Preventive Medicine Physicians: Job Description
Apply knowledge of general preventive medicine and public health issues to promote health care to groups or individuals, and aid in the prevention or reduction of risk of disease, injury, disability, or death. May practice population-based medicine or diagnose and treat patients in the context of clinical health promotion and disease prevention.
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What Tasks Do Preventive Medicine Physicians Take On?
The core tasks performed by preventive medicine physicians include:
- Direct or manage prevention programs in specialty areas such as aerospace, occupational, infectious disease, and environmental medicine.
- Document or review comprehensive patients' histories with an emphasis on occupation or environmental risks.
- Identify groups at risk for specific preventable diseases or injuries.
- Perform epidemiological investigations of acute and chronic diseases.
- Supervise or coordinate the work of physicians, nurses, statisticians, or other professional staff members.
- Design or use surveillance tools, such as screening, lab reports, and vital records, to identify health risks.
- Direct public health education programs dealing with topics such as preventable diseases, injuries, nutrition, food service sanitation, water supply safety, sewage and waste disposal, insect control, and immunizations.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of prescribed risk reduction measures or other interventions.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful preventive medicine physicians rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Preventive Medicine Physicians Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Aerospace Medicine Physician
- Environmental Health Physician
- Occupational Health Physician (OHP)
- Occupational Medicine Officer
- Occupational Medicine Physician
- Occupational Physician
- Physician
- Preventive Medicine Officer
Employment and Demand
There are about 1,052,281 preventive medicine physicians working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +4.1% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Preventive Medicine Physicians
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $113,531 |
| Hourly median | $54.58 |
| 10th percentile | $64,416 |
| 25th percentile | $88,973 |
| 75th percentile | $138,088 |
| 90th percentile | $162,645 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Preventive Medicine Physicians Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $238,870 |
| New York | $237,710 |
| North Carolina | $236,970 |
| Utah | $232,740 |
| Delaware | $232,180 |
| Ohio | $231,300 |
| Rhode Island | $229,340 |
| West Virginia | $228,680 |
| Connecticut | $227,720 |
| Arizona | $223,680 |
| Illinois | $218,880 |
| Massachusetts | $216,170 |
| Puerto Rico | $211,700 |
| Maryland | $209,370 |
| California | $201,510 |
| Michigan | $197,950 |
| Pennsylvania | $163,100 |
| Kansas | $140,330 |
| District of Columbia | $74,650 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for preventive medicine physicians vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other U.S. Territories | $211,700 | 0.3% | 0.45 |
| Middle Atlantic | $199,012 | 16.6% | 1.24 |
| Great Lakes | $183,977 | 20.6% | 1.57 |
| New England | $181,974 | 5.4% | 1.14 |
| Far Western US | $115,922 | 11.4% | 0.73 |
| Rocky Mountains | $108,612 | 2.4% | 0.71 |
| Southeast | $50,284 | 24.9% | 1.08 |
| Plains States | $35,517 | 5.4% | 0.91 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Preventive Medicine Physicians
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, NC | NC | $238,520 | 70 |
| Rochester, NY | NY | $237,660 | 420 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | TN | $236,970 | 160 |
| Odessa, TX | TX | $234,850 | 40 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | WA | $234,800 | 40 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | MI | $234,380 | 310 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | WV | $233,240 | 60 |
| Sandusky, OH | OH | $233,170 | 130 |
Which Industries Hire Preventive Medicine Physicians
The bulk of preventive medicine physicians work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 258,240 | $235,660 |
| Educational Services | 10,850 | $72,170 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2,280 | $221,680 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1,670 | n/a |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,330 | n/a |
| Finance and Insurance | 770 | $227,720 |
| Manufacturing | 220 | $88,370 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 200 | $136,060 |
Preventive Medicine Physicians work in the following industries:
Tools and Technology
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: R (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: SAS (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: The MathWorks MATLAB (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for preventive medicine physicians reflects the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Freedom to Make Decisions
Education and Training
This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Epidemiologists (Primary-Long)
- Physician Assistants (Supplemental)
- Registered Nurses (Supplemental)
- Acute Care Nurses (Supplemental)
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses (Supplemental)
- Clinical Nurse Specialists (Supplemental)
- Nurse Practitioners (Supplemental)
- Cardiologists (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for preventive medicine physicians typically earn programs in:
60 programs across 15 majors
- Combined Medical Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Multiple-Pathway Medical Fellowship Programs
- Allergy and Immunology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Internal Medicine Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Medical Genetics and Genomics Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Orthopedic Surgery Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Osteopathic Medicine Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Otolaryngology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Pathology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Pediatrics Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Preventive Medicine Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Radiation Oncology Residency/Fellowship Programs
- Medical Residency/Fellowship Programs, Other
Health Professions and Related Programs
3 programs across 2 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-1229.05 (Physicians, All Other).
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