What is a Health Educator?
Job Description & Duties Provide and manage health education programs that help individuals, families, and their communities maximize and maintain healthy lifestyles. Collect and analyze data to identify community needs prior to planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programs designed to encourage healthy lifestyles, policies, and environments. May serve as a resource to assist individuals, other healthcare workers, or the community, and may administer fiscal resources for health education programs.
A Day in the Life of a Health Educator
- Collaborate with health specialists and civic groups to determine community health needs and the availability of services and to develop goals for meeting needs.
- Supervise professional and technical staff in implementing health programs, objectives, and goals.
- Develop and present health education and promotion programs, such as training workshops, conferences, and school or community presentations.
- Provide program information to the public by preparing and presenting press releases, conducting media campaigns, or maintaining program-related Web sites.
- Develop and maintain health education libraries to provide resources for staff and community agencies.
- Document activities and record information, such as the numbers of applications completed, presentations conducted, and persons assisted.
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Things a Health Educator Should Know How to Do
When polled, Health Educators say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
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.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Types of Health Educator
- Nurse Educator
- Breastfeeding Educator
- Child Development Specialist
- Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC)
- Early Breastfeeding Care Specialist
Is There Job Demand for Health Educators?
There were about 61,000 jobs for Health Educator in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 14.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 8,900 new jobs for Health Educator by 2026. The BLS estimates 8,700 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Health Educator are Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Maryland, Illinois, or Mississippi. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Health Educator Make?
The salary for Health Educators ranges between about $32,030 and $98,530 a year.
Health Educators who work in District of Columbia, Georgia, or Rhode Island, make the highest salaries.
How much do Health Educators make in different U.S. states?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $53,060 |
| Alaska | $62,800 |
| Arizona | $53,630 |
| Arkansas | $49,270 |
| California | $65,000 |
| Colorado | $56,800 |
| Connecticut | $71,940 |
| Delaware | $67,310 |
| District of Columbia | $88,060 |
| Florida | $54,520 |
| Georgia | $85,440 |
| Hawaii | $74,230 |
| Idaho | $54,110 |
| Illinois | $58,610 |
| Indiana | $55,130 |
| Iowa | $54,650 |
| Kansas | $52,480 |
| Kentucky | $49,280 |
| Louisiana | $55,930 |
| Maine | $49,510 |
| Maryland | $77,820 |
| Massachusetts | $63,270 |
| Michigan | $52,470 |
| Minnesota | $57,740 |
| Mississippi | $43,140 |
| Missouri | $46,470 |
| Montana | $45,370 |
| Nebraska | $46,610 |
| Nevada | $60,090 |
| New Hampshire | $59,100 |
| New Jersey | $61,110 |
| New Mexico | $54,240 |
| New York | $57,010 |
| North Carolina | $57,300 |
| North Dakota | $56,410 |
| Ohio | $55,730 |
| Oklahoma | $55,490 |
| Oregon | $56,230 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,220 |
| Rhode Island | $78,680 |
| South Carolina | $60,060 |
| South Dakota | $49,060 |
| Tennessee | $40,700 |
| Texas | $54,580 |
| Utah | $52,630 |
| Vermont | $58,430 |
| Virginia | $55,880 |
| Washington | $60,780 |
| West Virginia | $48,870 |
| Wisconsin | $55,800 |
| Wyoming | $48,590 |
What Tools do Health Educators Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Health Educators may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Visio
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Microsoft Publisher
- MEDITECH software
- Blackboard
- Blackbaud The Raiser’s Edge
- Blogging software
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epi Info
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC WONDER
- Wiki software
How do I Become a Health Educator?
Are there Health Educators education requirements?
How Long Does it Take to Become a Health Educator?
Where do Health Educators Work?
Below are examples of industries where Health Educators work:
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those who work as a Health Educator sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
- Coaches and Scouts
- Athletic Trainers
- Speech-Language Pathologists
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School
References:
Image Credit: Article 25 Flickr via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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