Life As 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
- Develop, prepare, and coordinate grant applications and grant-related activities to obtain funding for health education programs and related work.
- Provide guidance to agencies and organizations on assessment of health education needs and on development and delivery of health education programs.
- Develop educational materials and programs for community agencies, local government, and state government.
- Design and administer training programs for new employees and continuing education for existing employees.
- Develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with agencies and organizations interested in public health care.
- Develop and present health education and promotion programs, such as training workshops, conferences, and school or community presentations.
What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Health Educator?
Health Educators state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
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.
Other Health Educator Job Titles
- Community Educator
- Community Health Worker (CHW)
- Public Health Technologist
- Coordinator, Tobacco-Free Wellness Center
- Health Teacher
Job Demand for Health Educators
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 61,000 jobs in the United States for Health Educator. 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. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 8,700 job openings in this field each year.
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?
Health Educators make between $32,030 and $98,530 a year.
Health Educators who work in District of Columbia, Georgia, or Rhode Island, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Health Educators 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?
Individuals working as a Health Educator have obtained the following education levels:
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Health Educators Work
The table below shows the approximate number of Health Educators employed by various industries.
Similar Careers
Career changers with experience as a Health Educator sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
- 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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