Public Health
Health Professions
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate's Degree | $44,676 | $42,687 to $47,220 | 8 | 100% |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,466 | $49,881 to $63,892 | 209 | 95% |
| Post-baccalaureate Certificate | $77,605 | $73,712 to $83,008 | 8 | 100% |
| Graduate/Professional Certificate | $81,684 | $71,455 to $108,726 | 11 | 100% |
| Master's Degree | $76,880 | $68,260 to $88,342 | 210 | 100% |
| Doctoral Degree | $107,408 | $97,631 to $114,583 | 14 | 100% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +13% (2025 to 2035), about 176,000 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $123,860 | +24.2% | 62,300 |
| Compliance Officers | $80,730 | +3.8% | 32,700 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $107,310 | +17.9% | 24,900 |
| Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | $90,150 | +18.5% | 17,100 |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $103,410 | +12.6% | 10,500 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $82,220 | +6.1% | 7,300 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a public health program, of 743 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- Johns Hopkins University
- Columbia University in the City of New York
- George Washington University
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick
- University of Maryland-College Park
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- University of California-Berkeley
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.