Public Health — Salary, ROI & AI-Proof Rating at 31 Schools

What Public Health Graduates Do

Your work in public health puts you on the front lines of community well-being. As a medical and health services manager, your day could involve coordinating staff schedules in a busy clinic, analyzing budgets to improve patient care, and ensuring your facility complies with complex healthcare laws. Alternatively, you might work as an occupational health and safety specialist, inspecting construction sites with sound level meters and air quality monitors to prevent workplace injuries, or developing safety training programs for factory workers.

Many careers begin with foundational roles like health education or community outreach, where you’ll gain direct experience. From there, you can advance to become an independent specialist or compliance officer. With proven expertise, you can step into high-demand management positions overseeing entire departments and earning a six-figure income. While AI tools may help analyze health data or streamline compliance reporting, they can’t replace the critical thinking needed to manage a healthcare team or the hands-on expertise required to ensure a workplace is safe.

Registered Apprenticeship Pathways

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 11 registered apprenticeship occupations related to Public Health. Apprenticeships let you earn while you learn — most have zero tuition costs and pay wages from day one.

Apprenticeship	Training Hours	Type	Salary RangeSalary	Growth
Community Health Worker RAPIDS 2002CB	Competency	Competency	$50K – $63,000 – $84K	4.5%
Community Health Worker RAPIDS 2002HY	2000-2200 hrs	Hybrid	$50K – $63,000 – $84K	4.5%
Environmental Analyst RAPIDS 648	7000 hrs ~3.5 yrs	Time	$62K – $80,060 – $104K	4.4%
Home Health Director RAPIDS 1108CB	Competency	Competency	$89K – $117,960 – $162K	23.2%
Inspector, Quality Assurance RAPIDS 992	6000 hrs ~3.0 yrs	Time	$59K – $78,420 – $105K	3.0%
Inspector, Quality Assurance (Alternate Title: Quality Management Professional) RAPIDS 0992CB	Competency	Competency	$59K – $78,420 – $105K	3.0%
Long Term Care Nurse Management RAPIDS 1105CL	Competency	Competency	$89K – $117,960 – $162K	23.2%
Military Equal Opportunity (Military Only) RAPIDS 1077CB	Competency	Competency	$59K – $78,420 – $105K	3.0%
Regulatory Affairs Specialist RAPIDS 2062HY	3000-4000 hrs	Hybrid	$59K – $78,420 – $105K	3.0%
Senior Housing Manager RAPIDS 1109CB	Competency	Competency	$89K – $117,960 – $162K	23.2%
Wellness Coach RAPIDS 2016HY	2000 hrs ~1.0 yrs	Hybrid	$44K – $51,030 – $63K	11.3%

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database (RAPIDS). Wages and job growth from Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 projections.

Best Schools for Public Health

Top 20 of 31 schools ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. Click any row for full earnings projections and AI-proof analysis.

#	School	Score	EarningsEarn	ROI
1	Lemoore College Lemoore, CA	69 61–71	$30,446/yr	174.6x
2	Coalinga College Coalinga, CA	69 60–70	$29,951/yr	233.3x
3	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA	62 57–63	$41,503/yr	36.9x
4	American Public University System Charles Town, WV	55 49–57	$36,794/yr	25.2x
5	Florida Career College-Miami Miami, FL	53 46–54	$30,191/yr	—
6	Florida Career College-Pembroke Pines Pembroke Pines, FL	53 46–54	$30,191/yr	—
7	Florida Career College-West Palm Beach West Palm Beach, FL	53 46–54	$30,191/yr	—
8	Florida Career College-Hialeah Hialeah, FL	53 46–54	$30,191/yr	—
9	Florida Career College-Lauderdale Lakes Lauderdale Lakes, FL	53 46–54	$30,191/yr	—
10	Florida Career College-Tampa Tampa, FL	53 46–54	$30,191/yr	—
11	Florida Career College-Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL	53 46–54	$30,191/yr	—
12	Florida Career College-Boynton Beach Boynton Beach, FL	53 46–54	$30,191/yr	—
13	Florida Career College-Margate Margate, FL	53 46–54	$30,191/yr	—
14	Florida Career College-Orlando Orlando, FL	53 46–54	$30,191/yr	—
15	Florida Career College-Houston Houston, TX	53 46–54	$30,191/yr	—
16	Florida National University-Main Campus Hialeah, FL	52 45–53	$37,183/yr	10.9x
17	Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL	50 44–52	$36,992/yr	6.8x
18	Bryant & Stratton College-Online Orchard Park, NY	50 43–51	$33,828/yr	11.9x
19	Bryant & Stratton College-Albany Albany, NY	49 42–51	$33,828/yr	9.9x
20	Bryant & Stratton College-Syracuse North Liverpool, NY	49 42–51	$33,828/yr	9.6x
21	Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo Buffalo, NY	49 42–51	$33,828/yr	9.7x
22	Bryant & Stratton College-Parma Parma, OH	49 42–51	$33,828/yr	9.5x
23	Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach Virginia Beach, VA	49 42–51	$33,828/yr	10.1x
24	Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa Wauwatosa, WI	49 42–50	$33,828/yr	9.3x
25	Bryant & Stratton College-Online Orchard Park, NY	48 42–49	$28,528/yr	17.0x
26	Bryant & Stratton College-Albany Albany, NY	47 41–48	$28,528/yr	14.1x
27	Bryant & Stratton College-Syracuse North Liverpool, NY	47 41–48	$28,528/yr	13.8x
28	Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo Buffalo, NY	47 41–48	$28,528/yr	13.9x
29	Bryant & Stratton College-Parma Parma, OH	47 41–48	$28,528/yr	13.6x
30	Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach Virginia Beach, VA	47 41–49	$28,528/yr	14.5x
31	Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa Wauwatosa, WI	47 40–48	$28,528/yr	13.3x

Highest Earning Public Health Programs

Schools where Public Health graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	Score
University of Iowa	$41,503/yr	62
Florida National University-Main Campus	$37,183/yr	52
Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale	$36,992/yr	50
American Public University System	$36,794/yr	55
Bryant & Stratton College-Online	$33,828/yr	50
Bryant & Stratton College-Albany	$33,828/yr	49
Bryant & Stratton College-Syracuse North	$33,828/yr	49
Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo	$33,828/yr	49
Bryant & Stratton College-Parma	$33,828/yr	49
Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach	$33,828/yr	49

Best ROI for Public Health

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Public Health.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	Score
Coalinga College	233.3x	$29,951/yr	69
Lemoore College	174.6x	$30,446/yr	69
University of Iowa	36.9x	$41,503/yr	62
American Public University System	25.2x	$36,794/yr	55
Bryant & Stratton College-Online	17.0x	$28,528/yr	48
Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach	14.5x	$28,528/yr	47
Bryant & Stratton College-Albany	14.1x	$28,528/yr	47
Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo	13.9x	$28,528/yr	47
Bryant & Stratton College-Syracuse North	13.8x	$28,528/yr	47
Bryant & Stratton College-Parma	13.6x	$28,528/yr	47

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Considering a 4-Year Degree?

Compare the trade route with a bachelor's degree. See how Public Health degree programs stack up on earnings, AI disruption risk, and ROI.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Public Health graduates earn?

The median first-year salary across 31 Public Health programs is $31,660. School selection matters — the gap between the lowest ($28,528) and highest ($41,503) earning programs is significant.

How safe is Public Health from automation and AI?

Public Health is rated "Resilient" for AI resilience — 48% of job tasks involve hands-on work shielded from AI automation. That means a moderate share of career tasks in this field rely on skills AI cannot replicate.

Which school has the best Public Health program?

Lemoore College leads all 31 programs with a TradeSchoolOutlook Score of 69/100. Graduates earn $30,446/yr — the ranking weighs earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size equally.

Is Public Health worth it?

Typical graduates earn 32.9 times what they paid in tuition within a decade. This is a strong return on investment. Look at per-school ROI in the table above — averages can mask significant variation.