5 Career Opportunities for MPH Grads in Health Policy

Graduates from Masters in Public Health programs have many different career specialty fields to choose from. One of those fields is that of Health Policy. People who work in the Health Policy field have direct impact on regulations made on issues of Public Health. Those who choose to work in Health Policy will find themselves employed with lobbyists, at public health regulatory agencies, and even agencies that are nonpartisan. The Health Policy field is heavy on the research, so those seeking careers in the field should enjoy doing research. Here are just five job titles in the field of Health Policy:

Academic Policy Advisor - The Academic Policy Advisor is responsible for creating sound policy. Nothing can happen until policies are made. This is an important position. As it is an academic position, it is one of mainly research. They have to be able to look at public health issues and find the key problems that need to be solved. They then need to be able to find solutions to fix those public health problems and make it into sound policy. Academic Policy Advisors usually find work in academic institutions. The salary varies depending on the place of employment.
Legislative Policy Advisor - Legislative Policy Advisors are more political in nature than other policy advisors. These policy advisors generally work closely with lobbyists and regulatory agencies. In order to be good at their job, the Legislative Policy Advisor needs to be able to conduct thorough research on issues arising in their public health specialty and pinpoint problems and come up with the solutions to those problems. The Legislative Policy Advisor then needs to be able to communicate those public health issues and how to fix them to the policymakers they work for. Depending on who the Legislative Policy Advisor works for, the annual salary range averages to between $54,000 and $114,000.
Management Policy Advisor - The Management Policy Advisor handles the financial aspects of public health policy. Management Policy Advisors work in both the public and private sectors. While just having an MPH degree is all that is required to get a job as a Management Policy Advisor, most would find a dual degree with a Masters of Business Administration would come in handy for their career. People seeking to become Management Policy Advisors can expect to find work in government regulatory agencies, hospitals, and non-profit organizations. The annual salary for Management Policy Advisors is dependent on the place of employment.
Policy and Research Analyst - Policy and Research Analysts work to identify the complex problems in public health and to develop the policies to solve those problems. Policy and Research Analysts work in government regulatory organizations and policy research firms. In order to be a good Policy and Research Analyst, you have to have extremely good research skills and capability to provide good statistical analysis. Depending on the organization the Policy and Research Analyst works for, the annual salary averages between $33,000 and $86,000. This is also based on previous experience in the field.
Health Policy Specialist - Health Policy Specialists handle the task of pinpointing problems in public health and coming up with the solutions to those problems. Health Policy Specialists work for government organizations, hospitals and even non-profit organizations. The annual salary for Health Policy Specialists range between $59,000 and $125,000 and is dependent on the place of employment.

As with any other career choice, it is important to pick a field in public health that you enjoy. When deciding to pursue a career in Health Policy, you should keep in mind that jobs in this particular field are generally more politically based than other jobs in public health. Those who work in Health Policy also need be really good problem solvers and good communicators. As long as you have an interest in the political side of public health policy and you enjoy solving problems and doing extensive research, a job in Health Policy is a wonderful career.

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