Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a public health physician
Quoted expert
Julie Aultman Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like public health physicians are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for public health physicians aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. Although there are abundant public health physician jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Northeast. North Dakota is the best state in the country for public health physician jobs.
In order to get you the best states for public health physicians, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that North Dakota is the best state for public health physician jobs, whereas Massachusetts is the worst.
10 best states for public health physicians in 2025
1. North Dakota
Total public health physician jobs: 185 Average annual salary: $173,199 Lowest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $264,000 Location Quotient: 1.462. Wisconsin
Total public health physician jobs: 1,276 Average annual salary: $168,676 Lowest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $261,000 Location Quotient: 1.693. Mississippi
Total public health physician jobs: 281 Average annual salary: $176,539 Lowest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $266,000 Location Quotient: 0.974. Ohio
Total public health physician jobs: 1,457 Average annual salary: $171,176 Lowest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $263,000 Location Quotient: 1.055. Nevada
Total public health physician jobs: 359 Average annual salary: $170,292 Lowest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $259,000 Location Quotient: 1.266. Kentucky
Total public health physician jobs: 593 Average annual salary: $168,319 Lowest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $261,000 Location Quotient: 1.187. Minnesota
Total public health physician jobs: 1,440 Average annual salary: $169,581 Lowest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $261,000 Location Quotient: 1.598. New Mexico
Total public health physician jobs: 271 Average annual salary: $173,022 Lowest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $262,000 Location Quotient: 1.019. Louisiana
Total public health physician jobs: 558 Average annual salary: $168,759 Lowest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $259,000 Location Quotient: 1.2810. Vermont
Total public health physician jobs: 83 Average annual salary: $174,964 Lowest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $265,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
Public health physician jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a public health physician
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a public health physician
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $173,199 | $113,000 | 755,393 | 185 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | $168,676 | $108,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,276 |
| 3 | Mississippi | $176,539 | $116,000 | 2,984,100 | 281 |
| 4 | Ohio | $171,176 | $111,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,457 |
| 5 | Nevada | $170,292 | $111,000 | 2,998,039 | 359 |
| 6 | Kentucky | $168,319 | $108,000 | 4,454,189 | 593 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $169,581 | $109,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,440 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $173,022 | $113,000 | 2,088,070 | 271 |
| 9 | Louisiana | $168,759 | $109,000 | 4,684,333 | 558 |
| 10 | Vermont | $174,964 | $115,000 | 623,657 | 83 |
| 11 | Alabama | $167,293 | $107,000 | 4,874,747 | 686 |
| 12 | California | $182,787 | $123,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,685 |
| 13 | Tennessee | $172,728 | $112,000 | 6,715,984 | 321 |
| 14 | Idaho | $166,611 | $107,000 | 1,716,943 | 281 |
| 15 | South Carolina | $164,982 | $105,000 | 5,024,369 | 919 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | $164,701 | $105,000 | 3,930,864 | 523 |
| 17 | Arizona | $167,255 | $108,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,208 |
| 18 | Florida | $173,280 | $113,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,109 |
| 19 | Michigan | $162,879 | $103,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,595 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $159,053 | $99,000 | 869,666 | 237 |
| 21 | Georgia | $169,131 | $109,000 | 10,429,379 | 778 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $166,323 | $107,000 | 1,342,795 | 282 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $165,591 | $105,000 | 1,920,076 | 267 |
| 24 | Arkansas | $159,890 | $101,000 | 3,004,279 | 417 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $170,853 | $111,000 | 3,588,184 | 310 |
| 26 | Montana | $165,603 | $105,000 | 1,050,493 | 146 |
| 27 | Indiana | $156,275 | $97,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,403 |
| 28 | Missouri | $160,702 | $101,000 | 6,113,532 | 960 |
| 29 | Virginia | $165,078 | $105,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,319 |
| 30 | Iowa | $158,042 | $98,000 | 3,145,711 | 553 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $156,892 | $98,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,780 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $162,558 | $104,000 | 1,059,639 | 166 |
| 33 | Illinois | $164,690 | $104,000 | 12,802,023 | 852 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $160,133 | $101,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,102 |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $162,642 | $103,000 | 693,972 | 275 |
| 36 | New Jersey | $166,684 | $107,000 | 9,005,644 | 562 |
| 37 | Colorado | $163,146 | $103,000 | 5,607,154 | 742 |
| 38 | Washington | $155,809 | $97,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,431 |
| 39 | Kansas | $154,465 | $95,000 | 2,913,123 | 427 |
| 40 | Maryland | $156,895 | $98,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,031 |
| 41 | Texas | $155,457 | $97,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,631 |
| 42 | Alaska | $156,158 | $95,000 | 739,795 | 101 |
| 43 | Delaware | $158,293 | $100,000 | 961,939 | 147 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $120,377 | $67,000 | 1,427,538 | 205 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $142,181 | $85,000 | 579,315 | 101 |
| 46 | Maine | $152,189 | $94,000 | 1,335,907 | 111 |
| 47 | Utah | $150,004 | $92,000 | 3,101,833 | 322 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $148,188 | $90,000 | 1,815,857 | 106 |
| 49 | Oregon | $154,558 | $96,000 | 4,142,776 | 344 |
| 50 | New York | $148,166 | $91,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,377 |
| 51 | Massachusetts | $150,541 | $93,000 | 6,859,819 | 646 |
Highest paying states for public health physicians
| Rank | State | Avg. Public Health Physician Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $173,199 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | $168,676 |
| 3 | Mississippi | $176,539 |
| 4 | Ohio | $171,176 |
| 5 | Nevada | $170,292 |
| 6 | Kentucky | $168,319 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $169,581 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $173,022 |
| 9 | Louisiana | $168,759 |
| 10 | Vermont | $174,964 |
| 11 | Alabama | $167,293 |
| 12 | California | $182,787 |
| 13 | Tennessee | $172,728 |
| 14 | Idaho | $166,611 |
| 15 | South Carolina | $164,982 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | $164,701 |
| 17 | Arizona | $167,255 |
| 18 | Florida | $173,280 |
| 19 | Michigan | $162,879 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $159,053 |
| 21 | Georgia | $169,131 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $166,323 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $165,591 |
| 24 | Arkansas | $159,890 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $170,853 |
| 26 | Montana | $165,603 |
| 27 | Indiana | $156,275 |
| 28 | Missouri | $160,702 |
| 29 | Virginia | $165,078 |
| 30 | Iowa | $158,042 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $156,892 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $162,558 |
| 33 | Illinois | $164,690 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $160,133 |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $162,642 |
| 36 | New Jersey | $166,684 |
| 37 | Colorado | $163,146 |
| 38 | Washington | $155,809 |
| 39 | Kansas | $154,465 |
| 40 | Maryland | $156,895 |
| 41 | Texas | $155,457 |
| 42 | Alaska | $156,158 |
| 43 | Delaware | $158,293 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $120,377 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $142,181 |
| 46 | Maine | $152,189 |
| 47 | Utah | $150,004 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $148,188 |
| 49 | Oregon | $154,558 |
| 50 | New York | $148,166 |
| 51 | Massachusetts | $150,541 |
Expert opinions on the best states for public health physicians
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for public health physicians to find work opportunities?
Julie Aultman Ph.D.
Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University
We need this future workforce to be innovative, to make important changes - from environmental and global warming initiatives (bioethicists who have a passion for environmental ethics) to being researchers and advocates for patients and others who might fall victim to the negative impact of the pandemic (clinical ethics, health humanities scholars). The transition to work will be slow, as the revitalization of our national economy, but there will be work.
We need these future minds more than anything right now. But again, mentors are going to be essential for helping these graduates get to that next phase in their lives. I am fully confident my dual-enrolled students (medical or pharmacy students who are also taking the Masters program in Medical Ethics and Humanities) will find work opportunities. For my traditional graduate students who are not in the health professions, there will be roles for these students in medicine and science (e.g., regulatory compliance).
However, I do encourage them to work toward a doctoral program as the MA degree is a non-terminal degree. I have had students receive work prior to the pandemic, and I would suspect similar opportunities post-pandemic, particularly in the sciences where ethics and compliance are so essential.
Public health physician best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
Search for public health physician jobs
Updated January 8, 2025