a career path as a public health service manager might be a good option for you. Public health service managers are public health professionals who work to improve public health outcomes through community health programs.

They may plan and coordinate vaccination clinics in a community to prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases. Other areas they may focus on to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent diseases to entire communities are:

• Health education campaigns
• Community health and wellness programs

Note: Advanced education and/or a credential in a different field of study beyond/from a bachelor’s degree in public health may be required to work as a public health service manager. It is important to check the educational requirements needed to work as a public health service manager.

Public Health Advocate

Public health advocates work to improve health outcomes on a larger scale by aiming to change policies and laws. They take data and other evidence collected by public health leaders and work with policymakers and health policy analysts.

Public health advocates typically seek funding for preventive care and health equity initiatives, especially when health disparities occur. They work to achieve long-term changes in disease prevention through reforming public health policies.

Additional Career Paths in Public Health

There are many other roles for public health professionals. These jobs involve other areas of the public health sector, such as:

• Infection control
• Data collection
• Data entry

If you choose a career path as a healthcare professional, there are various areas where you can work and have a far-reaching impact, such as:

• Community healthcare organizations
• State government agencies
• Federal government agencies
• International nonprofit organizations devoted to global health

Essential Skills for Public Health Professionals

To address today’s complex public health challenges, community health workers and other public health professionals have certain essential skills in common, such as:

• Specialized knowledge
• Specialized training
• Leadership
• Communication skills
• Personal commitment

In addition, public health workers require data analysis skills. They must be able to assess and analyze healthcare systems' data to determine if the rates of a disease are increasing or if there is a potential outbreak of a disease within local communities.

They can warn populations, design and implement health education programs, and prevent further cases from occurring. Public health professionals can also assist in disaster preparedness so that local communities can avoid health issues created by a natural or manmade disaster.

Public health professionals also work within communities to establish partnerships, build relationships and educate the public on disease prevention. They must also ensure that equity, disparities, and cultural sensitivity issues are addressed regarding public health topics.

Some diseases may impact one racial or ethnic group more than another, so public health workers must look for clues as to why and how to address this disparity. At the same time, they must tailor their messaging and be sensitive to discrepancies when educating the public.

Future Opportunities in Public Health

As our world continues to change, public health is likely to offer more and more career options. Diseases once limited to certain regions of the globe can now spread globally within days. As a result, public health education is crucial.

Public health professionals play an important role in tracking, collecting, and analyzing health information to keep everyone safe and informed. So if you wonder if public health is a good career, talk to people who work in the field of public health. Find out what degree in public health they obtained and how they use their knowledge. In the end, you may find that you also have a potential path in public health.

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health at APU

For adult learners interested in seeking a career in public health, American Public University (APU) provides an online Bachelor of Science in Public Health. For this degree program, students can take courses such as public health in America, health services organization, epidemiology, and public policy. Other courses include health economics and finance and the foundations of nutrition.

This B.S. in public health offers four concentrations, enabling students to tailor their education according to their professional goals. These concentrations are:

• General
• Emergency and disaster management
• Nutrition and wellness
• Public health informatics

For more information about this bachelor’s degree in public health, visit APU’s nursing and health sciences degree program page.

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