Careers in Occupational and Environmental Health
The Department of Occupational & Environmental Health has an excellent record of career placement. We prepare our students for important, well-compensated careers on the front lines of public health.
Our graduates are protecting and improving the lives of workers and communities around the world every day. They work in local, state, national, and international agencies; industry; consulting firms; private organizations; and academic institutions.
Here are just a few of the positions we’re proud to report our graduates currently hold:
| Employer | Job Title |
|---|---|
| 3M Company | Environmental Health Science Engineer |
| BP America | Occupational Health & Safety Team Leader |
| Centers for Disease Control & Prevention | Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer |
| Clemson University | Assistant Professor |
| CUNY School of Public Health | Assistant Professor |
| DuPont | Research Planning Analyst |
| ERM (Environmental Resources Management) | Consultant/Project Engineer |
| IBM | Staff Wellbeing Professional |
| Iowa OSHA | Senior Industrial Hygienist |
| John Deere | Industrial Hygienist |
| Linn County Department of Public Health | Environmental Supervisor |
| Lockheed Martin | Environmental Health & Safety Engineer |
| Mayo Clinic Health System | Occupational Medicine Physician |
| Michelin North America | Industrial Hygienist |
| New York State Department of Health | Injury Prevention Specialist |
| NIOSH | Associate Service Fellow |
| OSHA | Industrial Hygienist – Compliance Officer |
| Ruraq Maki (Nonprofit) | Global Health worker |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | Associate Professor |
| University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics | Director of Workers Health Clinic, Professor |
| University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | Assistant Professor |
| US Navy, Naval Hospital Rota Spain | Department Head, Industrial Hygiene & Safety |
| Western Kentucky University | Associate Professor |
The skills that the Department of Occupational & Environmental Health teaches are in high demand. An OEH degree from the University of Iowa can lead to employment in a wide variety of exciting and rewarding positions.
With an MPH in Occupational & Environmental Health, you could:
- Develop, manage, and coordinate preparedness plans to respond to threats of bioterrorism and other public health emergencies
- Develop, direct, or coordinate programs that regulate or control environmental pollution
- Conduct inspections, perform investigations and evaluate environmental health conditions for a public health agency
- Collect and assess community population–based health data involving public health protection, prevention, and improvement for a public health agency
You could earn an MS degree in Occupational & Environmental Health while pursuing specialized training in Industrial Hygiene, Toxicology, Ergonomics, or Agricultural Health. Training in these areas can prepare you to:
- Analyze a work environment and design a program to control, eliminate, and prevent disease or injury (Industrial Hygiene)
- Plan and implement laboratory and field studies that isolate and identify toxic substances that have harmful effects on animals, plants or ecosystems (Toxicology)
- Develop workstations in an industrial setting to minimize musculoskeletal injuries (Ergonomics)
- Implement a program to educate farmers on the hazards of working with large equipment (Agricultural Health)
With a Ph.D. degree in Occupational & Environmental Health, you could:
- Perform research that leads to the publication of scientific papers
- Present findings, and in the case of forensic work, give evidence in court
- Oversee government agencies related to the environmental and health sciences
- Direct an environmental health and safety program
Master’s Level Sample Positions
Estimated starting salary range $60,000–$75,000
- Environmental Health Specialist
- Research Program Manager
- Environmental Health & Safety Manager
- Industrial Hygienist
- Research Assistant
- Environmental Health Manager
- Pollution Prevention Specialist
- Program Coordinator II
- Program Manager
Doctoral Level Sample Positions
Estimated salary starting range $80,000–$100,000
- Postdoctoral Research Scientist
- Tenure-track Assistant Professor
- Director of Environmental Health
- Environmental Health Scientist
- Senior Industrial Hygienist