Explore career options in health science
Here you can find information on the types of careers and employment roles a health science degree may land you.
You can also discover where to look for job vacancies, as well as professional associations, mentoring and international opportunities.
Opportunities
Graduates of the Bachelor of Health Science will have a broad knowledge of the underlying principles and concepts of biochemistry, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, neurobiology and nutrition, as well as broader understanding of health issues.
Graduates with the environmental health major will be prepared for a career as an environmental health officer working in areas such as food and drug safety, environmental monitoring, air and water quality, noise control and radiation monitoring. These areas of employment may also be available for graduates with the environmental toxicology major.
A range of postgraduate qualifications are available following completion of this degree, including graduate certificates, graduate diplomas and masters’ degrees in fields such as medical research, genetic counselling, rehabilitation counselling, speech pathology, public health, clinical biochemistry, clinical physiology, infection control and medicine.
Career fields
(* denotes further study at postgraduate level likely required)
- Clinical trials
- Health and scientific research
- Environmental health (with EH major)
- Government departments
- Regulatory scientific monitoring
- Health promotion
- Public health programs
- Government policy development
- Laboratories
- Hospitals – private and public
- Forensic or pathology laboratories
- Immunisation*
- CSIRO and other research institutes
- Consumer product safety (EH major)
- Environmental monitoring and protection (EH major)
- Regulation of accommodation standards (EH major)
- Integrated pest management (EH major)
- Haematology*
Employment roles
- Scientific advisor
- Pathology technician
- Specimen collector
- Environmental health officer
- Histology scientist
- Laboratory assistant / demonstrator
- Medical scientist
- Research officer / research assistant
- Pathology collector
- Technical / research assistant
Occupation snapshot
Employed
10,400
Annual growth
100
Weekly earnings
$1,948
Part-time share
16%
This data is based on the occupation profile for life scientists, retrieved from the Government's Jobs and Skills Australia website July 2024.
Your employability
In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will also develop a range of other skills such as teamwork, analytical, communication through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting and recreational activities and life experience.
Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. You can further develop your employability with these resources:
Vacancies
Information on relevant vacancies can be found in a wide range of sources:
- CareerHub
- Prosple (formerly Grad Australia)
- AusBiotech members directory
- Australian Public Service Jobs
- Careers at CSIRO
- CS Executive Group
- EHS2U
- Ethical Jobs
- Kelly Scientific Resources
- New South Wales Government jobs
- Queensland Government Graduate Portal
- TechStaff
- Your World Healthcare
- Careers in science
- The role of an Environmental Health Officer
- Occupational and Environmental Health Professionals (Job Outlook)
- Careers in health information management
- Graduate Entry Medicine and Dentistry Admissions Test (GAMSAT)
Job application resources
Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter, and learn how to prepare for job interviews.
Approach potential employers
Many work opportunities are not advertised, so we recommend approaching potential employers with the aim of researching their needs and how your skills, experience, interests and qualifications could match theirs.
This is called informational interviewing and will benefit you by:
- clarifying your specific career direction
- enhancing your professional network
- increasing your chances of being offered a job.
Industry outlook
The Your Career website includes helpful information such as job descriptions, employment prospects, average weekly earnings and skills requirements. Every job title in the database has a skills section to help you identify and describe essential skills for your future career.
The My Future website also has job descriptions and a useful career insight section.
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching website has up-to-date information on graduate salaries, especially the Graduate Outlook Survey (GOS) National Report, which contains undergraduate salary figures.
More detailed information is available at the Labour Market Insights portal.
Professional associations
Joining a professional association is a great way to interact with people in your field who can assist you to explore your career options and potentially find employment opportunities. These associations hold regular professional development and networking events:
- Australasian Society for Human Biology
- AusBiotech
- Australia and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology
- Australian Institute of Medical Scientists
- Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Australian Society for Medical Research
- Australian Society for Microbiology
- Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists
- Australasian Society for Immunology
- Environmental Health Australia
- Australian Association for Environmental Education
- Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology
- Australian Health Promotion Association
Students are welcome to join and often receive a discount on their membership.
Mentoring
The award-winning Industry Mentoring Program provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your employability and build professional networks.
The program is available to students with more than 80CP as well as recent graduates.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) and is committed to promoting decent work and economic growth, advancing the principles of responsible and sustainable consumption and production, and advocating for peace, justice, and resilient institutional frameworks.
Further careers information
Careers counselling
Individual career counselling sessions are available to all current students and recent graduates.
You can book an initial appointment via CareerHub.
Career planning
Our website has an array of career planning resources you can explore at any stage of your student journey.
Career Readiness
Check out our Career Readiness site in Learning@Griffith for additional information and resources for your career development learning:
Similar career outcomes
Please note: The content on this webpage is a guide only. Please refer to degree-specific information and accreditation requirements of your profession on the Degree and Course Finder website and with the relevant professional accreditation body for your degree.