18 Public Health Skills Needed for Upskilling

In 2024 the World Economic Forum predicted that nearly half, or 44 percent, of skills that workers need would shift in the next three years. The organization cited upskilling as critical to career success in the jobs of the future.

In the field of public health, according to a 2022 Journal of Public Health Management and Practice report, this upskilling should focus on adding — or building on — skills in areas that range from data management to health equity. The report notes that high levels of education and training can help to close public health skills gaps.

With the importance of this education in mind, programs such as those for Public Health Certificates and Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees are focusing on the aptitudes that will be critical for meeting the needs of the changing population and workplace.

Why Is Upskilling Important in Public Health?

Public health focuses on safeguarding and improving the health of people and the communities where they live. These communities can range in size from small neighborhoods and towns to entire nations and global regions.

Though that primary focus remains the same, the demands on public health professionals are shifting, and so are the skills required to meet those demands. Events and trends such as a global pandemic and widening health disparities have highlighted the need for regular retooling of public health workers’ skill sets.

In fact, 20 percent of public health workers surveyed for a 2022 Journal of Public Health Management and Practice report noted skills gaps among professionals in this sector.

The Role of Public Health Professionals

Public health workers aim to prevent and overcome health problems in all populations, particularly those that are marginalized. Through education, policy recommendations and research, they help community members manage their health issues and promote health equity.

What Is Health Equity?

Health equity is what communities strive for; it means all people in the community have the opportunity to attain good health, regardless of who they are or where they live. To achieve health equity, a community must overcome disparities in health that marginalized populations often face.

People who must navigate obstacles such as disease, injury, violence or lack of opportunity are more likely to suffer from overall poor health than other people. These social determinants of health (SDOH) relate to the conditions into which people are born and where they grow up and work.

Components of SDOH include:

Education level: Low levels of education typically lead to fewer opportunities to build high-paying and fulfilling careers that can help strengthen a person’s physical and mental health.
Health care access and use: Lack of adequate insurance, low socioeconomic status, cultural barriers, and transportation and child care challenges can be obstacles to health care access.
Neighborhood and physical surroundings: People from marginalized populations often live in areas that lack healthy food options, available transportation and education funding.
Social and community context: The quality of interactions that individuals encounter in their daily lives, including any experiences that stem from racism, can help to determine whether someone has access to health care.
Wealth gaps: Fewer opportunities to own property and earn money can hinder people’s efforts to afford and access quality care.
Workplace health and safety: Unsafe surroundings on the job and lack of programs that support employees’ health can put employees at risk and prevent them from receiving care.

How Is Public Health Changing?

Public health professionals’ efforts to overcome health inequities have taken on greater urgency following recent health crises, shifting laws and budget concerns. Following are some events that have highlighted the need for professionals to add to and upgrade their public health skills:

COVID-19 pandemic: This global health event revealed how important it is to clearly communicate with the public about health concerns and how to prevent them, and to create plans at the community level to prepare for future health emergencies.
Health disparities: A 2024 report from the Commonwealth Fund shows that the pandemic exacerbated longtime health disparities driven by social determinants of health, particularly among the Black, Hispanic and American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities.
Budget restrictions: Public health professionals must be increasingly mindful of budget management in an era that now is seeing less public health funding following an infusion of COVID-19-related support.
Public trust: As political polarization has grown in the United States, so has the gap in trust for public health measures, pointing to the need for outreach that speaks to different populations’ beliefs and attitudes.

7 Core Skills for Public Health Professionals

Success in overcoming community health problems and inequities requires core public health skills as well as the soft skills that can be useful in any career. Each area of specialization in public health calls on certain career-specific and soft skills.

Upskilling in these areas can provide a leg up for those looking to make a difference in their communities by beginning — or advancing in — a public health career. There are a variety of skills relevant to any public health career that can be beneficial to include on a resume. Following are seven important types of skills for a public health resume:

1. Policy Development Skills

Public health professionals need to be skilled at developing, implementing and evaluating policies, programs and services that support the community’s well-being. These professionals also need to understand how to evaluate their organization’s performance in promoting public health and make improvements accordingly. Working in public health also calls for skills in strategic planning as it pertains to community organizations and health improvement efforts.

2. Health Equity Skills

Because much of their work relates to promoting health equity in the community, those who work in public health should understand how to apply principles associated with ethics, equity, inclusion and justice to all of their efforts. In many cases, this understanding includes recognizing their own biases and then working to overcome those biases to encourage diversity in the public health workforce and the services it provides.

3. Data Analytics Skills

Skills in data analytics are vital to public health workers, who are called upon to collect not only existing health data but also data related to factors that affect the community’s well-being. Public health professionals should know how to manage data, using informatics to transform that information into an understanding of the community’s health status and the success of the organization’s programs.

4. Community Partnership Skills

Public health officials’ duties often include working with outside partners to identify the community’s needs and then create programs to address them. To manage this responsibility, employees need the ability to describe the conditions and policies that affect the community’s health. They must be skilled at developing and maintaining partnerships and collaborating with others in the community to promote healthful practices.

5. Public Health Sciences Skills

Public health sciences are concerned with the systems, policies and activities that affect a community’s health. Skills for a public health resume should include those showing that the individual can take these factors into account while establishing programs and services that advance the community’s health. Public health professionals should consider evidence about the quality of health in the community and the outcomes of programs to improve it as they evaluate and enhance services.

6. Regulatory Compliance Skills

Working in public health requires knowledge of health regulations as well as skills in ensuring that their work — and that of their organization — adheres to those laws and guidelines. For example, it’s vital for public health workers to understand requirements in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects access to student records, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), which mandates safety measures for patient data.

7. Finance Skills

Public health employees must be adept in identifying the financial needs of the community health programs and services their organization provides. They also should be skilled at securing and managing the required financial resources, managing budgets for the work and defending the value of the services the funding supports.

5 Key Soft Skills for Public Health Professionals

Public health professionals also need to consider enhancing their soft skills to meet the needs of the community. Following are five types of soft skills for public health workers and the role each of those skills plays in this sector of work:

1. Management Skills

As they build their careers, public health workers must become adept at recruiting, managing and retaining staff. They must develop management skills to meet their responsibilities while keeping the goals, finances and regulations associated with their organization’s work in mind.

2. Public Health Communication Skills

Communication skills play a vital role in public health work. In public health, communication involves gathering information from — and sharing information with — different populations. This communication should rely on different groups’ preferred methods of interacting and address their specific concerns.

3. Leadership Skills

As public health professionals advance in their work, they typically rely on leadership skills when managing the work of others and guiding changes within their organization. Their work also may require leadership in skills training and performance evaluations.

4. Problem-Solving Skills

Public health careers require an understanding of the limits of the resources available to address health concerns and educate communities about healthy behaviors. They may need to help community partners or others in their own organization find creative solutions to problems affecting people’s health.

5. Teamwork Skills

Those who work in public health often collaborate with others to describe health conditions and trends. They must be able to work as a team with their community partners in learning about concerns and responding to needs.

6 Areas of Specialized Skills in Public Health

Professionals working in each area of specialization in public health have their own distinct public health skill requirements on top of the core skills and soft skills required of all public health workers. Six of these areas of specialized knowledge and skills in public health are:

1. Applied Epidemiology Skills

For their work studying disease patterns and causes, public health workers who specialize in epidemiology need a range of skills that aid in data assessment and partnering with other organizations. Among the skills these workers rely on are those related to:

Public health sciences: Applying knowledge of the factors that can affect public health when researching and analyzing data about health conditions and trends
Data analytics and assessment: Reviewing results of studies and surveys, and managing statistics and databases
Communication: Sharing information with different populations to help them anticipate and address health concerns
Community partnerships: Working with others in the community to describe conditions and trends related to disease and injury, and assisting with public health emergencies
Finance: Completing tasks within budget, and securing funding from external sources
Policy development: Considering the role of epidemiology when developing strategies, policies and programs

2. Public Health Informatics Skills

Those who specialize in public health informatics use raw data and knowledge of the community’s health to inform programs meant to improve health conditions. These professionals design, implement and analyze health information systems in health care settings. They rely on skills in areas that include:

Regulatory compliance: Ensuring that data storage and access practices adhere to regulations and laws by enacting security measures and evaluating the effectiveness of data sharing
Communication: Interacting clearly with colleagues in public health as well as community partners to provide data-based guidance
Data use: Translating data and knowledge into findings that inform strategies to improve public health
Project management: Developing projects that define the scope, budget and responsibilities of those completing the work, and then managing that work

3. Environmental Health Skills

Specializing in environmental health means focusing on the relationship between people and their environments. Professionals in environmental health study the impacts that environmental factors such as lead contamination, poor water quality and climate change have on different populations — and their role in health equity. This work emphasizes skills in areas such as:

Assessment: Gathering information and data related to a potential environmental health issue, and determining plans of action
Management: Lending expertise to efforts to manage environmental health risks, and advocating for recommended changes
Communication: Sharing findings about environmental health concerns and recommendations to address those issues
Leadership: Maintaining quality standards, and advancing the organization’s mission when working in the community
Public health sciences: Demonstrating expertise in public health areas such as health equity and population trends to inform environmental health program development
Policy planning: Guiding environmental health policies, and evaluating their effectiveness

4. Performance Improvement Skills

Another specialization in public health is performance improvement. Professionals working in performance improvement create plans to enhance program quality, improve employee and partner performance, and gain necessary accreditations. Skills needed for this specialization include those in the following areas:

Assessment: Using research and evidence to support decision-making, and demonstrating how that information informs planning
Policy planning: Aligning organizational and community plans with efforts to improve their quality and performance
Teamwork: Collaborating with others in the organization and in the community to develop and evaluate performance improvement plans
Leadership: Working to build workers’ skills, and advocating for continuous improvement
Management: Coordinating organization-wide efforts to improve program quality

5. Population Health Skills

Public health professionals work to improve the health of communities, and population health focuses on individual groups within those communities. Some key areas that population health professionals need skills in are:

Health equity skills: Understanding the various factors that can influence health care quality and accessibility, and sharing that information to inform decisions on policies and programs
Communication: Interacting regularly and clearly with community members and other public health professionals about complex health topics
Assessment: Determining the types of data required to identify health concerns and trends and to suggest actions, and analyzing that information
Policy development: Influencing policies, in areas such as housing and transportation, that could affect the health of a group of people
Management: Designing plans for addressing health care needs according to budgetary and program guidelines, and communicating those plans to the group’s key stakeholders

6. Public Health Nursing Skills

Public health nurses work to enhance the health and well-being of different populations. They take into account the various social and economic factors that can affect people’s health when planning programs and treating patients. Among the skills that public health nurses need are those related to:

Assessment: Relying on data and other sources of information about factors that can affect community health to determine disease prevention and treatment plans
Health equity: Responding to the diverse needs of populations within a community, targeting health care access according to different groups’ needs
Communication: Assessing populations’ health knowledge, and sharing information about the assistance that public health organizations can provide
Leadership: Ensuring that health care practices meet ethical standards and adapt to community needs
Policy development: Identifying gaps in a community’s health care, and advocating for public health measures to address them
Public health sciences: Taking into account the various factors that can influence community health when developing policies and programs
Management: Leading efforts to engage community partners and organizations in providing services and securing funding

Benefits of a Master of Public Health Degree

Pursuing advanced education in public health, whether through a master’s degree or a certificate program, can help professionals stay abreast of the latest skills and knowledge that the field requires. This education can be the key to better job performance, pay and career opportunities — even for those in other professions.

The benefits of MPH degrees and public health certificates include:

Meeting Public Health Demands

Professionals in public health need to regularly update and expand their skills. This continuous pursuit of professional development helps them adjust to the shifting social, political and budgetary tides that can drive public health needs.

Expanding Public Health Skills

With its many areas of specialization, from informatics to population health, the public health field presents myriad opportunities for learning new concepts and skills. This expanded expertise can be the foundation for seeking out new ways to support community health through a career in any of a number of specialized areas, from epidemiology to nonprofit leadership.

Seeking Increased Salary Potential

Additional education can lead to greater pay. Payscale reports that the median annual salary for all workers who hold a bachelor’s degree in public health was about $64,000 in July 2024. For those with a master’s degree in public health, the median annual salary was about $73,000 at that time.

Exploring Advancement Opportunities

Adding or strengthening their skills can help employees build the background that higher-level roles require. Earning an advanced degree or certificate also can show employers that the staff member is committed to staying current with the competencies required for public health work.

Upskill to Advance Your Career in Public Health

Whether you want to gain public health knowledge that you can apply to a different type of career, or you’re a public health worker seeking additional opportunities, Augusta University Online can help.

AU Online offers the Master of Public Health and Certificate in Public Health programs.

The MPH program allows you to select from three concentrations — health management, health informatics, or social and behavioral sciences — to tailor your education to your interests and professional goals.
The Certificate in Public Health program includes five courses from the MPH program, in subjects such as health management and environmental health, to provide foundational knowledge.

Both programs feature the convenience and flexibility of online learning, perfect for working professionals who are seeking new skills.

Discover how one of AU Online’s programs can help you realize the benefits of an MPH or certificate and achieve your professional goals.

Sources:
American Association of Managed Care Nurses, Health Information Management Director Overview
American Nurses Association, Public Health Nursing
American Public Health Association, Environmental Health
American Public Health Association, What Is Public Health?
CDC Foundation, What Is Public Health?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Competencies for Public Health Professionals
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Information and Privacy: FERPA and HIPAA
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, What Is Health Equity
The Commonwealth Fund, “Advancing Racial Equity in U.S. Health Care”
Harvard Business Review, “5 Skills Public Health Officials Need to Combat the Next Pandemic”
Health Affairs, “What’s Next for Public Health?”
Heluna Health, “Public Health vs. Population Health vs. Healthcare”
Indeed, “9 Examples of Data Science in Healthcare (With Definitions)”
Indeed, “Public Health Resume Example and Writing Guide (Plus Tips)”
JAMA Health Forum, “Polarized Public Opinion About Public Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic”
Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, “Rising to Meet the Moment: What Does the Public Health Workforce Need to Modernize?”
Payscale, Bachelor of Science (BS/BSc), Public Health (PH) Degree
Payscale, Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree
Public Health Informatics Institute, Infor-what-ics? Defining Public Health Informatics
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