If you’ve always wanted an exciting career that involves helping others, you may want to pursue a career in the public health and safety field. Public health and safety careers offer incredible experiences for those who want to make a real difference in our world. Why are they so important? And what are some of those public health and safety careers available to you?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation defines public health as “the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities.” This can be as small as a neighborhood or as big as the world. The field involves protecting communities across the U.S. by helping to control disease outbreaks, ensure the safety of food and water, and curb leading chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. This is, without a doubt, important work.
So is the work of public safety. Public safety involves protecting the public from crimes, dangers, and other potential threats. Think, acts of violence, terrorism, and natural disasters. Both public health and public safety professionals work to protect the wellbeing of citizens, communities, and organizations, and many work together to do so.
If you choose to pursue a career in public health and safety, you will be choosing a life of improving the lives of others. Whether you work for a government agency or a small community health organization, your work will be to the betterment of other people.
What are some of the public health and safety careers that you may choose from, once you’ve earned your degree? According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, there are several categories of careers within the public health and safety field: food safety, drug safety, medical device safety, and safety from violence and abuse. Let’s explore some of these unique career paths.
Child Development Specialist
Child Development Specialists work directly with children and their families in order to evaluate their mental and physical development. This involves focus on their social and motor development, cognitive and language skills. Child Development Specialists work in a variety of settings, from schools and pediatric centers to private clinics and hospitals. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Child, Family, and School Social Workers earn a median annual salary of $49,760.
Health Promotion Specialist
If you have a passion for health, you may want to spread the important message with others. Health Promotion Specialists, also called Health Educations, teach people in the community about behaviors and lifestyle choices that promote healthy living. They develop strategies, programs, materials, and events to teach people about the importance of health and wellness. The future for this type of career is bright. The BLS expects employment of Health Educators to grow 11 percent over the next several years.
Occupational Health and Safety Expert
Occupational Health and Safety Experts focus on health and safety within the workplace. The often collect data and analyze information to determine proper work environments and procedures that promote health and wellness. This special role, like all of these public health and safety careers, requires at least a bachelor’s degree. And with that degree in hand you could go on to land this gig, which earns a median salary of $69,370 per year!
Food Health and Safety Specialist
If you’ve ever wandered through your local grocery store and considered how all of that food was processed and handled before it hit store shelves, you may be interested in working with the FDA or your state’s health department. Food Health and Safety Specialists play a critical role in our country’s wellbeing. According to the CDC, 48 million people—that’s one in six Americans—contract a food-borne illness, resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. Food Health and Safety Specialists, such as food inspectors, work to prevent such illnesses by ensuring proper packaging, labeling and distribution of goods. This type of career has no shelf life (see what we did there?) – the BLS expects employment for Agricultural and Food Scientists to grow seven percent over the next several years.
If any of these fascinating careers pique your interest, it may be time to consider pursuing a degree that will help you get there. Depending on your passions and goals, there are different paths you can take. Goodwin College, for example, offers a Bachelor’s in Public Safety, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health. Both degree programs offer students a bright future on a flexible timeline. Our classes are offered days, nights, and weekends, too. You can choose to study online, on-campus, or in a hybrid format. Earning your degree doesn’t have to mean putting your life on hold. You can pursue your degree while maintaining your other work and home-life responsibilities.
Contact Goodwin College today to learn even more about the public health and safety programs. Visit us online to request more information, or call 1-800-889-3282 to find out which program is right for you.
Goodwin University is a nonprofit institution of higher education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Goodwin University was founded in 1999, with the goal of serving a diverse student population with career-focused degree programs that lead to strong employment outcomes.