Massachusetts has made great strides in improving the health of its citizens, and was rated the third healthiest state in the nation in 2014 by the United Health Foundation. Further, Massachusetts had the highest percentage of residents with health insurance in the country in 2013, according to the Trust for America’s Health. Additionally, in a February 2015 report the Anne E. Casey Foundation highlighted Massachusetts as the state with the best overall health and well-being for children and teens.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has been instrumental in improving public health through education, public policy advocacy, and monitoring environmental health hazards and infectious diseases. The state has long been proactive in its approach to tracking environmental issues affecting public health. Its health department was one of only seven in the country to receive funding to implement such tracking systems in 2002. For instance, Massachusetts is in its fourth year of tracking pediatric asthma cases and has correlated episodes of this disorder in schools with the presence of moisture problems.
Epidemiologists at the Bureau of Infectious Disease identified Massachusetts’ first case of enterovirus D68 in 2015 and committed to working with healthcare partners and local public health to contain this highly contagious disease.
With its well-compensated state, local, academic, and non-governmental public health professionals, Massachusetts is well equipped to prevent virtually any public health crisis, and effectively deal with those that do occur.
A Salary Analysis of Public Health Professionals in Boston
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development provides a comparison of the salaries of public health professionals in the Boston metropolitan area for 2014. The pay for any given position can vary dramatically, but professionals with advanced degrees such as a Master of Public Health are likely to be those with experience who earn salaries on the high end of the scale.
Public Health Profession
Experienced Annual Salary
Median Annual Salary
Community and Social Services: Community Health Workers
$49380
$38980
Community and Social Services: Health Educators
$63950
$47840
Community and Social Services: Healthcare Social Workers
$67620
$59200
Community and Social Services: Rehabilitation Counselors
$47640
$34990
Community and Social Services: Substance Abuse & Behavioral Disorder Counselors
$49720
$39010
Computers and Mathematics: Statisticians
$103870
$82910
Healthcare Practitioners: Occupational Health & Safety Specialists
$84060
$72790
Life and Social Sciences: Biological Scientists
$117260
$80930
Life and Social Sciences: Environmental Scientists & Specialists
$81540
$61310
Life and Social Sciences: Epidemiologists
$100980
$77900
Life and Social Sciences: Microbiologists
$77900
$62090
Life and Social Sciences: Social Science Research Assistants
$60070
$46810
Life and Social Sciences: Social Scientists
$90870
$72390
Life and Social Sciences: Sociologists
$118290
$79010
Public Administration: Social & Community Service Managers
$79120
$60900
A Statewide Analysis of Public Health Professional Salaries in Massachusetts
For comparison, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a high level of detail on the hourly wages and annual salaries of public health professionals throughout Massachusetts for 2014.
Occupation
Employment
Hourly mean wage
Annual mean wage
Hourly median wage
Hourly 75th percentile wage
Hourly 90th percentile wage
Annual median wage
Annual 75th percentile wage
Annual 90th percentile wage
Social and Community Service Managers
6500
31.21
64910
28.61
36.34
45.68
59510
75590
95010
Statisticians
2310
41.80
86940
39.36
51.17
65.27
81870
106430
135760
Microbiologists(191022)
1980
30.88
64240
28.36
37.35
46.73
58990
77680
97190
Biological Scientists All Other
1920
42.76
88930
36.25
53.35
77.68
75400
110960
161570
Epidemiologists
430
41.32
85950
37.58
50.12
58.36
78160
104260
121380
Environmental Scientists and Specialists Including Health
2340
32.96
68550
30.59
41.37
56.46
63630
86040
117440
Sociologists
130
43.78
91070
37.99
61.43
79.91
79010
127780
166210
Social Scientists and Related Workers All Other
810
36.46
75840
34.53
44.99
56.21
71830
93590
116920
Social Science Research Assistants
1560
24.70
51380
22.43
28.31
37.04
46640
58890
77040
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
3570
20.46
42560
18.77
26.05
29.90
39040
54190
62200
Rehabilitation Counselors
5500
18.73
38970
16.20
22.15
31.91
33690
46070
66370
Healthcare Social Workers
11090
27.76
57740
27.89
33.54
37.49
58000
69770
77990
Health Educators
2300
25.18
52380
22.86
28.74
37.95
47550
59790
78930
Community Health Workers
1900
19.97
41550
18.24
23.87
30.17
37940
49640
62750
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
1050
35.58
74000
34.68
41.68
48.79
72140
86690
101480
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