What Does a Public Health Consultant Do?

Key takeaways

Public health consultants work within organizations to improve access to health care and promote ongoing positive health outcomes.

• The median annual total salary for a public health consultant in the US is $164,000 [1]. 

• Essential technical skills for a public health consultant include financial acumen, the ability to guide policies and procedures, and systems analysis.

• You can prepare for a career in public health consulting by earning a bachelor’s degree in epidemiology, business administration, health administration, or management.

Explore more about what public health consultants do and what it takes to become one. Afterward, if you’re ready to enhance your financial acumen and business skills in the health care field, enroll in the University of Pennsylvania’s The Business of Health Care Specialization. Beginner-friendly, this program also offers insights into the American health care system.

What is a public health consultant?

Professionals in this role help health care organizations run more effectively. They identify areas of improvement in the organization, balancing financial concerns or inefficiencies with the standard of patient care and satisfaction.

Health consultants can work in various settings, including hospitals, federal government and state agencies, health insurance providers, pharmaceutical companies, and private clinics.

Do you need a license to become a public health consultant?

No, you don’t need a license in order to become a public health consultant. However, earning a certification, such as the Certified in Public Health (CPH) credential from the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE), can help further improve your qualifications.

What do public health consultants do?

Public health consultants are essential in allowing health care organizations to optimize efficiency and improve patient care with recommendations to enhance clinical and administrative operations. Public health consultants aim to save time and resources for health care organizations. In this job, you will also perform analyses, collect project-related data, maintain records specific to the health care facility, aid leadership in strategic management, and help guide organizations in regulatory compliance.

While public health consultants work with organizations, they often work with third-party organizations such as consultancies or law offices. Clients who bring on health consultants expect them to take charge of wide-ranging initiatives, as they benefit from an outsider’s perspective. If you opt for self-employment as a public health consultant, you will enjoy increased flexibility and the option to work full- or part-time.

Read more: What Does It Mean to Be Self-Employed?

Tasks and responsibilities

Your everyday duties as a public health consultant can vary depending on the needs of client organizations and your particular area of interest. Organizations seek consultants’ perspectives for assistance with financial, administrative, or clinical needs.

Tasks of a public health consultant typically include:

• Compiling reports on budget, revenue, staff, and operations

• Interviewing personnel to collect information

• Providing recommendations to leadership on observations

• Evaluating the effectiveness of electronic health record (EHR) platforms and IT systems

• Identifying organizational goals and objectives

• Overseeing compliance with regulatory obligations

• Keeping records of facility operations and resources

• Updating key stakeholders on the progress of ongoing projects

• Recruiting, hiring, and training new staff members

• Scheduling shifts for staff members

• Presenting recommendations and findings to leadership and stakeholders

Public health consultant skills

A public health consultant must bring strong analytical skills, plus competency in clinical and business contexts, to the table for clients. If you opt to remain self-employed, you will also need to develop skills related to running a business. Keeping track of project progress, invoicing for services, and networking to acquire new business are key aspects of working as an independent consultant.

The job of a public health consultant requires a mix of technical and workplace skills. Let’s explore some of the primary ones to consider developing. 

Technical skills

Financial acumen: Health care organizations seek consultants’ perspectives in part to make their businesses more profitable or to limit wasted resources. The capability to interpret financial statements and budgets will make you a valuable asset to a health care organization.

Ability to guide policies and procedures: A health consultant must have in-depth knowledge of how to increase the effective delivery of health care services and initiatives through new policies and procedures. Improved policies and procedures allow organizations to become more efficient and deliver more impactful patient care.

Systems analysis: Public health consultants must manage systems, including a health care organization’s environment and operations. Management of employee scheduling, workflow, or performance evaluation is commonly part of a consultant’s duties for a client.

Workplace skills

Working with a diverse range of people: Accessibility to various demographics is a goal of public health organizations. Consultants should be comfortable leading outreach to different population segments. Promoting diversity initiatives among an organization’s staff is also an essential area of interest.

Communication: Communication skills are crucial for public health consultants, as they must communicate with several points of contact in an organization to relay information, present findings, and share insights. Written and verbal communication are vital skills for this profession.

Attention to detail: Organizations expect consultants to find inefficiencies that people within the organization haven’t been able to spot. Attention to detail regarding clinical operations and finances is an invaluable trait.

Public health consultant salary and job outlook

Public health consultants earn a median annual total salary of $164,000, according to Glassdoor’s January 2026 data [1]. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation. 

Additionally, opportunities to become a public health consultant in the US are abundant. Medical and health services manager positions in the US are expected to grow much faster than average from 2024 to 2034, with 23 percent growth anticipated throughout the decade, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [2].

How to become a public health consultant

The career path toward becoming a public health consultant typically includes an undergraduate education in public health or another applicable major, such as social sciences or humanities.

Education and training

You can take the first step toward a career as a public health consultant by earning a bachelor’s degree in a field such as epidemiology, business administration, health administration, or management. An internship in a field related to health care may also be necessary.

Professional experience

Gaining experience in a health care setting, whether clinical or administrative, is an excellent next step toward becoming a public health consultant. Establishing credibility and building a professional network to tap into for more consulting opportunities is also critical.

Certifications

Consider earning a relevant certification to help increase your credibility, sharpen your skill set, and gain credentials you can share with prospective clients and employers. You may also find opportunities to expand your networking abilities and gain endorsements that elevate your profile as a consultant. Examples to consider include the National Board of Public Health Examiners’ Certified in Public Health (CPH) or the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), offered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC).

Explore our free resources for public health consultants

Subscribe to Career Chaton LinkedIn to get weekly updates on popular skills, tools, and certifications. Learn more about health care management with our other free digital resources:

• Discover trends: AI in health care: uses, benefits, and concerns

• Watch on YouTube: What Can You Do with a Public Health Degree

• Develop a skill: Tips to strengthen your people skills

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