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Public Health Researcher Jobs (NOW HIRING)

$65K - $112K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Conducts landscape assessments of public health opportunities among funding organizations, including federal, state, and local agencies, that align with faculty research expertise or SPH priorities.

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Public Health Researcher information

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$30K

$113.1K

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How much do public health researcher jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for public health researcher in the United States is $113,102.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $67,000.00 and $154,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a public health researcher do?

A Public Health Researcher studies health trends, diseases, and risk factors to improve the well-being of communities. They collect and analyze data, design studies, and evaluate health programs or policies. Their work helps inform public health decisions, develop interventions, and guide policy makers to address health challenges on a local, national, or global scale. Public Health Researchers often collaborate with healthcare professionals, government agencies, and academic institutions.

What are some common challenges public health researchers face when conducting community-based studies?

Public Health Researchers conducting community-based studies often encounter challenges such as gaining trust and cooperation from the target population, navigating diverse cultural norms, and addressing barriers to participation like language differences or transportation issues. Additionally, they must ensure ethical data collection and maintain the confidentiality of sensitive health information. Effective communication, cultural competence, and strong collaboration with local organizations are essential to overcoming these obstacles and achieving meaningful research outcomes.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a public health researcher, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Public Health Researcher, you need a strong background in epidemiology, biostatistics, and research methodology, often supported by a master's or doctoral degree in public health or a related field. Familiarity with statistical software (such as SPSS, SAS, or R), research databases, and data collection tools is typically required. Critical thinking, attention to detail, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for interpreting data and disseminating findings. These competencies are vital for designing robust studies, ensuring accurate analysis, and translating research into actionable public health interventions.

What is the difference between Public Health Researcher vs Epidemiologist?

AspectPublic Health ResearcherEpidemiologist
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Public Health, Epidemiology, or related fields; often requires research experienceMaster's or Doctorate in Epidemiology or Public Health; specialized training in disease investigation
Work EnvironmentResearch institutions, government agencies, universitiesPublic health departments, hospitals, research centers, outbreak investigations
Employer & Industry UsagePublic health organizations, academic institutions, NGOsHealth departments, CDC, WHO, research institutes

While both roles focus on improving public health, Public Health Researchers primarily conduct studies and analyze data to inform policies, whereas Epidemiologists investigate disease patterns and outbreaks to control and prevent health issues.

More about Public Health Researcher jobs

What cities are hiring for Public Health Researcher jobs?

Cities with the most Public Health Researcher job openings:

Who are the top companies hiring for Public Health Researcher jobs?

The top employers for Public Health Researcher jobs are:

What states have the most Public Health Researcher jobs?

States with the most job openings for Public Health Researcher jobs include:

Infographic showing various Public Health Researcher job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 78% Full Time, 16% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $113,102 per year, or $54.4 per hour.

Public Health Research Analyst

University of Chicago Library

Chicago, IL • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 6 days ago


University Of Chicago rating

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 47 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

162nd of 618 rated colleges and universities


Job description

Department

BSD MED - General Internal Medicine - Chin Research Staff


About the Department

The University of Chicago's Section for General Internal Medicine (GIM) houses many outstanding multidisciplinary academic centers and programs. Under limited direction the Public Health Research Analyst will perform complex research-related and data quality tasks regarding the evaluation of the California Safety-Net Population Health Management Initiative (PHMI). PHMI is a comprehensive healthcare strategy aimed at improving the overall health outcomes of Medi-Cal beneficiaries in the State of California. Launched as part of broader healthcare transformation efforts, the initiative focuses on proactive health management and enhancing population health management capacities by addressing social determinants, preventive care, and chronic disease management. Through care coordination, data analytics, and community engagement, the goal of PHMI is to enhance equitable delivery of healthcare services, reduce costs, and create a more integrated and patient-centered approach to managing the health of California's diverse population. The role of the University of Chicago is in the evaluation of this initiative through a multi-year, mixed methods analysis around the implementation process of PHMI and the achievement of its intended goals. As time allows, this position will support various health services and public health-related research projects led by clinical investigators across the Section for GIM.


Job Summary

We are seeking a Public Health Research Analyst to join our team! The Public Health Research Analyst is responsible for meticulous and accurate data quality for research project data. This includes retrieval of all patient/client or participant data from clinical and research databases. This role will also be responsible for developing and implementing regular data quality and assurance checks to ensure high quality data, as well as production of reports for internal and external partners to monitor project progress. This position will assist with the development of abstracts, posters, and presentations for local and national conferences, manuscripts, and other research and service outputs.

Responsibilities

  • Maintains a close, collaborative working relationship with the PIs, the administrative team, and research staff within the Section/Project(s) to effectively manage research studies.

  • Responsible for all data quality aspects of research studies.

  • Performs quality assurance audits (QA) as needed, as well as QA summary reports for staff (internally) and stakeholders (externally) in a timely, accurate manner.

  • Provides data quality and data collection recommendations (including recommending data collection tools) to staff to improve data integrity.

  • Conductingdatachecks,datacleaningandvariablecreationto ensure data quality and integrity and to prepare data sets foranalysis.

  • Collaboratingwithexternal researchandimplementationpartnerstoimplement datacollectionprotocols.

  • Oversees the general maintenance of our data collection tools (i.e., REDCap, etc.), as well as develop any new programs and/or projects within these systems.

  • Developingandimplementingprotocolsto streamline and standardize data collection, storage, and processing across studiesand datasets.

  • Prepares analytic datasets for research recruitment, analyses, and data abstractions and preliminary descriptive statistics.

  • Maintaining code library and documentation.

  • Provides professional support to staff or faculty members in defining the project and applying principals of data science in manipulation, statistical applications, programming, analysis and modeling.

  • Responsible for generating documentation for projects, e.g. procedural manuals, protocol worksheets, codebooks, questionnaires, progress reports, addendums, and/or adverse event reports.

  • Facilitates the execution of data usage agreements (DUA) and/or data quality plans to share data to internal and external partners/institutions.

  • Demonstrates proficiency in the use of clinical and research-related computer programs.

  • Attends multidisciplinary conferences and workshops.

  • Analyzes moderately complex data sets for the purpose of extracting and purposefully using applicable information.

  • Maintains technical and administrative support for a research project.

  • Analyzes and maintains data and/or specimens. Conducts literature reviews. Assists with preparation of reports, manuscripts and other documents.

  • Performs other related work as needed.


Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.


Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through < 2 years of work experience in a related job discipline.


Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

  • Bachelor's degreein the social sciences, data science, public policy, public health, or similar field.

Experience:

  • Experience maintaining and documenting source code for reproducibility of research and service projects.

  • Background in biostatistics within clinical or public health research settings.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

  • Proficiency with one or more statistical analysis software packages, such as SAS, Stata, or R for data quality assurance and statistical analysis.

  • Proficiency with Microsoft applications, including but not limited to Outlook, Excel, Access, and Word.

Preferred Competencies

  • Attention to detail and excellent organizational skills.

  • Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities independently, and meet deadlines.

  • Ability to adhere to protocols for maintaining confidentiality of protected health information, and work with sensitive information.

  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

  • Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills, including ability to communicate data quality processes to faculty and staff audience.

  • Flexibility, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

  • Ability to collaborate with colleagues from diverse academic and professional background.

Application Documents

  • Resume (required)

  • Cover Letter (required)


When applying, the document(s) MUSTbe uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.


Job Family

Research


Role Impact

Individual Contributor


Scheduled Weekly Hours

40


Drug Test Required

No


Health Screen Required

No


Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No


Pay Rate Type

Salary


FLSA Status

Exempt


Pay Range

$50,000.00 - $70,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.


Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.


Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at:http://securityreport.uchicago.edu.Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.


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