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Career overview · SOC 29-1229

Preventive Medicine Physicians

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.

Also called: Occupational Medicine Physician · Occupational Physician · Physician · Preventive Medicine Physician · Primary Clinician · Public Health Officer

Median pay (national)
$239,200+
$66,860–$239,200+ (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
315,360
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+2.5%
~9,600 openings/yr
Typical entry
Doctoral or professional degree

What the numbers say

Refit analysis ·Pay for preventive medicine physicians shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $239,200+ versus $66,860 at the bottom 10% — 3.6x. The median of $239,200+ leaves roughly 0% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +2.5% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 9,600 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 52 states with released data, Texas pays the most for this role (median $239,200, 0% vs the national median), while District of Columbia sits lowest at $74,650 — a 220% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.

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Top skills employers ask for

Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Critical Thinking
  • Writing
  • Monitoring
  • Active Learning
  • Science
  • Learning Strategies
  • Mathematics

What they actually do

Core O*NET tasks for this role.

  • 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.
  • Teach or train medical staff regarding preventive medicine issues.
  • Coordinate or integrate the resources of health care institutions, social service agencies, public safety workers, or other organizations to improve community health.

Tools & technology

  • R
  • SAS
  • The MathWorks MATLAB
  • Biostatistical software
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epi Info
  • Database software
  • Epidemiological software
  • Insightful S-PLUS
  • Medical surveillance software
  • NCSS
  • NCSS Power Analysis and Sample Size PASS
  • NetEpi
  • OpenEpi
  • Patient electronic medical record EMR software
  • SAS JMP
  • Scheduling software

Knowledge areas

  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Biology
  • English Language
  • Education and Training
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Psychology
  • Law and Government
  • Administration and Management