Public Health degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in public health earn a median $58,662 four years after finishing, across 192 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in community and public health earn $55,839, $6,210 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is registered nurses (5%).
Median across 192 colleges; middle half $52,452–$64,275.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $36,661–$78,754. 2,107 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Community And Public Health"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$20,201/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs public health graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in community and public health actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 5% | $97,550 | +5.6% | Bachelor's degree | SCI |
| Other Managers | 4% | — | — | — | — |
| Other Office And Administrative Support Workers | 3% | — | — | — | — |
| Human Resources Workers | 3% | $76,700 | +6.1% | — | — |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2% | $44,770 | -5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| Receptionists And Information Clerks | 2% | $38,010 | -1.7% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| Secretaries And Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, And Executive | 2% | $47,540 | -6.0% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | 2% | $64,170 | -0.4% | — | — |
These 8 jobs account for 24% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Public Health earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $64,275 (4) | — |
| California | $63,432 (14) | $62,968 (403) |
| Florida | $58,119 (7) | — |
| Georgia | $61,665 (7) | — |
| Illinois | $58,603 (5) | — |
| Indiana | $56,474 (6) | — |
| Kentucky | $51,848 (5) | — |
| Louisiana | $54,532 (4) | — |
| Massachusetts | $64,203 (6) | — |
| Michigan | $58,252 (5) | — |
| Minnesota | $59,389 (5) | — |
| Missouri | $63,054 (4) | — |
| New Hampshire | $58,520 (3) | — |
| New Jersey | $63,072 (6) | — |
| New York | $52,679 (13) | — |
| North Carolina | $61,210 (10) | $59,900 (100) |
| Ohio | $62,153 (13) | — |
| Oklahoma | $52,517 (3) | — |
| Oregon | $58,860 (5) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $59,014 (10) | — |
| South Carolina | $54,114 (4) | — |
| Texas | $53,313 (8) | $52,473 (121) |
| Utah | $53,598 (6) | — |
| Virginia | $48,926 (5) | — |
| Washington | $63,666 (4) | — |
| Wisconsin | $59,217 (4) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where public health graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 14 in Florida, 13 in Virginia, 33 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern CaliforniaCA | $89,522 | $15,250 |
| 2 | California Baptist UniversityCA | $77,329 | $35,287 |
| 3 | University of California-BerkeleyCA | $76,572 | $11,729 |
| 4 | Chapman UniversityCA | $72,529 | $23,250 |
| 5 | National UniversityCA | $70,340 | $37,469 |
| 6 | University of FloridaFL | $68,605 | $17,580 |
| 7 | University of California-San DiegoCA | $66,110 | $15,280 |
| 8 | California State University-San BernardinoCA | $65,961 | — |
| 9 | George Mason UniversityVA | $65,358 | $22,000 |
| 10 | San Diego State UniversityCA | $60,904 | $13,812 |
| 11 | University of California-IrvineCA | $60,430 | $17,285 |
| 12 | St Petersburg CollegeFL | $59,200 | $29,125 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
- Health Administration
- Health Sciences
- Nursing
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)
- Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
- Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities
Public Health degree questions
How much do Public Health graduates make?
Public Health graduates earn a median $58,662 four years after finishing, across 192 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $52,452 to $64,275; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in community and public health, the median is $55,839 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Public Health degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in community and public health earn a median $55,839: $6,210 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $20,201 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Public Health graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in community and public health, the most common jobs are registered nurses (5%), other managers (4%), other office and administrative support workers (3%). Registered Nurses earn a U.S. median $97,550.
How much do Public Health graduates earn in Florida?
Across 7 Florida colleges reporting, Public Health graduates earn a median $58,119 four years after graduating.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Public Health degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/public-health.