The COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a significant global public health crisis and affected economies, employment, and policies. The International Monetary Fund called the crisis the worst downturn since the Great Depression. Moreover, the pandemic exposed long-standing gaps and global underinvestment in the public health sector, which is why governments are now rigorously investing in preventing future pandemics.

The aging U.S. population is another primary concern for the government. To curb the threat to public health, the White House announced a $7.4 billion investment in May 2021 to recruit public health workers and support the expansion of state and local public health departments. The funding is poised to create tens of thousands of public health jobs. This is just one of the many reasons why exploring a career in public health could be your best professional decision.

If you're considering entering this field but are still not sure whether you should or not, here are eight great reasons to pursue a public health career.

  1. Job Security

With the increasing need for public health workers and awareness about the benefits of public health programs in every sector, the unemployment rate in the industry remains low. You can further increase your job security by interning and improving your resume while attending online public health degree classes. Combining your studies in public health with internship experience will make you a highly desirable candidate for a wide range of job openings.

  1. Numerous Career Options

Public health touches different industry verticals, offering an extreme variety of diverse professions and areas of upward mobility. As a public health professional, you choose to work in several domains, such as health policy and management, infectious diseases, biostatistics, health education, environmental health, and epidemiology. On top of that, you can work in varied settings, like educational institutes, governmental organizations, medical facilities, organizations working for the community's social health, and non-profit organizations.

  1. Increased Job Opportunities in Healthcare

Changing world dynamics require increased efforts to reduce healthcare expenses and curb the threat of significant global challenges, such as potential pandemics, air pollution, water pollution, and bioterrorism. These factors have positively contributed to the employment opportunities available for public health workers, and the number is expected to increase exponentially.

Furthermore, due to the rising popularity of public health in recent years, many corporate companies and governments have started to support and invest in numerous prevention and training efforts, such as obesity, tobacco use, poor nutrition, and occupational safety.

Increasing health care costs have also been a significant concern for many organizations. They have forced them to explore ways to minimize their expenditures. In addition, this has created more employment opportunities for public health professionals in the corporate world as companies are onboarding professionals to provide resources and training to combat illness and disease in the workforce.

  1. Have A Impact On The Society

Suppose you want to make a difference in the community by addressing emerging health issues worldwide. In that case, Public health is an ideal field for you!

Pursuing a career in this field would allow you to work closely with various injuries and diseases by introducing public health programs, such as immunizations, infection control, motor-vehicle safety, family planning, and promoting a healthy lifestyle. You will be in a critical position to improve the health of all global community members.

  1. Great Pay

In addition to being highly impactful, public health professionals earn more than average and enjoy a comfortable living and other benefits packages. Here are some of the top public health careers and their average annual salaries:

  • Healthcare Administrator - $99,730 per year on average
  • Public Health Advisor - $68,000 per year on average
  • Public Health Administrator - $64,952 per year on average
  • Public Health Analyst - $61,404 per year on average
  • Health Educator - $46,080 per year on average
  • Community Health Coordinator - $44,994 per year on average
  • Community Health Worker - $36,890 per year on average

A public health career could be suitable if you want a stable career, growth opportunities, and a decent pay scale.

  1. Opportunity To Travel & Work

In some cases, many public health professionals get the opportunity to travel worldwide and work with the citizens of different countries. Also, because there is a huge demand for these professionals worldwide, it is easier for them to consider relocating to a different state or country and find work. As a Public Health professional, you can work anywhere in the world if you have a good resume and skills needed for the job.

  1. High Job & Personal Satisfaction

Despite some challenges inherent in public health, a survey by the de Beaumont Foundation shared that 82% of workers reported job satisfaction, and 95% of public health workers believe their work is important. Among other considerations such as growth, salary, and job security, public health professionals find a large degree of satisfaction in their jobs a prominent factor in their career choice.

If you are someone who wishes to have an impact on the health of others, be it through tracking down the causes of disease as an epidemiologist or teaching the public how to avoid getting sick as a health educator, a public health job can help add value in the society and have a sense of personal satisfaction.

  1. A Challenging Work Environment

If you are a problem solver and love challenges, a public health job might be the right choice. As a public health professional, you always seek solutions to community and global health issues. Your job would always keep you engaged with identifying health risks and initiating plans to resolve them. You will always find yourself determining the needs of a community through personal interactions and statistical data and never run out of problems to solve.

Conclusion

Pursuing public health is not an easy career; it requires a lot of educational qualifications, certifications, training programs, and continuous on-the-job improvements. In addition, the lifestyle can be challenging to keep up with. However, the innate desire to help others and positively impact their lives makes it worthwhile. There's something unique and fascinating about looking after people's health, helping them recover and lead a better life. If you're passionate about healthcare and helping people, working in Public Health cannot go wrong. Give your passion a kick start by enrolling in public health career programs that can prepare you for your preferred occupation. Good luck in making this world a better place.