How to Find a Job in Public Health

The public health field can provide an energetic career with a competitive salary and personal fulfillment. A public health job offers an opportunity to work with people who need medical attention but can't always afford it. As of 2010, the pay ranges from $31,500 annually for entry-level biomedical laboratory workers up to $161,400 a year for health services administration supervisors.

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  Obtain a degree in science, health or math. Public health careers offer qualified individuals a variety of employment opportunities. A biostatistics professional needs mathematics and modeling skills. Public environmental health employees utilize science, while health administration and community health employees need medical and people skills, according to PublicHealthJobs.net. Pay depends on the level of education as well as experience. Salary also varies from state to state, depending on the local economy and cost of living.

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  Get certified in public health. Certification sets standards of skills and knowledge in the public health field, according to the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE). Established in 2005, the NBPHE ensures that students from certified schools have mastered the skills and knowledge vital for the industry. Contact NBPHE and inquire about scheduled exams and needed qualifications while still in school or after graduating.

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  Sign up for a free account at PublicHealthJobs.net. The site provides a free network for students and graduates In certified schools interested in getting a job in the industry. It also has an opt-in free weekly newsletter that provided updates about people, news and events in the public health industry.

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  Search online job sites for public health positions. Idealist.org is a nonprofit job site with public healthcare listings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has current employment information as well as health-training materials. The American Public Health Association has job information online as well as data on working in the public health field.

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  Call local medical and public health offices. Hospitals publish openings in the newspaper as well as online and many have job lines they update regularly. The local Department of Labor also has information on public health industry job openings as well as tips on training in the field. Ask if any of the public health offices hold local job fairs.