Public Health Program Specialist
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Public Health Program Specialist occupation series (code 0685).
The verdict
Public Health Program Specialist is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 3,150 employees (0.2% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family. At an average salary of $141,619 it pays above the federal average of $117,339, and headcount declined 1.3% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 3,150
- Share of workforce
- 0.2%
- Avg salary
- $141,619
- Avg tenure
- 13.5 yrs
FedScope read on Public Health Program Specialist (dense series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 3,150 people work in the Public Health Program Specialist occupation (OPM code 0685) across federal agencies, 0.2% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -1.3% 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 $141,619 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.1% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 13.5 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 06) 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 in the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family.
Public Health Program Specialist makes up 0.9% of the 339,162 employees across the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, ranking #21 of 45 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the top half (82nd percentile) of pay among Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group occupations.
Salary context · rich-pay series
How Public Health Program Specialist pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$141,619
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
+20.7%
Where Public Health Program Specialist ranks on rich federal pay
Its average salary of $141,619 is higher than 83% of federal occupation series (451 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Public Health Program Specialist sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Public Health Program Specialist ranks higher than 83%.
Related Occupations in Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse | 106,218 | $132,267 | 10.2 yrs |
| Medical Support Assistance | 39,856 | $58,279 | 8.2 yrs |
| Medical Officer | 34,687 | $301,569 | 11.6 yrs |
| General Health Science | 17,434 | $133,765 | 11.9 yrs |
| Practical Nurse | 16,755 | $75,898 | 10.4 yrs |
| Pharmacist | 14,529 | $167,390 | 11.1 yrs |
| Nursing Assistant | 14,498 | $55,851 | 7.8 yrs |
| Health Aid and Technician | 12,490 | $61,276 | 10.8 yrs |
| Health System Specialist | 7,966 | $110,534 | 15.9 yrs |
| Pharmacy Technician | 7,658 | $70,794 | 9.5 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Public Health Program Specialist outside the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (3,150 here).
Similar rich average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($141,619 here).
Key takeaways
- Public Health Program Specialist pays above the federal average by 20.7% ($141,619 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 83rd percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 3,150 employees, 0.2% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 1.3% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Public Health Program Specialist ranks #122 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Public Health Program Specialist makes up 0.9% of the 339,162 employees across the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, ranking #21 of 45 occupations in that family by headcount.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.