DHSc Degree

DHSc Jobs: What You Can Do With a Doctor of Health Science

A Doctor of Health Science (DHSc) opens doors in leadership, teaching and program work. It does not hand you a new license. Here are the jobs the degree points toward, what they pay, and which ones really ask for a doctorate.

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DHSc Jobs Compared by Pay and Employment

The federal wage survey counts occupations, not degrees, so there is no pay figure for DHSc holders as a group. These are the jobs the degree points toward, with the pay for each occupation across everyone who holds it.

JobMedian PayBottom 10%Top 10%Employed
Health Services Manager $123,860 $73,390 $224,340 597,080
Health Sciences Professor $107,310 $59,270 $322,020 221,270
Academic Administrator $104,590 $64,560 $215,620 180,470
Health Education Specialist $64,070 $42,990 $118,200 65,690

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Health Services Manager and Other Leadership Jobs

This is the destination that programs name most often. Medical and health services managers run departments, practices, service lines and facilities, handling budgets, staffing, quality and compliance. The occupation is large, with 597,080 jobs, and the O*NET projection for 2024 to 2034 is much faster than average.

You do not need a doctorate to enter it. The DHSc matters at the senior end, where titles like director and vice president start to list an advanced degree. Chatham University names medical and health services managers directly among the positions its DHSc graduates pursue, and Radford lists health service directors and healthcare delivery administrators. Our list of DHSc programs for health administration shows which schools build the degree around that path.

Teaching and Faculty Jobs for DHSc Graduates

Health specialties teachers earn a median of $107,310, and the middle half of the occupation runs from $75,690 to $210,370. Allied health, therapy, physician assistant and health administration programs hire from this group, and recent practice experience is part of what they look for.

Programs lean into this path. Radford has a Higher Education concentration, Nova Southeastern has Education in Health Care, and Bridgeport has an Education track. The harder door is the tenure-track research post at a research university, where searches weight a PhD and a publication record. If that is your goal, read DHSc vs PhD first.

Academic Administrator Jobs: Program Director, Chair and Dean

Postsecondary education administrators run academic units, and they earn a median of $104,590. The top 10% earn above $215,620, which reflects how much seniority and institution size drive this occupation. A program director and a dean sit in the same wage category.

This is the clearest case where a doctorate changes what you are eligible for. Program director and dean postings in the health sciences commonly screen for one. East Stroudsburg University pairs its DHSc with a research administration concentration, and Radford and Purdue Global both name higher education work among their pathways.

Health Education and Public Health Program Jobs

Health education specialists design and run programs that change health behavior, in health systems, employers, schools and public agencies. The median is $64,070, the lowest of the four roles above, and employer type explains most of the spread: government and hospital roles sit near the top, and community non-profit roles near the bottom.

Choose this path for the work rather than the pay. Radford offers a Community and Public Health concentration, Nova Southeastern offers Global Health, and Bridgeport describes graduates influencing public health policy at local, state and federal levels. For a comparison with the population health degree, see DHSc vs DrPH.

Staying in Your Clinical Job After a DHSc

Many students never leave their current role. Physical therapists earn a median of $102,760, occupational therapists $100,330 and physician assistants $135,880, and they keep those licenses and scopes of practice after graduating. Touro University Worldwide and Bay Path University both state plainly that their DHSc does not lead to licensure or certification.

For this group the degree is a route into clinic leadership, teaching, or a project that improves the work in front of you. Because you already earn well, the return depends on whether the degree buys a change of role. Is a DHSc worth it works through that math.

How to Pick a DHSc Program That Matches the Job You Want

Start from the role, then check the concentration and the capstone. A program with a health administration track suits a manager path, and one with an education concentration suits faculty work. Programs that end in an applied capstone let you build a project around your own employer, while those that end in a dissertation lean toward research roles.

Browse the full list of 24 DHSc programs, narrow to online DHSc programs if you plan to keep working, or look at DHSc programs for health care educators if teaching is the goal. Our career profiles cover each job in more detail.

Frequently Asked Questions About DHSc Jobs

What jobs can you get with a DHSc degree?
Most DHSc graduates move toward health services management, teaching in a university health professions program, academic administration, or health education and policy work. Programs themselves name roles such as health services director, health educator, public health officer and university faculty. The degree does not qualify you for a new clinical license.
Do you need a DHSc to work as a health services manager?
No. A doctorate is not required to enter the occupation, and medical and health services managers earn a median of $123,860 across all education levels. What the DHSc tends to do is make you a stronger candidate for the senior end of the field, where postings begin to list an advanced degree.
Can a DHSc graduate teach at a university?
Yes. Allied health programs regularly hire DHSc holders for faculty posts, and several programs name teaching as an intended outcome. Tenure-track research posts at research universities more often ask for a PhD and a publication record, so check the job listings you have in mind before choosing a degree.
Does a DHSc let you practice medicine or treat patients?
No. Touro University Worldwide and Bay Path University both state that their DHSc programs do not lead to licensure or certification. Physical therapists, occupational therapists and physician assistants who earn the degree keep the license they already hold. The DHSc adds leadership, teaching and research skills, not a scope of practice.
Which DHSc job pays the most?
Of the destination roles covered here, medical and health services managers have the highest median at $123,860, followed by health sciences professors at $107,310 and academic administrators at $104,590. Each occupation has a wide range, and organization size and setting move the number more than the degree does.

More Guides for Deciding on a DHSc

Sources for DHSc Jobs and Pay

Occupation pay and outlook come from these federal sources. Program details come from each university's own program pages.

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DHSc Degree Programs

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