Health care is among the fastest-growing employment sectors in the U.S., with the number of jobs projected to grow 13% by 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And within public health, there are a variety of even faster-growing careers.
For instance, epidemiology jobs are projected to grow 26% during that same time frame, while roles for medical and health services managers could increase 28%—both much faster than other occupations. The average salary ranges from $78,830 to over $100,000, respectively.
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While public health isn’t typically among the highest-paying fields, salaries can vary widely. That said, soon after graduating from several online master’s in public health (MPH) programs, graduates report making more than $70,000, on average.
“MPH graduates work across many settings,” says Sonia Alemagno, dean and professor of health policy and management at Kent State University’s College of Public Health. That can range from government to academia to the for-profit sector—and can include roles ranging from biostatisticians to managers to marketing executives.
“Because of this diversity, and because many MPH students are full-time working professionals obtaining the graduate degree to advance in their careers, it is not surprising that the average salary is near $70,000,” Alemagno explains.
An online MPH program can also have the added benefit of being part-time, compared to some in-person programs. Students in the part-time online program at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health tend to be five or more years older than their full-time counterparts, according to Marie Diener-West, chair of the master of public health program.
“They typically complete their MPH degree while remaining employed and then are promoted to new positions within their place of employment or pivot to positions in other organizations,” Diener-West says.
Not all schools submit salary reports to Fortune, so this list is not exhaustive of all online MPH programs that have the same career outcomes. All figures listed below are reported by the schools.
1. University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill (Gillings)
Average salary: $82,908
Fortune rank: No. 1
Acceptance rate: 55%
Students in the online MPH program at Gillings can opt for an accelerated track. The university also has concentrations in:
- Leadership in practice
- Nutrition
- Applied epidemiology
2. Johns Hopkins University (Bloomberg)
Average salary: $70,000 to $90,000
Fortune rank: No. 2
Acceptance rate: 81%
The online MPH program at Bloomberg offers concentrations in:
- Aging and public health
- Child and adolescent health
- Epidemiologic and biostatistical methods for public health
- Food, nutrition, and health
- Food systems
- Global environmental sustainability and health
- Health leadership and management
- Health systems and policy
- Humanitarian health
- Infectious diseases
- Social and behavioral
- Sciences in public health
- Women’s and reproductive health.
3. Kent State University
Average salary: $72,333
Fortune rank: No. 13
Acceptance rate: 91%
Kent State offers an accelerated track for students in its online MPH program, along with concentrations in
- Biostatistics
- Epidemiology
- Health policy and management
- Social and behavioral sciences
4. George Washington University
Average salary: $71,000 (per the university’s graduate survey)
Fortune rank: No. 6
Acceptance rate: 81%
Online MPH students at George Washington may opt for an accelerated track. The university also offers concentrations in:
- Health informatics
- Global health
- Women, youth, and child health
Check out all of Fortune’srankings of degree programs, and learn more about specific career paths.
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