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What is a public health technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a public health technician. For example, did you know that they make an average of $17.29 an hour? That's $35,972 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 11% and produce 23,100 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScorePublic Health TechnicianUS Average
Salary
2.8

Avg. Salary $35,972

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.8

Growth rate 11%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.27%

Asian 7.86%

Black or African American 9.96%

Hispanic or Latino 17.89%

Unknown 4.21%

White 58.81%

Gender

female 65.85%

male 34.15%

Age - 46
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 - 46
Stress level
4.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.0

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
8.6

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Public health technician career paths

Key steps to become a public health technician

  1. Explore public health technician education requirements

    Most common public health technician degrees

    Bachelor's

    43.2 %

    Associate

    27.0 %

    Master's

    11.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific public health technician skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Food Safety11.14%
    Patients8.26%
    OSHA8.18%
    Public Health6.90%
    Hearing Conservation5.38%
  3. Complete relevant public health technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New public health technicians 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 technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real public health technician resumes.
  4. Research public health technician duties and responsibilities

    • Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and upload patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
    • Manage and conduct wartime decontamination procedures for patients, medical personnel and facilities.
    • Assist with immunization clinics and screening at local schools.
    • Visit work sites to ensure OSHA requirements are complied with.
  5. Prepare your public health technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your public health technician resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a public health technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable public health technician resume templates

    Build a professional public health technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your public health technician resume.
    Public Health Technician Resume
    Public Health Technician Resume
    Public Health Technician Resume
    Public Health Technician Resume
    Public Health Technician Resume
    Public Health Technician Resume
    Public Health Technician Resume
    Public Health Technician Resume
    Public Health Technician Resume
  6. Apply for public health technician jobs

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

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

How did you land your first public health technician job

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Average public health technician salary

The average public health technician salary in the United States is $35,972 per year or $17 per hour. Public health technician salaries range between $26,000 and $49,000 per year.

Average public health technician salary
$35,972 Yearly
$17.29 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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