Job Growth in Health and Safety Careers is Exploding: How to Capitalize on This Trend

For those who are deciding which careers to pursue in university, along with those looking for a career change, the health and safety industry is ripe with opportunities in today’s modern age. While these careers may not be ones that they tell you about in high school, they can be lucrative, attainable, and fulfilling lines of work.

Being aware of the career options in this field could help you pursue a more fulfilling life that allows you to explore an exciting career. Here are some job roles that you could pursue to capitalize on the trend of job growth in health and safety careers.

Epidemiologist

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s likely that you started hearing the term “epidemiologist” thrown around more than you ever had before. This is because epidemiologists are professionals who study diseases, the health outcomes of entire populations, and how to possibly control certain outbreaks.

They typically utilize large sets of data along with a scientific approach to glean insights that can prove useful to the general public and give governmental agencies guidance around how to respond to certain diseases.

Though disease is often the focus of many epidemiologists, the field is broad and there are epidemiologists who study other areas such as environmental impacts on a population’s health and injuries that occur frequently, such as car crashes.

The breadth of the field of epidemiology is what makes it attractive to many individuals who want to pursue a professional career that can ultimately positively impact large populations.

If you find that this field of work piques your interest, you’ll be happy to know that the role of epidemiologist is projected to grow by a whopping 30% by the year 2030. This increased demand for epidemiologists makes it the perfect time to pursue an education and career in the field as it pretty much guarantees that qualified individuals will be able to find open job roles.

Biostatistician

Biostatistics is an important field that helps inform policymakers with insights that influence health policy and initiatives that are carried out to fruition. While many may often lump epidemiology and biostatistics together, they are actually distinct fields with their own unique processes and goals.

The field of biostatistics deals primarily with biological data that is collected utilizing statistical methods. Typically, the type of data collected by biostatisticians has to do with human biology, health, and diseases.

Biostatisticians can be extremely important when stopping the spread of highly infectious and dangerous diseases such as Ebola. Without biostatisticians, politicians and professionals may not know enough about newly discovered diseases to effectively stop them from spreading and affecting more people.

While all types of statisticians have been in demand for the last decade, the important role of biostatistics in public health took on new significance to the public, the government, and other organizations as a result of the crippling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As such, the job growth for biostatisticians will likely be in the range of three times more than the average job growth of other careers. This being the case, if you have an interest in statistics and helping stop the spread of diseases, pursuing the role of biostatistician may be the perfect course of action for you.

Air Quality Specialist

In today’s world, many cities have had the great misfortune of having to deal with poor air quality that negatively impacts the health of the residents. Thankfully, there are professionals whose role is to ensure that this doesn’t happen.

These professionals are called air quality specialists and their work aims to ensure that the public at large can enjoy good, clean, and high-quality air. Air quality specialists collect and analyze data about air quality. These professionals then help to develop plans to combat poor air quality and air pollution when needed.

What makes the role of air quality specialist an environmental health and safety career that you should be considering is the fact that these professionals truly have a tangible impact on people’s lives.

Unfortunately, there are many people living in areas with poor air quality. This being the case, the role of air quality specialists is extremely important and can actually improve the quality of life for scores of people. Many air quality specialists typically work for government agencies, while some, to a lesser degree, may work for private organizations.

In addition to being a fulfilling career, air quality specialists also make an impressive salary. Typically, air quality specialists who work with the federal government make over $100,000 a year. This being the case, if you’re looking for a lucrative career that allows you beneficially impact the lives of others, this may be the perfect role for you.

Pursuing a Career That Helps Others

Pursuing a career in health and safety not only will allow you the fulfillment of being able to help others but will likely allow you to capitalize on a growing field as well. While some industries are facing shortages of available jobs, health and safety careers are exploding. This means that qualified professionals will have no trouble at all finding the perfect role after training.

If you’re wondering what career you should pursue, make sure to consider going into the growing field of health and safety.