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90850 Career Guide

Air Force

90850: Public Health Technician

Career transition guide for Air Force Public Health Technician (90850)

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Civilian Career Pathways

Top civilian roles for 90850 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.

Environmental Health and Safety Specialist

$75K
High matchHigh demand

Skills to develop:

OSHA certificationsEPA regulations knowledge

Public Health Inspector

$70K
High matchGrowing demand

Skills to develop:

Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) / Registered Sanitarian (RS) credentialLocal and state public health regulations

Occupational Health and Safety Technician

$65K
Good matchStable demand

Skills to develop:

Certified Occupational Safety Specialist (COSS)Industry-specific safety protocols

Food Safety Auditor

$80K
Good matchVery high demand

Skills to develop:

Certified Professional - Food Safety (CP-FS)HACCP certification

Emergency Management Specialist

$78K
Moderate matchHigh demand

Skills to develop:

FEMA certificationsIncident Command System (ICS) training

Salary estimates from VWC career data

Hidden Strengths

Cognitive skills your 90850 training built — and where they transfer.

Situational Awareness

Maintaining constant awareness of potential health hazards, disease outbreaks, and environmental risks within a specific population or area of operation, allowing for proactive mitigation strategies.

The ability to perceive and understand the surrounding environment, anticipate potential problems, and make informed decisions based on a comprehensive understanding of the current situation. This translates into being highly observant and proactive.

Procedural Compliance

Enforcing strict adherence to established protocols and guidelines for food safety, sanitation, disease control, and occupational health programs, ensuring consistent and reliable execution of public health measures.

Meticulously following established procedures, regulations, and standards to guarantee accuracy, consistency, and safety in all operations. This skill demonstrates reliability, attention to detail, and commitment to quality.

Pattern Recognition

Identifying trends and anomalies in epidemiological data, food inspection reports, and occupational health records to detect potential outbreaks, contamination sources, or emerging health risks.

Analyzing data to identify recurring patterns, trends, and anomalies, enabling proactive identification of potential problems, opportunities, or areas for improvement. This showcases analytical thinking and the ability to spot critical issues.

Adversarial Thinking

In food safety and defense, anticipating potential threats to the food supply (intentional or accidental) and developing mitigation strategies to protect public health.

The ability to anticipate potential challenges, risks, or adversarial actions and develop proactive strategies to mitigate their impact. This demonstrates critical thinking, risk assessment, and proactive problem-solving skills.

Rapid Prioritization

In emergency response scenarios, such as disease outbreaks or food contamination incidents, quickly assessing the severity of the situation and allocating resources to address the most critical needs first.

The ability to quickly assess the urgency and importance of various tasks or situations, and then allocate resources and attention accordingly to address the most critical needs first. This demonstrates decisiveness and effective resource management under pressure.

Non-Obvious Career Matches

Compliance Officer

SOC 13-1041.00

You've been ensuring adherence to health and safety regulations in the military, which directly translates to monitoring and enforcing regulatory standards in various industries. Your meticulous nature and experience with inspections make you perfect for this role.

Emergency Management Specialist

SOC 29-9011.00

You've been at the forefront of public health readiness, dealing with potential disease outbreaks and health risks. Your experience in planning, preparing, and responding to emergencies is highly valuable in developing and implementing emergency management plans for communities or organizations.

Health and Safety Engineer

SOC 17-2111.00

You've been identifying and mitigating health hazards in various settings, from food facilities to workplaces. Your experience in occupational health and disease prevention makes you well-equipped to design and implement systems to protect people from work-related illness or injury.

Insurance Risk Surveyor

SOC 13-2053.00

You've developed an eye for spotting potential hazards and assessing risks related to health and safety. In this role, you'd be inspecting properties and facilities to identify potential hazards and assess the level of risk for insurance purposes, using your analytical skills to inform decisions.

Training & Education Equivalencies

Public Health Apprentice Course, Sheppard Air Force Base, TX

720 training hours18 weeksUp to 9 semester hours recommended in health sciences or public health

Topics Covered

  • Food Safety and Defense Inspection
  • Sanitation and Facility Evaluations
  • Communicable Disease Control and Epidemiology
  • Occupational Health Program Management
  • Medical Entomology and Pest Management
  • Force Health Management and Readiness
  • Preventive Health Assessment (PHA) Administration
  • Immunization Program Support

Certification Pathways

Partial Coverage

Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS)60% covered

Requires study of environmental health laws, regulations, and specific state or local requirements. Additional focus on environmental risk assessment and management may be needed.

Certified Professional in Food Safety (CP-FS)70% covered

Requires additional study on specific food safety regulations and standards (e.g., HACCP, FDA Food Code). Knowledge of food microbiology and advanced sanitation practices may be needed.

Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist (COHC)75% covered

While experience conducting audiometric testing is present, formal certification requires specific training and examination on OSHA hearing conservation standards and best practices.

Recommended Next Certifications

Certified Safety Professional (CSP)Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH)Certified in Public Health (CPH)Project Management Professional (PMP)Certified Healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP)

Technical Systems Translation

Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.

Military SystemCivilian Equivalent
Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System (DOEHRS)Occupational health and safety management software (e.g., Cority, Intelex)
Aeromedical Services Information Management System (ASIMS)Electronic health record (EHR) systems (e.g., Epic, Cerner)
Food Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT)HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) software
Disease Reporting System internet (DRSi)Public health surveillance and reporting systems (e.g., BioSense, Epi Info)
Deployable Environmental Surveillance System (DESS)Environmental monitoring equipment and software (e.g., air quality monitors, water testing kits)
Pest Management Information Analysis System (PMIAS)Pest control management software (e.g., ServSuite, PestPac)
Audiometric Data Archiving and Management System (ADAMS)Hearing conservation program management software

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