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Job outlook for public health interns in the United States
Are public health internship jobs in demand?
Public health internship job and salary trends over time
Public health internship jobs over time
Public health internship job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,327 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 11,097 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 10,450 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 5,885 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 5,415 | 0.00% |
Average public health internship salary over time
Public health internship salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $37,987 | $18.26 | +3.6% |
| 2025 | $36,668 | $17.63 | --20.3% |
| 2024 | $45,988 | $22.11 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $45,208 | $21.73 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $44,666 | $21.47 | +1.0% |
Public health internship jobs by state
Most common states for public health interns
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 332 | 48% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 129 | 22% |
| 3 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 335 | 20% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 190 | 20% |
| 5 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,085 | 19% |
| 6 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 168 | 19% |
| 7 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 145 | 19% |
| 8 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,118 | 17% |
| 9 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 530 | 17% |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 177 | 17% |
| 11 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 960 | 16% |
| 12 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,142 | 15% |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 847 | 15% |
| 14 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 465 | 15% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 200 | 15% |
| 16 | Vermont | 623,657 | 94 | 15% |
| 17 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,430 | 14% |
| 18 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,207 | 14% |
| 19 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 827 | 14% |
| 20 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 263 | 14% |
Most common cities for public health interns
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muskegon | 1 | 3% | $39,013 |
| 2 | Aliso Viejo | 1 | 2% | $51,868 |
| 3 | Bentonville | 1 | 2% | $33,924 |
| 4 | Burnsville | 1 | 2% | $40,664 |
| 5 | Boulder | 1 | 1% | $40,904 |
| 6 | Metairie | 1 | 1% | $37,928 |
| 7 | Stamford | 1 | 1% | $44,270 |
| 8 | Tempe | 1 | 1% | $36,209 |
| 9 | Chicago | 2 | 0% | $32,563 |
| 10 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0% | $52,390 |
| 11 | Phoenix | 2 | 0% | $36,283 |
| 12 | Anchorage | 1 | 0% | $66,387 |
| 13 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $37,395 |
| 14 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $48,980 |
| 15 | Denver | 1 | 0% | $40,654 |
| 16 | Kansas City | 1 | 0% | $38,022 |
| 17 | San Francisco | 1 | 0% | $56,495 |
Public Health Internship job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of public health internship experts
Middle Tennessee State University
Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health
Michigan State University
Northern Essex Community College
Minnesota State University, Mankato
University of Notre Dame
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Wisconsin School of Business
Loyola University Maryland
Dordt University
Middlebury College
Bethel University
Eastern Virginia Medical School
University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Idaho State University
Harding University
Hawai'i Pacific University
What's a good job out of college for Public Health Interns?
Kahler Stone DrPH, MPH: There are many entry-level public health jobs that exist in local and state health departments that offer great hands-on experience into the wide range of public health service areas with high ceilings for growth in public health field. Nonprofits also hire public health graduates to be coordinators and community coalition leaders. A good entry-level public health job is a full-time and works directly with multiple projects, which is the nature of public health, interconnectedness. This first job opens so many doors for aspiring public health professionals and opens their eyes to the many different specialty areas to pursue once they are working in public health practice.
What Public Health Internship skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Amy Carroll-Scott Ph.D.: Practical experience is an essential and required part of all public health training, and any practical experience in a gap year or volunteer role would provide important experience. This can mean working or volunteering in a health care system to observe patient and population health needs, and the effectiveness of current services, or in a local health department or large public health focused nonprofit to understand the types of public health programs developed and implemented to meet public health needs. Due to the public health infrastructure being historically under-funded, these programs can always use volunteers or interns to help them with program delivery, evaluation, and other supportive roles.
Another type of experience would be opportunities at the grassroots level in higher-need populations or communities, assisting with mobile services, community clinics, or even community organizing. I can't stress this grassroots level experience enough, as the highest need communities are those who are typically minoritized and have been disenfranchised from medical and large public health institutions, and have little faith in such external "experts" being able to come into their community and be the ones to "fix" their health inequities without addressing their root causes in systems of oppression. Thus community-acceptable and sustainable solutions need to be co-created or fully driven by community needs and leaders. Therefore, those looking to be an external ally to such community-based public health efforts would benefit from some exposure and service to these programs, and learning skills of cultural humility, respectful listening, and community participatory and empowerment approaches.
What general advice would you give to a Public Health Internship?
Dr. Amy Carroll-Scott Ph.D.: I can't resist the opportunity to tell graduates that this is a critical time to join the public health workforce. While there are always jobs in medicine, and our medical systems are an important part of our public health infrastructure, research has shown for a long time that our health is 80% determined by these social determinants of health I mentioned above, and only 20% by genetics and health care. That means that to create sustainable improvements to the public's health, these issues will need to be addressed. This is always true, but never more true than in a global pandemic where living conditions and economic resources are such dramatic protective or risk factors. Public health is the field - both in research and in practice - that works across disciplines in a truly collaborative way.
People can't be healthy if they don't have stable housing or enough nutritious food to eat, and so the solutions require collaboration, curiosity, and creativity. And your colleagues will be passionate. My advice is to seek a public health major or minor in college to see what it's about, or think about a 5-year degree where you will graduate with a bachelor's and master's in public health. And if you've recently graduated, look for MPH programs or spend a year or two in one of the above kinds of public health settings to kick-start your public health career. We will be excited to have you! We know it will take all of our passionate public health workforce to manage the COVID response and longer-term recovery, and finally address the generations of racial and socioeconomic health inequities that a country like the United States has the capacity to solve.
What's a day at work look like for a Public Health Internship?
Marty Jordan Ph.D.: In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, the public health crisis will affect every public administration employee's day-to-day job. Each graduate, whether tasked with assessing an agency's budget, managing a township's property taxes, or overseeing a non-profit organization, will have to understand the pandemic's impact on position and responsibilities. Crisis events typically monopolize resources and attention and pervade other essential areas. Given this, I imagine that recent graduates will have to integrate their knowledge of the pandemic into their responsibilities and duties, regardless of whether they work in public health, taxes, management, economic development, social services, fundraising, etc. Recent graduates will have to leverage their experience to respond to challenges directly or indirectly related to Covid-19 in the short and long-term.
Kathleen O'Keefe
Education and Career AdvisorNorthern Essex Community College
Adult Education.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Public Health Interns?
Kathleen O'Keefe: Underemployment is a potential consequence, much like with the recession in 2008. Psychology majors may be better positioned because of their skills and expertise - many of the lasting impacts of the pandemic will require good counseling and support and healthcare. All that said, much will depend on how quickly the economy as a whole rebounds. If people don't have discretionary money or health insurance, they may not be in a financial position to seek assistance for their mental health. This, of course, would negatively impact anyone working in this field but especially the new graduate who may have a harder time navigating the marketplace and who may have less in terms of skills and experience. It's also important to keep in mind that psychology majors go on to do a variety of things - many will go to graduate school, others will look for roles with non profits, working with community groups, rehabilitation services, business and industry, government, etc. Non profits have been negatively impacted so graduates need to be strategic in seeking out industries where they may have a better chance of getting hired.
What technical skills for a Public Health Internship stand out to employers?
Kathleen O'Keefe: Very much depends on industry but I believe you are most interested in psychology. MS Word and Excel; Google Docs and Sheets; video conferencing including Zoom, Google Meet/Duo, FaceTime, etc. Industry specific software or the ability to learn software with minimal training or tutorials
What's a good job out of college for Public Health Interns?
Marlene Tappe Ph.D.: A good job for a graduate is with a local county or city public health department. One of recent our graduates is engaged in a variety of activities for a very visible county public health department here in Southern Minnesota. A position at a local public health department will provide the entry-level professional with great insight and experience related to local public health and how it is influenced by agencies and organizations at the local, state, and national levels. This insight and experience will serve them well as they move on to graduate school and/or positions at the regional, state, or national level.
Warren von Eschenbach Ph.D.
Associate Vice President and Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs (ND International) and Associate Teaching ProfessorUniversity of Notre Dame
ND International and Philosophy
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Public Health Interns?
Warren von Eschenbach Ph.D.: It is hard to see how the pandemic will not have an enduring impact on all of us; the question is whether the disruptions we are experiencing in the job market, in education, with social activities, and even geopolitical alignments, will continue long-term and to what extent there will be positive or negative consequences. The pandemic certainly has underscored the rapidity with which change can occur and the importance of resiliency and adaptability in the face of adversity.
What type of skills will young Public Health Interns need?
Warren von Eschenbach Ph.D.: Critical thinking and communication skills, information and quantitative literacy, teamwork and problem-solving abilities, ethical reasoning, and intercultural competency-all hallmarks of a liberal arts education-will continue to be essential skills for the future. But because of the rapid pace of technological, economic, and social change, graduates will need to possess an ability to continually learn anew, to be comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty, and to anticipate future trends or issues.
The pandemic has also shown that many of the big issues we are facing are complex, multi-faceted, and interdisciplinary in nature. Graduates who can integrate various paradigms into a larger framework will have a distinct advantage.
What experience really stands out on Public Health Internship resumes?
Warren von Eschenbach Ph.D.: We often talk about the desirability of gaining T-shaped skills-ones that are both broad and deep. The future will require a metaphor that is more dynamic and iterative to capture the realities of the job market. Experiences that demonstrate a purposive range of activities to expand one's knowledge and abilities, such as service-learning, a professional experience, or undergraduate research, will be key for building this dynamic skill set.
What skills stand out on Public Health Internship resumes?
Julie Way: These are the most in-demand attributes year after year...
-Problem-solving skills and experience
-Ability to work on a team
-Industry-related Technical skills
-Analytical and quantitative skills
-Leadership
-Communication skills
-Strong work ethic
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Public Health Interns to find work opportunities?
Julie Way: While there are job opportunities for STEM students almost anywhere in the country, certainly large metropolitan areas hire more prolifically than rural and geographically challenging. I found a USAToday article that lists the top 15 cities hiring high tech workers, however, these lists will change year to year.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Public Health Internship job market given the pandemic?
Julie Way: Unfortunately, we're already seeing a downturn in recruiting and hiring. It's far more challenging for students to find and secure full-time jobs and internships than before the pandemic. Some companies were forced to cancel their internship programs and curtail their full-time hiring. However, industries with a technology focus have been least affected by the pandemic in terms of demand for their products and services, they've been able to more easily move to a remote working model, and the consensus is that remote work has been hugely successful, certainly more so than expected.
I believe we'll also see an influx of innovative technologies and automation that will increase the ability for companies to offer online and remote services, and the technology sector of the job market will increase correlatively because of the demand for the design, development, and implementation, and management of those new technologies.
So, the demand for STEM students remains stronger than for most, and it will continue to increase technology sector will be the first to bounce back. We saw that in the 2008-2009 economic downturn, and it's predicted the same will happen when the pandemic is better managed, and things are able to open up again.
And then there's healthcare, where the demand for healthcare professionals is growing daily and expected to outpace every other industry in the next 10 years.
What experience really stands out on Public Health Internship resumes?
Carl Barlett: While good GPAs and relevant majors are all well and good, students put too much focus on them in my experience. When I interviewed potential employees, what stood out for me on resumes was always something that made me want to ask them more questions. This might have been anything from in-depth projects or simulations they had participated in, case competitions they had voluntarily taken part in, or even unique hobbies they pursued in their free time. Anything that showed a spark of intellectual curiosity was paramount to me. In my experience, those with genuine interest and the desire to continue learning about what they do will always outlast those that approach their resume or professional skills as a checklist to complete.
Thomas McCreight
Associate ProfessorLoyola University Maryland
Classics Department
What Public Health Internship skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Thomas McCreight: Our students tend to take a few years before settling on a career path. Many go to law school (our most recent grad who did so got a boatload of money, which is pretty rare for law schools); historically, all our graduates who have applied have gotten into good placs, and most in top-20 institutions. The three other graduates of 2020 took different paths: one is working for a relative who runs a business essential to the COVID response; another (double major in Writing) spent time writing for a few specialist journals and has applied to an MA program; the other, a second-generation immigrant, plans to apply to graduate school in Europe after the pandemic calms.
Over half of our majors double major in another field (we even had one in Chemistry about 20 years ago), and that gives them added flexibility (History and English are the two most common other majors for our double majors). Even in these tough times for academia, we have had students apply to and get large fellowships and scholarships for further study in Classics or History (2 Ph.D. acceptances, 1 M.A. in the last 4-5 years). A good percentage go into secondary education (teaching Latin and, often, something else in high school or junior high); these tend to work toward getting a master's degree in teaching as they move through their first years of employment. A couple have taken jobs at Loyola in administration or student life and used the university's benefits to get a degree in another field: for example, one double History and Classics major (and Phi Beta Kappa) got an MBA at Loyola and is now working in administration at another university. A few more of our double majors (Art History is another common component) have worked in the publishing industry, sometimes starting on the ground floor as proofreaders and have then moved up. One of these then moved into a Ph. D. program in Linguistics in Europe and hopes to land in a think tank or government agency here or in the EU.
Over the last 10 years or so we have had graduates spend 2 or more years in service-related work (the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and Teach for America have been common destinations) before continuing with work in the religious sector or social work.
What type of skills will young Public Health Interns need?
Thomas McCreight: We graduate interesting and interested people with broad curiosities and varied but complementary skills. Oral and especially written communication skills are probably their greatest strong point, along with a taste and capacity for hard work: one doesn't learn Ancient Greek on a lark. Managing hard languages from ancient societies, and being able to imagine oneself into a culture far removed in time, distance and culture, require flexibility of mind and spirit and a willingness to take intellectual risks. Additionally, over the last 6-7 years I have noted an increased trend toward valuable group work and collaboration in a cross-disciplinary way, and more sophisticated work with computers (this trend is, of course, not restricted to our department). For example, one student (a double major in Art History) who wrote an honors thesis (and took the medal for the highest GPA in his graduating class) did some of his own programming. He designed some tools to track changes in pronunciation of Latin (as evidenced, for instance, in gravestones of soldiers) in France, Spain and elsewhere in Europe as vernacular languages began to emerge from Latin as the empire splintered.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Public Health Interns?
Dr. Timothy Soelen: While we are certainly going through something awful, there are are also some silverlinings. Education graduates are experiencing something unique, something so disruptive to the norm. They are experiencing life, and in some ways, life in the real world that has ups and downs, varying flow versus the slow, steady, somewhat static life of school. The pandemic has broke this imaginary but real boundary. Adapting to this disruption, finding alternative solutions to learning, should be an incredible value-add to their problem-solving skill set. I'm imagining a new curricular that taps the here and now for project-based and problem-based elarning. And assessments that move way beyond simple answers but ones that require an understanding of the complexity of the world we live in.
What type of skills will young Public Health Interns need?
Dr. Timothy Soelen: I was going to say flexibility but I'll choose elasticity instead. The abilty to change and adapt, be stretched and compressed. People capable of pivoting as quickly as our best educators did in March of 2020.
What type of skills will young Public Health Interns need?
Don Wyatt: In addition to facility at communicating virtually, both orally and in writing, I think the most important "skills" are really attitudinal, being versatility and optimism. Versatility is epitomized by being flexible enough to relocate to and work productively from any variety of locations other than the conventional workplace, as well as being able to approach and even embrace suddenly changed job conditions and responsibilities fluidly. Optimism involves remaining upbeat about an economy that is bound to change but not always at all for the better. As "skills," versatility and optimism are also important to develop because they are mutually reinforcing.
What experience really stands out on Public Health Internship resumes?
Don Wyatt: The experience that most stands out on resumes is of two types, having been rather constant and very likely to continue to be so for the foreseeable future. They are the demonstrated abilities to work independently and also to work as part of a group. The first indicates one's capacity to be resourceful and creative as needed, especially under such pressures as deadlines. The second shows one to be an effective collaborator, to be able to function constructively and harmoniously as member of a team. Being truly successful in the world of work requires some combination of both types of experience.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Public Health Interns?
Don Wyatt: One of the enduring lessons imparted to current graduates by the pandemic will be the ongoing prominence of virtual platforms of communication. By necessity, the pandemic has forced us to realize that certain tasks that were previously thought to be either extremely cumbersome or plain unworkable remotely are not only doable but that they even result in unexpected efficiencies. For this reason, whether or not there is ever a return to something approximating normal, precisely because of these more productive outcomes, graduates should expect that the use of much online technology, such as Zoom-for meeting, for interviewing, for instruction, and so forth, will be retained well beyond the pandemic.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Public Health Internship job market given the pandemic?
Christopher Gehrz Ph.D.: I'm not sure a historian will be the best predictor of future trends. But I do think the pandemic's dislocation of the economy underscores how unlikely it is that new college graduates will spend their careers on a single track. When not just individual companies but whole sectors of the economy can be thrown into turmoil so quickly, it's important that college students use liberal arts studies to cultivate a breadth of knowledge and skills. Not only because that kind of learning transfers easily from one job to another, but because it prepares people well for the more advanced graduate and professional studies that will help them retool, adapt, and advance.
What Public Health Internship skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Christopher Gehrz Ph.D.: In one sense, almost any gap year activity could be helpful, since one of the skills that Aacu they value most highly is the ability "to work independently." It's hard to make the transition from K-16 education, where so much of your time and work has been structured for you, into a work environment where supervisors will expect you to set priorities, accomplish tasks, and manage time on your own. So a gap year of any sort might give you a chance to hone such skills. COVID permitting, a gap year can also be a time to travel, to develop more of the intercultural competency and facility with languages that are increasingly important in an economy where your bosses, coworkers, customers, and clients might live halfway around the world, or at least come from a very different background than yours.
Dr. Robert Campbell Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorEastern Virginia Medical School
Master of Public Health
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Public Health Internship job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Robert Campbell Ph.D.: Public health is a general term that includes so many diverse occupations. In the School of Health Professions - Master of Public Health program, traditional public health nonclinical and clinical professionals include epidemiologists, biostatisticians, and research assistants. Nontraditional public health professionals include nurses, medical and health services managers, physicians and surgeons, clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, radiologic technologists, pharmacists, and emergency management directors. As a result of the pandemic and the need to perform contact tracing, there is a significant need for case investigators, contact tracers, data managers, and health analytics specialists/managers.
Dr. Molly Greaney Ph.D.
Chair of Health StudiesUniversity of Rhode Island
Department of Health Studies
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Public Health Interns in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Molly Greaney Ph.D.: Remote working will continue post-pandemic, and our reliance on technology to facilitate working remotely and collaboratively will continue to increase. I think telehealth is here to stay, and its use will expand and be refined. I also believe that the service of apps for exercise and well-being and addressing social isolation will increase.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Public Health Internship job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Deborah Riebe Ph.D.: It will be interesting to see an increased focus on health promotion/disease prevention following the pandemic. Studies already demonstrate that lifestyle factors, such as physical inactivity, obesity, and smoking, for example, increase the risk of severe Covid-19 infection. An increased focus on wellness would provide employment opportunities for dieticians, exercise physiologists, behavior change counselors, and other health and wellness professionals. For years, we have known that unhealthy lifestyle habits contribute to chronic disease; the pandemic may finally bring this issue to the forefront.
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 Public Health Interns in the next 5 years?
Dr. Erika Austin: Dramatic increase.
What experience really stands out on Public Health Internship 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.
Anita Killins Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorHarding University
Department of Physical Therapy Program
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Public Health Interns to find work opportunities?
Anita Killins Ph.D.:
This is a difficult question to answer. We have graduates that have found positions all over the country.
Our students often decide where they want to live first, and then search for a position in that area, with quite a bit of success. Finding a job might be a bit more challenging during this time, depending on the virus's location and status. However, many recent physical therapy graduates are still finding jobs.
Halaevalu Ofahengaue Vakalahi
Dean and ProfessorHawai'i Pacific University
College of Health & Society
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Public Health Interns 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.