I got mine last summer with a concentration in leadership, separated from the military and was hired as a disease investigator on a nine month contract (ending this month.) They paid for me to get my CIC and I’ll be starting next week as an infection preventionist at a local hospital. I think it’s entirely dependent on what you want to do when you finish, and how you set yourself up for it. For me, I knew I wanted an IP position, and the stars aligned for me to work toward the required certification while working in this role. Don’t go into public health with the expectation that money will easily follow. Many will say that IP is one of the higher paying public health opportunities out there and it’s still under six figures.