Both public health and nursing professionals share a common goal: to help people in need and support their general well-being. Individuals who are passionate about making a difference, working with people, and pursuing a career in healthcare can find incredible opportunities in both public health and nursing. Each field is rewarding, offering personal fulfillment and high salary potential.

However, public health and nursing are very distinct career paths. Public health promotes the health and well-being of communities on a large scale. These professionals develop and implement campaigns, policies, programs, education, and research efforts to track diseases, facilitate healthcare access, respond to disasters and epidemics, and keep people safe. Nursing, on the other hand, is all about delivering direct patient care. While nurses can make an impact on a large number of patients, they typically work with a few individual patients at a time, directly treating illness, injury, and disability.

Whether you wish to work with broad populations or deliver hands-on care in direct moments of need, there’s no wrong choice when it comes to your career. However, one factor that can help you decide between public health and nursing? Compensation.

Before choosing any career path, it’s important to weigh the salary potential and ensure you can make a comfortable living (ideally, with room for growth).

Let’s unpack the public health vs. nursing salary potential today.

Public Health Salary

The public health field is vast, with many different career paths available depending on your education and training. As such, salaries can range significantly in public health. Epidemiologists with a master’s degree in Public Health, for example, earn roughly 65% more than community health workers with little education. And yet, no matter which role you pursue, there is great salary potential in public health.

Here is a breakdown of some popular public health careers, with their educational requirements and expected salaries:

• Community health worker (postsecondary training): $51,030 annually
• Child development specialist (bachelor’s degree): Between $50,000 and $65,000 annually
• Health educator (bachelor’s degree): $82,870 annually
• Occupational health specialist (bachelor’s degree): $83,910 annually
• Biostatistician (master’s degree): $104,350 per year
• Epidemiologist (master’s degree): $83,980 per year
• Public health director (master’s degree): $117,960 per year

Typically, the more education you have under your belt, the more your salary will be. Bachelor’s and master’s degree holders will find the most job security in the field of public health, as well as the highest pay potential.

At Goodwin University, those interested in public health have the option to pursue both. Our bachelor’s degree in Public Health is a great stepping stone into impactful, forward-thinking public health roles like a health educator or health promotion specialist. Meanwhile, our master’s degree in Public Health is designed to get candidates into leadership roles they love, where they can directly create and influence policies, programs, and research that will help the greater good.

Find out how to become a public health professional at Goodwin!

Nursing Salary

While operating at a smaller scale than public health, nurses have the opportunity to make a major impact on the lives of their patients. Every day, nurses work hard to evaluate patients’ symptoms, listen to patient concerns, develop treatment plans, administer medications, operate medical equipment, and educate people about proper healthcare. Nurses wear many hats and often act as the backbone to hospital and patient care facilities. As such, they are often very well paid.

Like public health salaries, nursing salaries can also vary significantly depending on your title and your level of education. Nurses who have undergone more training and schooling are likely to see higher salary figures than those without. All nurses require education in some capacity, but it varies by role.

Below is a look at the different types of nurses, what’s required to earn the title, and the median salary for each:

• Licensed Practical Nurses (postsecondary certificate): $62,340 per year
• Registered Nurse (associate or bachelor’s degree): $93,600 annually
• Nurse manager or administrator (master’s degree): $117,960 per year
• Nurse practitioner or APRN (master’s degree): $129,210 annually
• Nurse anesthetist (master’s degree): $223,210 annually
• Nurse midwife (master’s degree): $128,790 per year

While the above figures represent the median salary in the United States, specific salaries can vary depending on a nurse’s credentials and concentrations, too. Some nurses pursue voluntary certification and training in dedicated areas of medicine like Oncology, Pediatrics, Mental Health, or Emergency Care, and therefore might see higher pay in a specialized role.

As you can see, there are a variety of career options within nursing—it’s not as simple as just becoming a nurse. However, most people start out as Registered Nurses (RNs). RNs are the nurses you typically find in hospitals and healthcare settings, providing care to patients in need.

To become a Registered Nurse, you must have at least an associate degree in Nursing. Many nurses, though, decide to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Nursing to increase their job opportunities, salary potential, and ability to get a master’s degree down the road.

Learn how to become a nurse through Goodwin’s nursing school!

Weighing the Public Health vs. Nursing Salary

Both public health and nursing offer the promise of an impactful and fulfilling future. In either field, you have the option to pursue an undergraduate degree and launch your career right after graduation, or a master’s degree, to grow and increase your salary potential.

For those looking to start a career fast, the nursing career path can be shorter in length. Becoming an LPN can be done in just one to two years, while Registered Nurses can become licensed after earning their associate degree. These culminate in salaries between $60,000 and $95,000 annually.

The path to a public health career is a bit longer, with a bachelor’s degree being the typical minimum for most high-paying public health professions. However, with a bachelor’s degree in hand, you can expect to earn $80,000 or more per year.

Salary isn’t the only factor when it comes to choosing a career, either. At the end of the day, it’s important to choose a field that aligns with your interests and goals. Do you wish to provide hands-on medical care, working directly with patients in need? Or, do you wish to contribute to research and develop large-scale programs that help entire populations? Your answer should dictate your career path.

When weighing the public health vs. nursing salary information, you can see that both offer great potential for success and growth. No career choice is the wrong one, so it’s important to choose a field that feels right in your heart. Whichever you choose, Goodwin University is here for you.

Goodwin is a leading healthcare school in Connecticut with flexible, online course offerings and career-focused programs for aspiring health professionals. Check out our public health and nursing degree options online today, or call 800-889-3282 to learn more.

*All salaries featured in this blog reflect averages from May 2024, reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.