How To Become A Public Health Director: What It Is and Career Path

What is a public health director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

John Rivera Ph.D.

In essence, a public health director manages and oversees public health care programs and organizations. They are responsible for planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating various public health programs that aim to improve the community's overall wellbeing.

When you look closer at the job responsibilities of a public health director, you'll find that they are also responsible for managing departmental budgets, identifying areas of improvement when it comes to public health, ensuring compliance of public health workers with federal and local laws, as well as developing emergency response plans to help ensure the safety of the community during natural disasters, mass fires, and outbreaks.

Most employers look for candidates with a master's degree in public health, health care administration, or another relevant field. However, Bachelor's degree holders may still qualify. Other than tertiary education, public health directors must have substantial experience in the industry, ideally with three or more years of leadership experience.

This position comes with outstanding job security, benefits, and an above-average salary of around $91,000 per year.

What general advice would you give to a public health director?

John Rivera Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Public Administration, University of Guam

It is okay to be unsure and struggle through your transition from school into a career. The path is not always smooth even in the best of times. In this environment though nothing is normal and, in reality, we are all trying to figure things out. We don't have all the answers.

If I had any advice it would be to remain dynamic, agile, and don't be picky. This is a time of transition for many people, not just those who are graduating. The struggle is real, but you are not alone. Regardless, don't sit idle and wait for things to magically fall out of the sky. I tell my students all the time that at the heart of public administration is service. Know that you can be of service in a myriad of ways. Big and small - the work you do matters because you matter. Volunteer, get involved, and let people know you are looking for opportunities. Keep in mind that not everyone starts out with their dream job or dream pay. In fact, some of us are still dreaming about that pay. In many instances, it is a process. Be patient with yourself and be resilient. Step by step you will get there. However, you won't get anywhere without that first step. Be courageous.

If you really can't think of anything look at the things you can do immediately around you. For example: Get a hold of your old faculty, the ones that really made a difference and impacted your life. Let them know that you would like to volunteer to help with research or work on projects. Give back to your college or university. You may have forgotten what it is like to travel on an airplane - but sometimes the nearest exit (the closest opportunity) is behind you. You just need to look.

ScorePublic Health DirectorUS Average

Salary

6.7

Avg. Salary $85,569

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.1

Growth rate 28%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.72%

Asian 7.72%

Black or African American 12.65%

Hispanic or Latino 13.80%

Unknown 4.25%

White 60.87%

Gender

female 62.18%

male 37.82%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a public health director

Explore public health director education requirements

Most common public health director degrees

Bachelor's

61.9 %

Master's

25.4 %

Associate

5.8 %

Start to develop specific public health director skills

Skills	Percentages
Community Health	14.67%
Public Health	10.01%
Public Health Programs	8.44%
Public Health Issues	5.63%
Health Education	5.26%

Complete relevant public health director training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New public health directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a public health director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real public health director resumes.

Research public health director duties and responsibilities

Manage multiple patients, assessing ability to continue living independently or moving to higher acuity care.
Provide continuing medical education with HIV and TB specialists on the prevention and control of HIV and TB.
Provide oversight for communicable disease surveillance, investigation and control, epidemiology, and emergency preparedness.
Position demand expertise in grant oversight, strategic project planning, program management, and stakeholder collaboration.

Apply for public health director jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a public health director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams