Public Health Program Specialist

What the Numbers Say About Public Health Program Specialist

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 4,822 people work in the Public Health Program Specialist occupation (OPM code 685) across federal agencies, 0.2% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -1.1% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

The average salary for Public Health Program Specialist is $135,601 per year, placing it 23.4% above the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 3.0% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce. Average length of service in this role is 11.6 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

The Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family (code 6) groups Public Health Program Specialist together with 44 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Public Health Program Specialist postings should also review these sibling occupations, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.

Public Health Program Specialist makes up 1.4% of the 356,984 employees across the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, ranking #14 of 45 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the top half (80th percentile) of pay among Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group occupations.