4164-NOC

Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers

(NOC 4165)
High opportunity occupation High opportunity occupation
Annual Earnings
$77,167
Typical Education Background
Degree
Job Openings
(2022-2032)
1,800

Career Overview

Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers do research, produce reports and manage health-care policies and programs.

People in this occupation work for:

  • Government departments and agencies
  • Consulting companies
  • Universities and other educational institutions
  • Research institutions
  • Hospitals
  • Community agencies
  • Professional associations
  • Non-governmental organizations
  • International organizations

Duties

Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers:

  • Help develop government health policy by reviewing related written material, doing interviews, collecting and analysing statistics, and providing advice to senior managers and officials on issues such as health promotion, regulation, standards and financing
  • Design and carry out health projects or programs
  • Maintain, update and manage health information databases
  • Collect and analyse statistics provided by private and public health-care institutions and organizations and produce reports
  • Monitor and evaluate health-care programs operated by government departments and agencies or private organizations
  • Assess compliance with health standards and identify remedial action if necessary
  • Do assessments of health projects and programs
  • Offer consulting services to clients in private establishments or government departments or agencies
  • Respond to internal and external program and policy information requests
  • Produce newsletters, magazines and other documents to provide information to association or organization members or the general public
  • Present the views of an association or organization to politicians, government officials, the media or the general public

Special duties

Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers may specialize in a particular area of health policy development, research or program administration such as addiction research.

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$77,167

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$53.49/hr
Median$37.00/hr
Low$21.30/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2022 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

3,800

% Employed Full Time

55%
Source: 2016 Census

Work takes place in a conventional indoor office setting.

Career Pathways

Progression to managerial positions is possible with experience.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Enterprising
Enterprising

Job Titles

Accreditation officer, social services
Consultant, dental health / mental health
Consultant, labour force planning
Co-ordinator, clinical trials
Coroner
Decision support analyst - health
Decision support specialist - health
Health care educator / policy development
Health services consultant / researcher
Liaison officer, health & social services
Medical adjudicator - Canada Pension Plan
Officer, child health care programs
Officer, health and social service liaison
Officer, health promotion program
Policy development officer, long-term care
Policy officer, nursing home guidelines
Wellness consultant / co-ordinator

Education, Training and Skills

  • A bachelor's degree or college diploma in health science, public administration, recreation administration or hospital administration, or a bachelor's degree in social science, is required.
  • A graduate degree in health, social science or an administrative discipline may be required.
  • Several years of experience in the health field as a health care professional or as a community or social service worker are usually required.

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

  • Environmental/Occupational Health
  • Health Care Administration
  • Health/Medical - General
  • Rehabilitation/Therapeutic Services
  • Human Kinetics/Kinesiology/Physical Education
  • Recreation Leadership Related
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Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

78%
Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

74%
Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

73%
Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

72%
Negotiation

Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

70%
Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

70%
Judgment and Decision-Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

69%
Complex Problem Solving

Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.

66%
Persuasion

Convincing others to change their mind or behaviour.

65%
Active Learning

Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.

63%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

3,800
Source: 2016 Census

Employment by Region

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Employment (2022) % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 130 2.3%
Kootenay 60 1.3%
Mainland/Southwest 3,070 62.7%
North Coast and Nechako 70 1.0%
Northeast N/A 0.3%
Thompson-Okanagan 420 8.7%
Vancouver Island/Coast 1,090 23.6%
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2022-2032)

1,800
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2022-2032)

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 0 0.0%
Kootenay 0 1.6%
Mainland/Southwest 1,100 1.3%
North Coast and Nechako 0 0.0%
Northeast N/A N/A
Thompson-Okanagan 210 1.6%
Vancouver Island/Coast 450 1.2%
N/A: Data is not available for this region.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2022-2032)
Health Care and Social Assistance149,700
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services148,000
Public Administration49,200
Educational Services64,500
Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services46,100
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources

Resource information is currently not available.