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Job outlook for health sanitarians in the United States
Are health sanitarian jobs in demand?
Health sanitarian job and salary trends over time
Health sanitarian jobs over time
Health sanitarian job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 57 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 72 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 53 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 17 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 16 | 0.00% |
Average health sanitarian salary over time
Health sanitarian salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $48,949 | $23.53 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $47,250 | $22.72 | --20.3% |
| 2023 | $59,259 | $28.49 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $58,253 | $28.01 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | $57,555 | $27.67 | +1.0% |
Health sanitarian jobs by state
Most common states for health sanitarians
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 125 | 18% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 102 | 16% |
| 3 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 721 | 13% |
| 4 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 828 | 12% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 823 | 12% |
| 6 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 556 | 11% |
| 7 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 317 | 11% |
| 8 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,023 | 10% |
| 9 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 989 | 10% |
| 10 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 664 | 10% |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 594 | 10% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 309 | 10% |
| 13 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 169 | 10% |
| 14 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 58 | 10% |
| 15 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 728 | 9% |
| 16 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 622 | 9% |
| 17 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 527 | 9% |
| 18 | Delaware | 961,939 | 89 | 9% |
| 19 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 74 | 9% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 70 | 9% |
Health Sanitarian job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of health sanitarian experts
Benedictine University
Kent State University
University of Rhode Island
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Idaho State University
Limestone University
Hawai'i Pacific University
Bonnie Beezhold Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorBenedictine University
Nutrition Department
What skills stand out on Health Sanitarian resumes?
Bonnie Beezhold Ph.D.: Like other fields, possessing excellent writing and oral skills in health and wellness is critical to effectively convey health information to audiences. Those skills appear to be waning even among graduate students. Recognizing low competency and getting remedial help with language mechanics should be a top priority.
Also, taking the time and effort to get to know your audience profile before engaging with them ensures that you are writing and speaking at their level of understanding and readiness to hear you. Tailoring information to audiences when planning to deliver health education or health promotion is a critical necessity - we cannot assume that everyone who would benefit from hearing the health or wellness information we want to provide can understand it or are even interested.
Perhaps more critical today is recognizing and combating the formidable power of health misinformation to sabotage the health and well-being of the public and, conversely, provide credible, evidence-based information. Clearly, if the vast majority of our population had consistently accessed factual news and information based on sound scientific principles about the nature and spread of the virus and the necessity of public health guidelines, no matter how imperfectly guidelines evolved, we would likely be living in a scenario of recovery from the pandemic rather than continuing to watch case numbers and deaths rise across the country with a more contagious variant.
As increasingly reported, misinformation spreads much more quickly than factual information. A study conducted by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and published in the prestigious Science journal compared the diffusion of verified true and false news articles that appeared on Twitter from 2006 through 2017 (Vosoughi, Roy, Aral, 2018). They found that false articles diffused significantly 'farther, faster, deeper, and more broadly than factual articles in all information categories. The reason? Researchers concluded that false information was more novel and engaged more emotional reactions like fear, disgust, and surprise than factual information. Thus it was more likely shared with friends and family. Unfortunately, those who disseminate misinformation for whatever reason are increasing, and there are currently no regulations that require news and information to be fact-checked and truthful. Health and wellness experts then have a responsibility to recommend therapies with evidence of efficacy and safety, disseminate accurate information from responsible government, education, and health organizational sites, and provide guidelines to help the public discern what health resources provide accurate information.
The consequences of not tackling health misinformation can obviously have grim consequences. We have all watched as misinformation on vaccination has negatively impacted the country's response to the pandemic. It is a fact that vaccination is one of the great modern triumphs against serious widespread infectious disease, along with antibiotics and proper hygiene. But misinformation and disinformation in social media as well as in certain national media websites and broadcasts has cast doubt on vaccine efficacy and safety and has politicized public health guidelines, leading to a substantial proportion of the population refusing vaccination rather than viewing it as a most fortunate solution and moving towards herd immunity. Even before the pandemic, misinformation about vaccines, in general, had been rising, and infectious diseases formerly conquered, like measles, began to reappear and put children at risk.
Another important skill I would mention that health and wellness graduates should cultivate is an ability to forge caring relationships with individuals or groups based on trust and ethics to inspire confidence in their expertise. It is important to realize that one's ability to reach and persuade people they want to help is largely dependent on whether those people respect and trust them. Health and wellness experts should be involved in their community and demonstrate empathy and concern beyond merely providing credible health and wellness information from reputable resources.
What Health Sanitarian skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Mark Hardy: My suggestion to someone considering taking a gap year - do so only if you need the extra time to confirm or define what you want to do or become. And, take after high school, not after obtaining your undergraduate degree.
Dr. Molly Greaney Ph.D.
Chair of Health StudiesUniversity of Rhode Island
Department of Health Studies
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Health Sanitarians in the next 5 years?
Dr. Molly Greaney Ph.D.: I think there will be an increased demand for health science graduates. The pandemic has brought the importance of public health and robust public health infrastructure to the forefront. It also has made evident the need to address health inequities, promote healthful behaviors, and the importance of prevention, including primary prevention.
Dr. Erika Austin
Associate Professor, Associate DeanUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham
School of Public Health
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Health Sanitarians in the next 5 years?
Dr. Erika Austin: Dramatic increase.
What experience really stands out on Health Sanitarian resumes?
Joshua Thompson: In my opinion, the best experiences that stand out on a resume are first, the internship, and second, any extra-curricular activities the student is involved in. Students can provide additional information during an interview from their experiences in an internship. Student involvement shows other initiatives and potential self-motivation, which are positives for any employer.
In the current environment we are in, having any understanding and experience in the field, even as someone who is in their first professional employment opportunity, and not just a desire but a propensity to not only show up but complete tasks to better themselves, will provide value to the organization, and in turn, potentially separate the new employee from their peers.
Dr. Stefanie Corbett
Chair of the Department of Health Care Administration and Human Resource ManagementLimestone University
Department of Health Care
What type of skills will young Health Sanitarians need?
Dr. Stefanie Corbett: Health care administration graduates will need a combination of hard and soft skills when entering the workforce. Students need to be skilled in accounting, finance, policy, technology, leadership, communication, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. Although it may take years of on-the-job experience to develop mastery of these skills, students should take advantage of internship, residency, and extracurricular opportunities to establish proficiency before graduation.
Halaevalu Ofahengaue Vakalahi
Dean and ProfessorHawai'i Pacific University
College of Health & Society
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Health Sanitarians to find work opportunities?
Halaevalu Ofahengaue Vakalahi: The aftermath of COVID, and the recovery phase, will yield increased employment opportunities in social work across the country and the globe. Social work is a rich and broad field, as our curriculum educates students in practice, policy, research, theory, and the signature pedagogy of field education/practicum. You can't go wrong with that span of the knowledge base. It is a versatile degree for any career of interest.