Hey, public health graduates! Now that you have your public health diploma, it’s time to hunt for that first job. Or maybe you are a career professional looking for your next employment opportunity. Sure, you could look at some of the major job boards, but you’ll end up slogging through thousands of non-specific postings. This blog post will show you the best places for finding your first (or next) public health job.
The two best search sites for public health jobs are (1) the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) Career Mart public health job search portal, and (2) the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) public health jobs website. But don’t stop there, the list of public health job posting sites is long! Find them here on this page.
Public Health Job Search Websites
The best websites for searching for public health job postings are provided by two public health professional organizations — The American Public Health Association and the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health.
The American Public Health Association Offers a Full-Service Public Health CareerMart
The American Public Health Association (APHA) is a membership organization for individuals from all disciplines of public health. Its membership base spans over 40 countries.
In addition to publishing the American Journal of Public Health and The Nation’s Health newspaper, hosting the APHA Annual Meeting and Expo, leading awareness campaigns, and “creating the healthiest nation in one generation,” the APHA provides the ultimate database of job postings for current employment opportunities in public health.
The APHA Public Health CareerMart is “the #1 job site for public health professionals.” It offers a full-service guidance center for employers and job seekers. In addition to public health job postings, the site offers a career learning center, career coaching, help with resume writing, and reference checking. It also provides a workplace resource for employers of people with disabilities.
Many of the APHA CareerMart’s features are free, including the job search portal; however, you need to be an APHA member to gain the greatest benefit from the resource. There is a fee for some services. APHA members receive discounts.
Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health Offers a Public Health Jobs Website
Another great resource to find public health job postings is the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) Public Health Jobs website.
ASPPH is a 501c3 membership organization in Washington, DC. Its membership consists of “CEPH-accredited schools and programs of public health as well as schools and programs in applicant status for CEPH-accreditation.”
Like the APHA Public Health CareerMart, the ASPPH Public Health Jobs website hones in specifically on public health jobs. Job seekers can search by keywords, location, and category of occupation or topic area.
Emory University Provides Another Great Job Search Portal
Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health provides another useful site for public health-specific job searches. This job site allows users to search by organization, job title, industry, discipline classification, position description, qualifications, and location. Another useful aspect of this site is that it keeps a list of active jobs organized by date. So, in addition to searching, users can simply peruse the list.
Partners in Information Access for The Public Health Workforce
The Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce is a webportal that helps “public health practitioners, policy makers, researchers and students quickly find and access data, tools, and resources for public health practice.” In addition to practice-related content such as health data, grant/funding information, public health news, and more, the webportal also provides a list of online job search sites. However, most of those sites are listed here.
If you have found a position using one of the general public health job search sites listed above, CONGRATULATIONS!
If you are still searching, then you might want to peruse the resources I have listed below.
Public health is an extremely broad field with numerous sub-disciplines. Although the websites provided below are not public health-specific, they do pertain to the health and healthcare industry.
I wish you the best of luck with your job search.
Dr. Julie Reagan
Government Public Health Job Websites
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) provides a search database of government public health careers. ASTHO is a national nonprofit organization representing public health agencies in the United States, the U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia. These agencies employ over 100,000 public health professionals.
ASTHO partners with Wanderly Technology to support a program allowing for rapid on-demand recruiting specifically for clinical and public health staff. This portal provides positions for both long-term positions and short-term or contract-based roles. For example, job functions such as contact tracers, case investigators, case resource managers, public health advisors, testers, temperature checkers, and more are provided through this site. Job seekers can limit their search by allied health, RN, and LVN/LPN categories.
Jobs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides an online portal for job postings at the CDC. Extensive information is provided for students. New opportunities for fellowships and internships are posted regularly.
The Career Pathways program provides guidance for students and recent graduates to have a rewarding public health career with the CDC.
If you are a student or a recent college graduate, and are looking for rewarding work experience to supplement your education, then the Pathways Program is just for you! The Pathways program is made up of three main components: the Internship Program which offers internship and summer employment opportunities to students; the Recent Graduates Program where recent college graduates can obtain enriching developmental work experience in public health and related support occupations; and the Presidential Management Fellows Program that offers leadership development opportunities to students who are in the process of completing their master’s, law, or doctoral-level degree within the academic year
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pathways for Students and Graduates. https://www.cdc.gov/jobs/pathways.html.
National Association of County & City Health Officials
The National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) provides a Career Network with numerous resources. Jobs with county and city offices and institutions are listed by NACCHO here.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Another great place to look for government jobs is on the website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Although HHS is headquartered in Washington, D.C., jobs with HHS are available around the world. HHS is composed of 11 operating divisions. This includes eight U.S. Public Health Service agencies and three human services agencies. Click here to visit the HHS job site.
Most other federal health-related agencies are governed under the umbrella of HHS. The list is very long. It includes agencies such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and many many more. You can go directly to these agencies to look for jobs. However, all jobs listings for these agencies will be posted on USA Jobs (see below). So, you might as well just head over to that site.
GoGovernment
GoGovernment is a job search and career guidance center provided by the Partnership for Public Service.
The Partnership for Public Service is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, working to make our government more effective for the American people. By inspiring a new generation to serve and bringing top talent into the federal workforce, we are transforming the way government works. Since 2002, the Partnership has trained over 15,000 students and interns on how to apply to federal jobs by visiting college campuses, hosting webinars,
and more.
GoGovernment. (n.d.). About Us. https://gogovernment.org/about/.
USA Jobs Provides Information About Federal Jobs and Careers
USA Jobs is the federal government’s official employment website. To learn about working for the federal government and how the government hires people, click here. To search for jobs, click here. Here job seekers. can search and apply for federal jobs and learn about unique opportunities for students, graduates, and veterans.
The following video will help you understand how to apply for federal jobs through USAJOBS.gov.
Public Health Job Websites by Topic, Discipline, or Profession
Academia
The Chronicle of Higher Education is a privately owned, independent news and information organization dedicated to covering colleges and universities. The Chronicle’s website allows academic job seekers to refine their search by position type (administrative, executive, faculty, outside academe) and employment level positions (adjunct, administrative, executive, fellowship, non-tenure track, post-doc, and tenure track). Searches can be further filtered by location, salary, and employment type.
AcademicCareers is a university job site that announces “faculty, lecturer, professor, adjunct, postdoc, researcher, and all professional staff and administrative jobs.” Job seekers can search by keywords and location, or they can browse jobs by category, state, and country.
AcademicJobsOnline is a similar job search site providing jobs in academe. The site lists jobs in health policy and public health.
HigherEdjobs.com was founded in 1996 “to list open positions at colleges and universities. Considered an industry leader, the site lists over 59,500 open positions from more than 2,400 colleges and universities.
Biostatistics
The American Statistical Association (ASA) provides a job portal for employment positions in statistics. Advanced features or available for ASA members.
The Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS) provides a job search portal for jobs in mathematics.
The University of Florida, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, provides a current listing of job announcements pertaining to statistics.
Economics
The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) provides a career center for health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) candidates.
Environmental Careers
The Environmental Career Center provides a job search database for employment opportunities in the environmental, sustainability, natural resources, energy, and green job sectors.
Epidemiology
The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) “works to advance public health policy and epidemiologic capacity.” Members of CSTE are states and territories representing public health epidemiologists. CSTE offers a job search portal containing listings of top jobs in epidemiology.
The Epidemiology Monitor is a career site that provides news about the latest developments in epidemiology. It also provides career-enhancing resources.
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the professional association for epidemiologists, provides a career center with job postings.
Global Health / International Jobs
The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) “is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries.” The organization works “with our partners to strengthen the capabilities of governments and the private sector to create and sustain high-quality health systems that can succeed without our assistance.” You can view open job positions with CHAI here.
The Global Health Council represents a number of industry sectors including academic institutions, think tanks, associations, and coalitions, contractors, consulting firms, corporations, corporate foundations, and non-governmental institutions. It operates in more than 150 countries worldwide addressing numerous global health issues. The Council provides a job board that currently lists over 2,300 positions.
You might also want to look at the international job listings below.
Health and Healthcare in General
All Hospital Jobs is a website dedicated to helping individuals find jobs at hospitals nationwide. The website provides information for “finding Physician, Nurse, Administrator, Medical Technician, Dietician, Clinical Specialist, Mental Health Worker and other Healthcare positions at Hospitals in all 50 states and Canada.”
The American College Health Association (ACHA) provides a job search portal for jobs in health-related and life sciences fields.
The Health Workforce Connector provides job postings for skilled health professional positions at the National Health Service Corps and NURSE Corps in underserved and rural communities within the United States.
Health Education
The National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) provides a Careers job search portal on its website for job positions requiring a Certification Health Education Specialist (CHES) or Master Certified Health Education (MCHES) certification. Jobs remain on the NCHEC website for 30 days unless employers request they remain longer. NCHEC allows employers to post jobs free of charge.
The Career Hub of the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) “features positions that further the careers of health education specialists and those in the health promotion, health education, and public health fields.”
Health Promotion & Disease Prevention
The Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR) “is the national membership association dedicated to advancing prevention and public health education, training, and research.” The organization was founded in 1942. APTR’s Career Center lists available jobs in this field.
International Positions
The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is a regional public health agency for the Caribbean. It is fairly new; it was legally established in July 2011. CARPHA provides a list of current vacancies on its website.
The Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH) organization provides information for international employment and service opportunities.
DevNetJobs.org provides international development jobs and consulting opportunities for international professionals.
The Global Health Council represents a number of industry sectors including academic institutions, think tanks, associations, and coalitions, contractors, consulting firms, corporations, corporate foundations, and non-governmental institutions. It operates in more than 150 countries worldwide addressing numerous global health issues. The Council provides a job board that currently lists over 2,300 positions.
The JPO Service Centre manages the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme and the Specialist Development Programme (SDP). “These programmes provide young professionals pursuing a career in development with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in multilateral technical cooperation and international development within a UN agency.” More information can be found here.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is the “world’s oldest international public health agency working to improve the health and well-being of people in the Americas.” Employment opportunities with PAHO can be here.
Reliefweb is another global job search resource. ReliefWeb is a humanitarian information service provided by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The resource provides job listings and training programs to help humanitarian organizations to disseminate career and training opportunities to a global audience.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of children. The organization provides detailed information about careers and job opportunities promoting child rights. The following video provides an overview about working with UNICEF.
UNJobs lists employment vacancies with the United Nations and other International organizations.
Career information at the World Health Organization (WHO) can be found here.
Life Sciences
The American College Health Association (ACHA) provides a job search portal for jobs in health-related and life sciences fields.
BioSpace.com is a life science news information source covering biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries. The BioSpace job board provides listings from companies of all sizes in various therapeutic areas. Job seekers can choose from the following industries: academic, biotechnology, diagnostics, government, healthcare, medical device, non-profit, pharmaceutical, research institutes, and service/supplier industries. Disciplines covered include administration, clinical, engineering, information technology, manufacturing & production, marketing, quality, regulatory, sales & service, and science/R&D.
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORAU) is an excellent place to look for job postings in scientific research and education. From its 121-member university consortium to its “strategic partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), we bring together university faculty and students to collaborate on major scientific initiatives that help keep America on the leading edge of science and technology.” Job postings can be found here.
Management and Executive
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) provides a database of executive and management careers. ASTHO is a national nonprofit organization representing public health agencies in the United States, the U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia. These agencies employ over 100,000 public health professionals.
The American College of Healthcare Executives is a professional organization for individuals in healthcare management or administration. The organization has a job center where job seekers can search for healthcare jobs, post their resumes, or review entries in a fellowship directory.
Execunet is a career advice site for senior executives “trying to get the attention of recruiters and hiring managers.” The job portal for this site contains jobs for senior-level executive positions paying $150,000 and more.
Nursing
The American Nurses Association provides a career center with a large database of available nursing positions. The site also provides career planning services.
Healthcare professionals seeking jobs will find Health eCareers a great resource. This job portal is useful for physicians, surgeons, nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) in various medical specialties. Health eCareers partners with thousands of healthcare employers across the nation as well as healthcare associations and community partners.
The Health Workforce Connector provides job postings for skilled health professional positions at the National Health Service Corps and NURSE Corps in underserved and rural communities within the United States.
Nurse.com is another good job search resource for nurses. The site also provides continuing education courses.
TravelNursing.org connects staffing agencies with nurses to fill staffing needs. The company works with recruitment agencies to find skilled nurses to fill short-term assignments. The organization’s job site requires individuals to provide information before being connected with recruiting agencies.
Nutrition
NutritionJobs is a job search source for dietitians and nutritionists. This site lists jobs for registered dietitians, nutritionists, dietetic technicians, and food service personnel.
Physicians / Surgeons
The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) provides a very useful professional development and career center for physicians.
Healthcare professionals seeking jobs will find Health eCareers (also listed above) a great resource. This job portal is useful for physicians, surgeons, nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) in various medical specialties. Health eCareers partners with thousands of healthcare employers across the nation as well as healthcare associations and community partners.
Physician Assistants
Healthcare professionals seeking jobs will find Health eCareers (also listed above) a great resource. This job portal is useful for physicians, surgeons, nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) in various medical specialties. Health eCareers partners with thousands of healthcare employers across the nation as well as healthcare associations and community partners.
Statistics
See Biostatistics above.
Did I miss anything? Are you aware of a great job search website that I don’t have listed? Please leave a comment below so I can add it to this page.