State and local health department workforce faces challenges due to underpaid roles and lower job requirements compared to the private sector, a study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health reveals. This disparity in salaries and job expectations may lead to recruitment and retention issues, ultimately affecting the readiness of the workforce to handle public health crises.
Published in the Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, the study sheds light on salary gaps between health department jobs and similar positions in other sectors, utilizing a vast dataset of job postings for comparison. The lack of comprehensive federal data on salaries for state and local health department employees has been a longstanding issue in assessing workforce trends.
Heather Krasna, Ph.D., EdM, MS, associate dean of Career and Professional Development at Columbia Mailman School, emphasizes the importance of benchmarking salaries to attract and retain key staff in health departments. The research underscores the need for health departments to advocate for competitive wages, particularly for critical roles such as leadership, computer/IT positions, and nursing, which are currently underpaid.
By analyzing job postings from the Lightcast database, which aggregates millions of U.S. job postings from various online sources, the study identified significant salary differences and educational requirements for 44 public health occupations. While some positions in state and local health departments pay less and demand lower education levels compared to the private sector, there is a pressing need to address these discrepancies to build a sustainable workforce.
The shortage of at least 80,000 workers in state and local health departments underscores the urgency of addressing salary differentials and job requirements. Temporary funding initiatives post-pandemic may help in hiring more public health workers, but sustainable solutions require addressing the root causes of underpaid roles and lower educational standards in the public health sector.
Key positions in health departments, such as management, computer-related roles, and scientific positions, often require only a bachelor’s degree, unlike the private sector which demands higher qualifications. This raises concerns about the preparedness of government workers in critical roles like epidemiology and data analysis, especially in the context of evolving public health challenges.
Future research is needed to explore the impact of educational differences on community health outcomes and to advocate for policy changes that promote fair compensation and educational standards in state and local health departments. By highlighting the disparities in salaries and job requirements, health departments can make a stronger case for wage increases and better recruitment strategies to address workforce shortages effectively.
In conclusion, the study underscores the need for ongoing research and advocacy to bridge the gap between public health departments and the private sector in terms of salaries and job expectations. By fostering a more competitive and equitable workforce, health departments can enhance their capacity to respond to public health emergencies and meet the diverse needs of communities effectively.
