The ability to effectively approach emergency response preparedness and health promotion are just two of the many reasons that public health workers continue to receive well-paying jobs in Indiana.
In fact, according to the United States Department of Labor, public health professionals in Indiana earned some of the highest salaries nationwide in 2014.
Indiana recently suffered a public health crisis when an HIV epidemic swept the southeastern region of the state. In response to the outbreak, public health professionals working at the health organizations like the Austin Community Outreach Center, the Scott County Health Department, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are joining forces to offer HIV testing services, needle exchange programs, and HIV public awareness campaigns.
Another example of how public health workers are striving to promote health and safety in Indiana is the Jump In For Healthy Kids initiative. This statewide health project is designed to reduce the childhood obesity rate in the state by 12% by 2025. Public health professionals are using clinical training, public awareness, physical activity recommendations, public policy revisions, and nutrition education to guide youth residents to healthier, more active lifestyles.
Growing Demand and Good Pay for Indiana’s Public Health Professionals
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development recently published its list of Top 50 Hottest Jobs of the Future. This exclusive list highlights the fastest growing, high-wage occupations that are expected to experience great demand through 2022. Not surprisingly, public health careers were featured among these elite occupations:
- Nurse Practitioners: $87,510/yr.
- Medical Service Managers: $79,250/yr.
- Counselors: $42,926/yr.
- Social Workers: $41,110/yr.
Of course, there are still many other high-paying jobs available in the public health sector in Indiana. In 2013, the state government released the following salary averages for many occupations that have found niches within Indiana’s public health community:
- Social and Community Service Managers: $55,070/yr.
- Medical and Health Service Managers: $86,080/yr.
- Statisticians: $55,960/yr.
- Health and Safety Engineers: $69,580/yr.
- Epidemiologists: $67,060/yr.
- Microbiologists: $38,570/yr.
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health: $53,930/yr.
- Social Scientists and Related Workers: $71,780/yr.
- Social Science Research Assistants: $45,490/yr.
- Biological Scientists: $74,510/yr.
- Community Health Workers: $35,920/yr.
- Health Educators: $55,680/yr.
- Healthcare Social Workers: $48,590/yr.
- Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors: $36,450/yr.
- Rehabilitation Counselors: $33,190/yr.
- Miscellaneous Community and Social Service Specialists: $36,060/yr.
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists: $58,350/yr.
A Full Analysis of Salaries Among Indiana’s Public Health Professionals
A full analysis of salaries for public health professionals throughout Indiana is shown in the table below (United States Department of Labor, 2014):
