Health Science Careers: Job Descriptions & Salary Info

About this article
Learn about careers in health science. Get job descriptions, salary and education requirement information. Get straight talk about the pros and cons of a health science career.
  • Pros & Cons
  • PA
  • Trainer
  • Educator

Pros and Cons of a Career in Health Science

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Careers in health science include health care, administrative and educational positions, among others. The following chart looks at three specific jobs: physician assistant, fitness trainer and health educator.

Physician Assistant (PA)Fitness TrainerHealth Educator
Career Overview Physician assistants practice medicine under the guidance of doctors.Fitness trainers lead individual and group exercise programs.Health educators develop programs and teach people about health and wellness.
Education Requirements Master's degree No formal education required; educational courses are available Bachelor's degree
Program Length Six years full-time, including the bachelor's degree N/AFour years, full-time
Certification and Licensing Certification through the National Commission of Physician Assistants required in all states CPR certification generally required; voluntary certification is available through multiple organizations including the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Some employers may require the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.
Experience Requirement Healthcare experience is generally required for PA school admission Entry-level Entry-level
Job Outlook for 2012-22 Much-faster-than-average growth (38%) compared to all occupations*Fast-as-average growth (13%) compared to all occupations*Faster-than-average growth (19%) compared to all occupations*
Mean Salary (2014) Roughly $97,300*Roughly $39,400* Roughly $55,300*

Sources: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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  • Pros & Cons
  • PA
  • Trainer
  • Educator

Popular Schools

  • Online Programs Available
    1. Purdue Global

    Program Options

    Doctorate
      • Doctor of Health Sciences
      • Doctor of Health Sciences
    Master's
      • Bachelor of Science in Sustainability
      • Master of Science in Health Education and Promotion
    Bachelor's
      • Bachelor of Science in Health Education and Promotion
    Associate's
      • Associate of Science in Health Science
      • Associate of Science in Health SciencePreprofessional
  • Online Programs Available
    2. Grand Canyon University

    Program Options

    Master's
      • MBA: Health Systems Management
      • M.S. in Nursing with an Emphasis in Public Health Nursing
    Bachelor's
      • B.S. in Public Health
      • B.S. in Health Sciences
  • Boston, MA

    Boston University

  • Campus and Online Programs
    4. The Chicago School

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Master of Public Health
  • Nashville, TN

    Vanderbilt University

  • Online Programs Available
    6. Liberty University

    Program Options

    Master's
      • MA: Medical Sciences: Public Health
      • MPH: Environmental Health
      • MPH: Community Health Promotion
      • Master of Public Health Global Health
      • MAT: Health & Physical Education P-12 (36 Hours)
      • MAT: Health & Physical Education P-12 (45 Hours)
  • Philadelphia, PA

    University of Pennsylvania

Featured Schools

Purdue Global

  • Doctor of Health Sciences
  • Bachelor of Science in Sustainability
  • Bachelor of Science in Health Education and Promotion
  • Associate of Science in Health Science

Which subject are you interested in?

Grand Canyon University

  • MBA: Health Systems Management
  • M.S. in Nursing with an Emphasis in Public Health Nursing
  • B.S. in Public Health
  • B.S. in Health Sciences

What is your highest level of education?

The Chicago School

  • Master of Public Health

What is your highest level of education completed?

Liberty University

  • MA: Medical Sciences: Public Health
  • MPH: Environmental Health
  • MPH: Community Health Promotion

What is your highest level of education?