What is a public health advisor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
Lester Andrist Ph.D.
introduction image

Public health advisors offer assistance and advice on matters that involve improving public health activities. Generally, they work with local or state government to promote public health or control health hazards.

The majority of public health advisors have a college degree. To cement their career as a public health advisor, candidates should have a high school degree. They will usually need experience in nursing, health visiting, social work, or counseling. Additionally, some employers may accept applicants with a degree in a subject such as sociology, health science, public health, health promotion, or psychology with relevant experience in a health care setting.

Public health advisors can earn as much as $29.61 per hour, amounting to $61,599 a year.

What general advice would you give to a Public Health Advisor?

L

Lester Andrist Ph.D.Lester Andrist Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Program Director Master of Professional Studies in Public Safety Leadership and Administration, University of Maryland

My advice is to remain in close contact with your graduate school contacts, especially your classmates. While on the job market, reach out to these contacts for information about job openings and feedback on your resume and other application materials. When starting a new position, reach out again for advice on navigating the politics of your organization. And don't forget to return the favor and pay it forward.
ScorePublic Health AdvisorUS Average
Salary
3.5

Avg. Salary $44,541

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.7

Growth Rate 12%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
10.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.42%

Asian 6.69%

Black or African American 14.95%

Hispanic or Latino 18.01%

Unknown 6.43%

White 52.50%

Gender

female 64.65%

male 35.35%

Age - 42
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42
Stress Level
7.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.6

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
9.1

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

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Public Health Advisor career paths

Key steps to become a public health advisor

  1. Explore public health advisor education requirements

    Most common public health advisor degrees

    Bachelor's

    60.0 %

    Master's

    28.5 %

    Associate

    4.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific public health advisor skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Health Education11.87%
    Patients10.51%
    NYC10.06%
    Public Health Programs6.51%
    Disease Control5.99%
  3. Complete relevant public health advisor training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New public health advisors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a public health advisor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real public health advisor resumes.
  4. Research public health advisor duties and responsibilities

    • Manage projects relate to mammography promotion, hospital profiling, prenatal care, immunization and diabetes.
    • Certify plan- base enroller certify covered California certify federally facilitate marketplace certify
    • Review EOB's and claims.
    • Maintain strict confidentiality for all patient information in compliance with HIPPA standards.
  5. Prepare your public health advisor resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your public health advisor resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a public health advisor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Public Health Advisor Resume templates

    Build a professional Public Health Advisor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Public Health Advisor resume.
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    Public Health Advisor Resume
  6. Apply for public health advisor jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a public health advisor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Public Health Advisor Job

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Average public health advisor salary

The average Public Health Advisor salary in the United States is $44,541 per year or $21 per hour. Public health advisor salaries range between $30,000 and $64,000 per year.

Average Public Health Advisor Salary
$44,541 Yearly
$21.41 hourly

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How do public health advisors rate their job?

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Public Health Advisor reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

I love the flexibility and autonomy in my work. Every case is different and can present a chance to educate and assist community members. We are filling the gaps that providers are often leaving empty.

Cons

Can be stressful and frustrating. Disgruntled individuals can be emotionally exhausting. Element of personal danger/safety issues, going into the field alone to locate people or privately test strangers.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

Humanizing infections and finding epi links. Speaking on one on with the community. Phlebotomy (drawing blood). Specializing knowledge in stis. Promoting public health.

Cons

Private providers not following cdc guidelines to syphilis treatment plans ...ie inadequate treatment for patients. Angry patients - But you learn to get over taking their anger personally.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Cons

Not teaming up because I trust team work is always the best to acquire knowledge and provide good result.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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