Public Health Practitioner Job Duties
A public health practitioner with master’s degree in public health focuses on teaching individuals and communities about healthy behaviors and how to prevent the spread of disease. A professional in this field will try to encourage people to make healthy decisions in their daily lives to promote health and wellness.
Typical duties of a public health practitioner are:
- Assess the health and wellness requirements of the community
- Develop effective programs to teach the population about healthy living and how to prevent disease
- Create and distribute healthy-living materials
- Analyze the effectiveness of current public health programs and make improvements
- Collect data and analyze it to learn about the local community and how to improve health programs
Your public health duties will vary widely depending on what type of organization you work in, and whether it is domestic or overseas. Most public health practitioners work in colleges, health care centers, public health agencies, nonprofits, and government departments at the local, state, federal and international levels.
Public Health Practitioner Career & Salary Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in 2010 that employment prospects for public health practitioners should increase by a big 37% in 2010 to 2020. This is much faster than average compared to all other occupations. Growth seems to be driven by strong government efforts to cut costs in healthcare by teaching local populations about how to stay healthy through proper health habits.
Public health practitioners are in demand because they can help to teach people how to live healthier and practice habits that reduce the chance of spreading diseases. See more from the Best Public Health Careers list.
Job Outlook for Public Health Practitioners
BLS reported that the job outlook in this field will continue to grow quickly, with 63,400 jobs in 2010, and 86,600 in 2020.
Public Health Practitioner Education and Training
To become a public health practitioner with the highest income potential, you should have a bachelor’s degree in a field of science, and a master’s degree in public health. It may be useful for you to have a Certified Health Education Specialist certification. See our Top 10 Online MPH Programs.
