Public health worker demographics and statistics in the US
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Public health worker demographics by:
Public health worker gender statistics
19.2% of public health workers are women and 80.8% of public health workers are men.
- Male, 80.8%
- Female, 19.2%
Public health worker gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 80.8% |
| Female | 19.2% |
Public health worker gender pay gap
Women earn 100¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$42,339
Female income
$42,211
Public health worker gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in public health worker positions over time. Currently, 19.2% of public health workers are female.
Public health worker gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 84.53% | 15.47% |
| 2011 | 82.05% | 17.95% |
| 2012 | 83.19% | 16.81% |
| 2013 | 84.45% | 15.55% |
| 2014 | 83.98% | 16.02% |
| 2015 | 80.68% | 19.32% |
| 2016 | 82.68% | 17.32% |
| 2017 | 85.59% | 14.41% |
| 2018 | 84.75% | 15.25% |
| 2019 | 84.47% | 15.53% |
| 2020 | 80.92% | 19.08% |
| 2021 | 80.76% | 19.24% |
Public health worker related jobs gender ratio
We compared public health workers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, public health worker and rehabilitation engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Breastfeeding Educator | 2% | 98% |
| Certified Lactation Counselor | 3% | 97% |
| Lactation Specialist | 5% | 95% |
| Donation Worker | 70% | 30% |
| Rehabilitation Engineer | 70% | 30% |
| Public Health Worker | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Public health worker demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among public health workers is White, which makes up 59.8% of all public health workers. Comparatively, 16.5% of public health workers are Hispanic or Latino and 10.6% of public health workers are Black or African American.
- White, 59.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.5%
- Black or African American, 10.6%
- Unknown, 6.3%
- Asian, 5.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
Public health worker race
| Public health worker race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 59.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.5% |
| Black or African American | 10.6% |
| Unknown | 6.3% |
| Asian | 5.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.0% |
Public health worker race and ethnicity over time
See how public health worker racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Public health worker race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 68.44% | 12.04% | 4.25% | 11.64% |
| 2011 | 66.86% | 13.30% | 4.62% | 11.77% |
| 2012 | 64.41% | 12.75% | 4.89% | 12.96% |
| 2013 | 65.01% | 11.15% | 4.57% | 14.61% |
| 2014 | 63.27% | 12.62% | 5.21% | 14.57% |
| 2015 | 65.37% | 11.87% | 5.98% | 13.28% |
| 2016 | 64.00% | 10.56% | 6.17% | 14.71% |
| 2017 | 64.03% | 11.60% | 4.99% | 15.92% |
| 2018 | 67.18% | 11.71% | 4.44% | 12.28% |
| 2019 | 65.13% | 9.34% | 5.68% | 15.48% |
| 2020 | 61.63% | 8.00% | 6.30% | 16.73% |
| 2021 | 59.85% | 10.59% | 5.78% | 16.48% |
Public health worker wage gap by race
According to our data, asian public health workers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american public health workers have the lowest average salary at $40,485.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $41,422 |
| White | $42,940 |
| Black or African American | $40,485 |
| Asian | $45,216 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $41,788 |
Average public health worker age
See how the average age of public health workers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Public health worker age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 40.5 | |
| White | 42.5 | 41 |
| Black or African American | 45 | 50.5 |
| Asian | 32 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 40 | 37 |
Public health worker age breakdown
The average age of public health workers is 40+ years years old, representing 55% of the public health worker population.
Public health worker age breakdown
| Public Health Worker Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 55% |
| 30-40 years | 27% |
| 20-30 years | 19% |
Public health worker educational attainment
The most common degree for public health workers is high school diploma, with 36% of public health workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 34% and bachelor's degree degree at 14%.
- High School Diploma, 36%
- Bachelor's, 34%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 10%
Public health workers by degree level
| Public health worker degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 36% |
| Bachelor's | 34% |
| Associate | 14% |
| Master's | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 10% |
Public health worker jobs you might like
Public health worker wage gap by degree level
According to the data, public health workers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $49,699 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, public health workers earn a median annual income of $43,158 compared to $38,025 for public health workers with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $49,699 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $37,087 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $43,158 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $38,025 |
Public health worker employment statistics
Most public health workers work for a government in the government industry.
Company size where public health workers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where public health workers work.
Public health worker jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 12% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 27% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 33% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 17% |
| > 10,000 employees | 5% |
Public health worker jobs by company type
Employees with the public health worker job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most public health workers prefer to work at government companies over private companies.
Public health worker jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 5% |
| Public | 2% |
| Private | 25% |
| Government | 68% |
Public health worker jobs by industry
The most common industries for public health workers are government, health care and education.
Public health worker industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 65% |
| Health Care | 8% |
| Education | 5% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Public health worker turnover and employment statistics
Public health worker unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for public health workers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Public health worker unemployment rate by year
| Year | Public health worker unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.67% |
| 2011 | 5.73% |
| 2012 | 7.54% |
| 2013 | 6.55% |
| 2014 | 5.84% |
| 2015 | 5.71% |
| 2016 | 5.17% |
| 2017 | 5.23% |
| 2018 | 5.73% |
| 2019 | 3.88% |
| 2020 | 3.90% |
| 2021 | 5.40% |
Average public health worker tenure
The average public health worker stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,363 public health workers resumes in Zippia's database.
Public health worker tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 33% |
| 1-2 years | 27% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Public health worker LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of public health workers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| HIV Counselor | 8.96% | 34,058 |
| Adult Parole Officer | 9.50% | 56,898 |
| Welfare Adviser | 11.25% | 11,336 |
| Communications Instructor | 11.48% | 39,659 |
| Crisis Counselor | 15.06% | 76,255 |
| Child And Adolescent Therapist | 15.06% | 69,031 |
| Public Health Worker | 20.79% | - |
Similar public health worker jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| HIV Counselor | 8.96% | 34,058 |
| Adult Parole Officer | 9.50% | 56,898 |
| Welfare Adviser | 11.25% | 11,336 |
| Communications Instructor | 11.48% | 39,659 |
| Crisis Counselor | 15.06% | 76,255 |
| Child And Adolescent Therapist | 15.06% | 69,031 |
Foreign languages spoken by public health workers
The most common foreign language among public health workers is Spanish at 69.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is German at 5.6% and French is the third-most popular at 5.6%.
- Spanish, 69.4%
- German, 5.6%
- French, 5.6%
- Russian, 5.6%
- Indonesian, 2.8%
- Other, 11.0%
Public health worker languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 69.4% |
| German | 5.6% |
| French | 5.6% |
| Russian | 5.6% |
| Indonesian | 2.8% |
| Other | 11.0% |
