Sometimes work is more important than earning a handsome salary every month. When your work impacts people’s well-being, the resultant satisfaction is one way of achieving meaning in life. One such field is Public Health, a job contributing to your self-worth and reward for working to bring about humanity’s betterment.
Today the field of public health has become a vast area. Its horizon has broadened by conveniently departing from the initial concept that limited it to medical workers only. Today they encompass such activities as leading awareness campaigns, taking an active part in public policymaking, diagnosing diseases, and much more.
As the demand is increasing, so is the range and scope of their activities. The recent global pandemic has given us a first-hand glimpse of their inevitable services into the entire fabric of healthcare. Science has brought remarkable changes into medicine by introducing new technologies, techniques, and novel ways to enhance life expectancy. However, astonishingly enough, COVID-19 has made us realize we are still too fragile and vulnerable when it comes to new diseases.
Thus, public health is also advancing in offering various new career opportunities. Because of such demand, more students and professionals attracts to this sector. Taking advantage of online studies’ comfort, one can opt for masters in public health online to equip with the right expertise through new courses.
The Future and Inevitable Nature of Public Health
The issuance of new learning opportunities also sends a strong cue that the market demands professionals with certain skills. Public health professionals work in as diverse fields as water quality investigators to epidemiologists. In short, if you work to enhance the quality of life of people and communities, you work in public health.
As predicted in 2019 by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is an expectation of a 15% rise in public health-related careers. Many reasons contribute to this are:
- An aging population
- Demand for health-related services
- Sudden events like COVID-19
As the demand is increasing, there are some public health Career Opportunities whose demand is growing exponentially more than others. If you plan on joining public health, this article can be a guiding start for you. Here we have taken up the task of looking at the most promising health careers in 2021.
- Community Health Workers
Let’s start with the most basic but also the most popular one. Many of you might be familiar with this career already. Community health workers act as infantry forces in public health, always working to ensure the communities’ betterment by dealing with specific issues faced by them.
They are the jack of all trades. However, their final mission is to educate and promote the masses’ well-being by creating awareness about particular problems. You might find them with people dealing with alcoholism, poor diet, drug addiction, etc. They also help the communities dealing with them by offering healthier alternatives. Their career growth shows an expected growth of 11% till 2028. Their median salary is $46,910.
- Industrial Hygienist
Another position getting popularity in public health is of an Industrial Hygienist. Their work is to ensure workplace safety as well as safety of life in communities. They assess the health risks involved with chemical, environmental and biological hazards in the working and the community living environment.
To ensure safety related to chemical hazards, they work to put controls in place that either substitutes the chemical with less harmful material or separate the chemical substance from workers. Other measures may also include job rotation to prevent continued exposure and working with hazardous material. Their median salary is $111,000.
- Hospital Administrators
Administrators in the hospital are responsible for managing the smooth working in a hospital. They work as part of hospital management that includes supervision of staff members as well. The job duties include taking all the departments on board, formulating goals, and leading various departments to achieve the goals promptly.
They also work for devising budget plans and fundraisers for particular activities. Their job duties also entail coordinating with external bodies like press and regulatory bodies, etc. Overall, they work towards ensuring a conducive working environment for staff, including doctors, and favorable conditions for patients. Their average yearly salary is $97,000.
- Nurse Practitioners (NP)
Another lucrative public health career in 2021 is the job of Nurse Practitioners. Their demand is likely to increase in the future. Thus, they have a bright future ahead. Besides, novel diseases now a day have made their work inevitable. Currently, they are earning $111,840 per year, which is among the well-paid jobs in the US.
Their job duties may vary depending on where they work. They provide advanced health care services to the patients ranging from diagnosis, medicine prescription, and implementing various treatments. According to the US news report, their growth pace places them at the runner-up position among the most lucrative careers.
- Radiation Safety Expert
Another career showing positive growth in the coming years and currently listing under the hottest public health careers in 2021 is a Radiation Safety Expert. There is a need to understand that these requirements arise as a result of human activities. The exposure to working with potentially dangerous equipment and technologies is giving rise to such jobs. It is one of the ills of current development globally, though an opportunity in disguise.
The job duties involve making controls and measures to ensure the working environment in public health facilities is safe and abides by government rules. They may control harmful materials, prevention of accidents, safety from radiological material, etc. Overall, they ensure that all the departments and levels follow safety compliances in the organization. Moreover, they make procedures to ensure compliance with these safety goals. On average, they can earn $75000 per annum.
- Clinical Research Assistant
A Clinical Research Assistant works with an investigator and assist in the clinical trials and testing procedures. They essentially assist the principal clinical investigator in ensuring all the trials are abiding by the federal government’s set rules. They also coordinate and help in devising training tools and procedures for other people new to the practice.
Their job prospect is highly favorable for the period up to 2028. These professionals can earn a median salary of $86,170 per year.
Conclusion
As the need for public health is increasing, so is the demand for personnel and related training to equip them with related expertise. With the global trends and novel viruses and diseases hovering over our earth, the need was never this urgent.
Various new degree courses are available to cater to such requirements. However, some career opportunities in public health show better career prospects than others. We have made an effort to list some of them for all the people interested in Public health.