Public health program directors, counselors, biologists, and epidemiologists are just a few public health figures working cooperatively to help improve the health status of the state’s residents, and earning a good living doing so. According to the United Health Foundation, in 2014, Iowa was ranked the 24th state in the nation for overall health.
At that time, the United Health Foundation determined that the Hawkeye State struggled with three major public health challenges, including: high incidents of binge drinking, inadequate access to primary care, and high rates of infectious disease. On the other hand, Iowa was also noted for its public health strengths, which included: low level of drug-related deaths, high percentage of high school graduates, and large immunization rates among children.
In a statewide effort to transform Iowa into the #1 healthiest state in the country, public health officials affiliated with non-profit organizations, faith-based associations, and other NGOs united to create Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative. The initiative is heavily dependent of public health workers to implement healthy living strategies by engaging local communities through several programs and goals, such as:
- 2015 Healthiest State Conference to educate the public
- “Healthy and Happy Indoors” to increase physical activity
- Enhance support for community gardens and farmer’s markets
- Encourage employers to be more socially responsible
- Organizing state walk events for local residents
A Look at Public Health Salaries by Occupation in Iowa
High salaries await skilled public health workers in Iowa. In fact, when the Iowa Department of Workforce Development released their list of Hot 50 Jobs, several occupations involved with public health were named as fast growing, in-demand, and high-salary professions through 2022:
- Medical and Health Services Managers: $77,968/yr.
- Social and Community Service Managers: $53,529/yr.
- Healthcare Social Workers: $46,906/yr.
- Substance Abuse/Behavioral Disorder Counselors: $40,086/yr.
Of course, these are not the only public health professions that reap well-paying positions in Iowa. In many cases, salary potential is based on an individual’s ambition and dedication to their field.
As such, those that pursue a high level of education by earning a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) and display a steady history of relevant work experience are awarded higher-end salaries in their field. Here are the average annual salaries for many other public health occupations employed in Iowa in 2013 as reported by the Iowa Department of Workforce Development:
- Statisticians: $71,071/yr.
- Health and Safety Engineers: $63,862/yr.
- Epidemiologists: $62,141/yr.
- Microbiologists: $78,989/yr.
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health: $65,053/yr.
- Social Scientists and Related Workers: $73,742/yr.
- Social Science Research Assistants: $35,030/yr.
- Biochemists and Biophysicists: $70,562/yr.
- Community Health Workers: $34,203/yr.
- Health Educators: $55,657/yr.
- Rehabilitation Counselors: $36,136/yr.
- Miscellaneous Community and Social Service Specialists: $27,956/yr.
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists: $62,343/yr.
A Full Analysis of Earnings for Iowa’s Public Health Workers
Data shown here represents a full analysis of public health salaries in Iowa by percentile as published by the United States Department of Labor in 2014:
