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Public health director salary
Average public health director salary
$85,569
Understanding Public Health Director Salaries
The role of a Public Health Director is critical in managing health programs, policies, and initiatives that affect community health. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is approximately $85,569 annually. This figure varies by state, reflecting differences in local cost of living and demand for public health services.
Salary Variations by State
Public Health Directors in states like California and New York typically earn higher salaries due to increased living costs and demand. For example, top-paying states can offer salaries exceeding $100,000.
Factors Influencing Salary
Experience plays a significant role in salary determination. New directors may start at lower salary ranges, while those with extensive backgrounds in public health management can command significantly higher wages. Additionally, industry choice impacts earnings; public health directors in academic or corporate settings often see higher compensation compared to those in governmental roles.
Understanding these dynamics can help aspiring directors set realistic salary expectations and identify the best opportunities for career advancement.
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Where can a Public Health Director earn more?
Public health director salary estimates from across the web
Average public health director salary by state
The highest-paying states for public health directors are New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine. The lowest average public health director salary states are Arkansas, Arizona, and Kansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for public health directors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Carolina | $100,357 | $48.25 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $121,532 | $58.43 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $100,087 | $48.12 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $110,902 | $53.32 |
| 5 | Delaware | $115,095 | $55.33 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $121,256 | $58.30 |
| 7 | North Carolina | $98,299 | $47.26 |
| 8 | Maine | $118,237 | $56.84 |
| 9 | Michigan | $89,188 | $42.88 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $86,121 | $41.40 |
| 11 | Vermont | $102,676 | $49.36 |
| 12 | Alabama | $84,297 | $40.53 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $86,886 | $41.77 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $96,055 | $46.18 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $102,184 | $49.13 |
| 16 | Ohio | $86,488 | $41.58 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $100,288 | $48.22 |
| 18 | Georgia | $94,597 | $45.48 |
| 19 | Illinois | $97,289 | $46.77 |
| 20 | Washington | $87,323 | $41.98 |
| 21 | New York | $97,530 | $46.89 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $80,403 | $38.66 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $84,749 | $40.74 |
| 24 | Alaska | $92,399 | $44.42 |
| 25 | Colorado | $87,917 | $42.27 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $88,866 | $42.72 |
| 27 | Maryland | $88,007 | $42.31 |
| 28 | Idaho | $80,665 | $38.78 |
| 29 | California | $86,166 | $41.43 |
| 30 | Iowa | $82,731 | $39.77 |
| 31 | District of Columbia | $85,792 | $41.25 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $81,650 | $39.25 |
| 33 | Texas | $83,950 | $40.36 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $76,449 | $36.75 |
| 35 | Missouri | $81,122 | $39.00 |
| 36 | Nevada | $82,464 | $39.65 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $77,629 | $37.32 |
| 38 | Indiana | $75,730 | $36.41 |
| 39 | Virginia | $84,016 | $40.39 |
| 40 | Oregon | $84,012 | $40.39 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $71,547 | $34.40 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $79,315 | $38.13 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $75,680 | $36.38 |
| 44 | Arizona | $70,316 | $33.81 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $67,830 | $32.61 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $71,944 | $34.59 |
| 47 | Utah | $72,512 | $34.86 |
| 48 | Kansas | $68,957 | $33.15 |
| 49 | Florida | $72,915 | $35.06 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $66,240 | $31.85 |
| 51 | Montana | $64,049 | $30.79 |
Highest paying cities for public health directors
The highest-paying cities for public health directors are Boston, MA, Columbia, SC, and Minneapolis, MN.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $121,742 | $58.53 |
| 2 | Columbia, SC | $100,783 | $48.45 |
| 3 | Minneapolis, MN | $100,076 | $48.11 |
| 4 | Winston-Salem, NC | $98,657 | $47.43 |
| 5 | Detroit, MI | $89,609 | $43.08 |
| 6 | Harrisburg, PA | $88,468 | $42.53 |
| 7 | Frederick, MD | $88,003 | $42.31 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | $87,923 | $42.27 |
| 9 | Berkeley, CA | $87,730 | $42.18 |
| 10 | Washington, DC | $85,772 | $41.24 |
| 11 | Arlington, VA | $85,619 | $41.16 |
| 12 | San Antonio, TX | $84,585 | $40.67 |
| 13 | Portland, OR | $83,624 | $40.20 |
| 14 | Indianapolis, IN | $75,257 | $36.18 |
| 15 | Daytona Beach, FL | $73,632 | $35.40 |
Public health director salary details
A public health director's salary ranges from $55,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $131,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a public health director's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $131,000 | $10,917 | $63 |
| 75th Percentile | $107,000 | $8,917 | $51 |
| Average | $85,569 | $7,131 | $41 |
| 25th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| 10th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
Highest paying public health director jobs
The highest paying types of public health directors are medical director, service director, and practice manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse Manager | $83,684 | $6,974 | $40.23 | 380,264 |
| Pharmacist Manager | $93,996 | $7,833 | $45.19 | 61,178 |
| Practice Manager | $107,374 | $8,948 | $51.62 | 38,196 |
| Medical Office Manager | $46,435 | $3,870 | $22.32 | 100,339 |
| Patient Care Manager | $65,369 | $5,447 | $31.43 | 123,652 |
| Practice Administrator | $78,493 | $6,541 | $37.74 | 75,986 |
Top companies hiring public health directors now:
Which companies pay public health directors the most?
Public health director salaries at Jefferson County Health Center and Bipartisan Policy Center are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average public health director salary at companies like Satanta District Hospital and Amazon are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson County Health Center | $121,076 | $58.21 |
| 2 | Bipartisan Policy Center | $120,979 | $58.16 |
| 3 | Satanta District Hospital | $113,898 | $54.76 |
| 4 | Amazon | $111,248 | $53.48 |
| 5 | Abt Associates | $110,381 | $53.07 |
| 6 | Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine | $106,088 | $51.00 |
| 7 | UC Santa Barbara | $103,188 | $49.61 |
| 8 | Icma-rc | $101,674 | $48.88 |
| 9 | City of Detroit | $94,857 | $45.60 |
| 10 | Lincoln Memorial University | $93,492 | $44.95 |
| 11 | Ventura County Community Foundation | $93,274 | $44.84 |
| 12 | The State of Oregon | $89,836 | $43.19 |
| 13 | Ncpa | $88,480 | $42.54 |
| 14 | Colorado State Express | $87,740 | $42.18 |
| 15 | Guidehouse | $85,123 | $40.92 |
| 16 | University of Virginia | $75,708 | $36.40 |
| 17 | My Florida Regional Mls | $75,361 | $36.23 |
| 18 | Hood College | $70,219 | $33.76 |
| 19 | Bexar County | $68,587 | $32.97 |
| 20 | Buncombe County Government | $67,634 | $32.52 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Public Health Director salary by industry
The average public health director salary varies across industries:
- The average public health director salary in the non profits industry is $91,240, the highest of any industry.
- The average public health director salary in the finance industry is $90,682.
- Public health directors in the education industry earn an average salary of $70,719, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for public health directors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Non Profits | $91,240 | $43.87 |
| 2 | Professional | $90,682 | $43.60 |
| 3 | Finance | $82,514 | $39.67 |
| 4 | Government | $75,390 | $36.25 |
| 5 | Education | $70,719 | $34.00 |
High paying public health director jobs
Public health director salary trends
The average public health director salary has risen by $14,672 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average public health director earned $70,897 annually, but today, they earn $85,569 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for public health directors over the last decade.
Compare public health director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average public health director salary over time
Compare public health director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Public health director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $85,600 | $41.14 | +3.2% |
| 2025 | $82,900 | $39.84 | +1.2% |
| 2024 | $81,800 | $39.34 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $80,700 | $38.80 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $79,200 | $38.09 | +2.1% |
Recently added public health director salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fdihb | Director of Public Health Nutrition | Fort Defiance, AZ | 06/28/2025 | $71,309 |
| Alamance County (Nc | Public Health Nursing Director II | Alamance, NC | 06/26/2025 | $50,000 |
| Catawba Indian Nation | Public Health Director | Rock Hill, SC | 06/23/2025 | $95,000 |
| Rutherford County, Tn | Assistant Public Health Director-Health Department | Toone, TN | 05/25/2025 | $60,687 |
| State of Florida | Public Health Nutrition Program Director | Naples, FL | 05/16/2025 | $82,400 |
| City and County of San Francisco | Shelter Health Director (0932 Manager IV)-Department of Public Health | San Francisco, CA | 04/28/2025 | $164,034 |
| Zuckerberg San Francisco General | Shelter Health Director (0932 Manager IV)-Department of Public Health | San Francisco, CA | 04/28/2025 | $164,034 |
| Alamance County (Nc | Public Health Nursing Director II | Alamance, NC | 04/27/2025 | $50,000 |
| Oregon State University | Master's of Public Health (MPH) Administrative Director | Corvallis, OR | 04/17/2025 | $66,000 |
| Washington University In St. Louis | Director, Research Development-School of Public Health | Saint Louis, MO | 04/13/2025 | $84,200 |
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