But since the pandemic took hold, the medical field—including public health—has seen a surge in interest dubbed as the “Fauci effect,” leading to the largest year-over-year increase in applications to master’s of public health programs. George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, the school that landed the No. 1 spot on Fortune’s first-ever ranking of the best online MPH programs, reported a more than 50% increase in online MPH students during the past couple of years, according to previous Fortune reporting.

But does explosive growth mean higher salaries for MPH holders? Pay is contingent on many factors, including what realm of public health you end up working in, according to industry experts. 

“There’s a possibility for MPH students to secure six-figure salaries across multiple sectors. It really just depends on what is in demand as it relates to public health,” says Toy Draine, director of career services at Milken. Average MPH salaries have ranged between $69,000 to $400,000 during the past five years, according to GWU’s graduate survey. 

How can you secure a job with an MPH that makes six figures? Read on to find out.

How much MPH graduates make

While earning a graduate degree often leads to increased earning potential, experts say that’s not usually what motivates students to pursue an MPH degree.

“They’re passionate about informing change and decreasing health disparities,” says Draine of MPH seekers.

Still, master’s degrees aren’t cheap, and the financial benefits of a degree are always a consideration. In GWU’s graduate survey, recent MPH graduates reported making $71,000 on average. Average pay fluctuates between sectors: 2021 GWU grads in the public sector reported a starting salary of $73,000 per year; non-profit workers make $66,000; for-profit workers make $90,000, and health care administration workers make $104,000.

“We’re looking at about a $15,000 gap or so between public and private [jobs],” Draine says. Still, many find it gratifying to improve health outcomes for large swaths of the population and affect policy making through work in the public sector.

“They may take a lower salary because of the prestige offered, or the opportunity to be in front of policy makers that can help them reach their goals,” Draine says.

For MPH seekers focused on making more money, Draine recommends pursuing an MPH through a specialized health care administration and management program; 2021 graduates of GWU’s program reported an average starting salary of $116,000.

“It seems to be the most lucrative” program, she says.

Which jobs pay six-figures for MPH graduates

As in many career fields, public health has a substantial pay divide between the public and private sector.

JP Leider, a senior fellow of the Division of Health Policy and Managementat the University of Minnesota and the co-author of multiple studies about trends in public health degrees, says that early-career jobs that pay six-figures or more are almost exclusively in the private sector. By comparison, a starting-level salary for a government public health position for someone with a master’s is usually in the $55,000 to $65,000 range, he says.

Still, there are advantages to working in the public sector.

“Working in governmental public health helps a staffer understand data in terms of how to generate it, collect it, how government actually works, how public health works,” Leider says. This experience makes workers more valuable—and able to command higher salaries—when they make the switch to the private sector. “Governmental public health will not pay six-figures out of school, but it will give you skills that will get you a six-figure job down the line,” he adds.

As an “extreme” example, Leider recalls a mid- to senior-level professional with an MPH who ran a public health-focused database for a state government. They were eventually lured to the private sector by a job that paid two-to-three times more than they were making previously. More commonly, MPH holders who make the jump see a pay increase of $15,000 to $20,000.

Epidemiologists, public health analysts and public health consultants are common well-paying roles, Draine says, at public health consulting firms like Booz Allen Hamilton and Deloitte, as well as in federal agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

Epidemiologists and biostatisticians are also in high demand in the pharmaceutical industry. Companies in the data analytics space also often hire MPH holders from the nonprofit sector, luring them away with higher salaries. The average salary for epidemiologists is more than $86,000, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows.

MPH holders also often find work at health care insurance companies as data, insurance and financial analysts, Leider says. What sets MPH holders apart from other business analysts, he says, is that they have a deep understanding of science and human health in addition to grasping data.

“That’s what makes them very desirable to health insurers,” says Leider, who also serves as director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Public Health Systems. “That’s why you see so many people from public health schools end up in insurance companies.” Analysts with a master’s degree can make between $70,000 and $114,000, according to previous Fortune reporting.

Other factors may impact MPH pay. Draine says she’s seen students with 20 years of work experience obtain an MPH and leverage the degree to land a job that pays much better, especially if they pursue an executive-focused MPH program. GWU’s Executive Master of Health Administration is geared towards people who want to assume leadership positions in a variety of health-related fields; GWU’s executive program is 50 credit hours, compared to the 45 required of its standard MPH. 

Government jobs can pay six-figures if employees stick around long enough or have enough experience before working in the public sector. About one-third of managers who have about six-to-10 years of experience break the $100,000 mark, Leider says. 

Physical location can also influence pay. MPH holders in New York City and North Carolina’s Research Triangle area stand to have better job prospects and make more money, Leider says.

How has the medical worker shortage impacted pay?

During the past five years, salaries have risen across all sectors of public health.

“The pandemic—and the realization of the impacts of social determinants of health—have really played a major role in increasing demand for public health professionals,” Draine says.

MPH graduates who work in the public sector  are regularly recruited by the private sector; Leider says private sector companies are largely competing with each other for recruitment, as they can offer better pay, benefits and job flexibility.

More than anything, Draine stresses that potential MPH seekers do their research about what a program can offer before attending a program.

“It’s important that you search for a program that helps you build the technical skills that are in demand so you can increase your return on investment,” Draine says. “Choose wisely. Make sure the program you select is accredited and [offers] the best opportunity for you to practice under world-renowned leaders in the field of public health.”