PhD in Public Health- salaries and job routes?

[g999earth]

Hello!

Graduated with a B.A in Biochemistry and Public Health! Trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. Love teaching and public health research from my experiences in undergrad, but don't know anything about salaries and job routes after PhD. Interested in learning more about the PhD route- specifically job routes, salaries, and the job competition after PhD!

What are the different job routes that people with a PhD are able to go into? What are the salaries of university professors and those in public health leadership positions at non-profits or government institutions? What are the differences between starting salaries immediately after PhD and the salaries for those maybe 10 years + after their doctoral degree? Also, how hard/competitive is it to become a professor at a university after PhD?

Thanks for your help!

[DrPH Hopeful 2022]

I can't speak to the academic route, but I can speak to U.S. government civil service positions in public in agencies like NIH and CDC. I've worked at CDC for 10 years and have an MPH, and I'm currently applying to DrPH programs to qualify for higher level positions, particularly ones based abroad.

They follow the GS pay scale (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2022/general-schedule/). An entry level fellowship or job for someone with a masters will usually be a GS-9, and an entry level for someone with a PhD will be a GS-11. For climbing the ladder, the highest level scientific or leadership positions are a GS-15 and will require a PhD or MD, as will many GS-14 epidemiologist/health scientist positions. Hope this helps.