What Does it Take to Be a Health Educator?
Career Description 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.
Health Educator Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with agencies and organizations interested in public health care.
- Collaborate with health specialists and civic groups to determine community health needs and the availability of services and to develop goals for meeting needs.
- Design and administer training programs for new employees and continuing education for existing employees.
- Provide guidance to agencies and organizations on assessment of health education needs and on development and delivery of health education programs.
- Design and conduct evaluations and diagnostic studies to assess the quality and performance of health education programs.
- Develop and maintain health education libraries to provide resources for staff and community agencies.
Health Educator Skills
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.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Related Job Titles
- Risk Reduction Counselor
- Certified Lactation Educator
- Online Health and Fitness Coach
- Public Health Officer
- Tobacco Prevention Health Educator
Is There Going to be Demand for Health Educators?
There were about 61,000 jobs for Health Educators in 2016 (in the United States).
New jobs are being produced at a rate of 14.5% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 8,800 new jobs for Health Educators 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 Educators are California, New York, and Florida.
Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, Vermont, or South Dakota. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Health Educator Salary
The average yearly salary of a Health Educator ranges between $32,030 and $98,530. The median salary is $54,220.
How much do Health Educators make in different U.S. states?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
|
District of Columbia |
$88,060 |
|
Georgia |
$85,440 |
|
Rhode Island |
$78,680 |
|
Maryland |
$77,820 |
|
Hawaii |
$74,230 |
|
Connecticut |
$71,940 |
|
Delaware |
$67,310 |
|
California |
$65,000 |
|
Massachusetts |
$63,270 |
|
Alaska |
$62,800 |
|
Pennsylvania |
$61,220 |
|
New Jersey |
$61,110 |
|
Washington |
$60,780 |
|
Nevada |
$60,090 |
|
South Carolina |
$60,060 |
|
New Hampshire |
$59,100 |
|
Illinois |
$58,610 |
|
Vermont |
$58,430 |
|
Minnesota |
$57,740 |
|
North Carolina |
$57,300 |
|
New York |
$57,010 |
|
Colorado |
$56,800 |
|
North Dakota |
$56,410 |
|
Oregon |
$56,230 |
|
Louisiana |
$55,930 |
|
Virginia |
$55,880 |
|
Wisconsin |
$55,800 |
|
Ohio |
$55,730 |
|
Oklahoma |
$55,490 |
|
Indiana |
$55,130 |
|
Iowa |
$54,650 |
|
Texas |
$54,580 |
|
Florida |
$54,520 |
|
New Mexico |
$54,240 |
|
Idaho |
$54,110 |
|
Arizona |
$53,630 |
|
Alabama |
$53,060 |
|
Utah |
$52,630 |
|
Kansas |
$52,480 |
|
Michigan |
$52,470 |
|
Maine |
$49,510 |
|
Kentucky |
$49,280 |
|
Arkansas |
$49,270 |
|
South Dakota |
$49,060 |
|
West Virginia |
$48,870 |
|
Wyoming |
$48,590 |
|
Nebraska |
$46,610 |
|
Missouri |
$46,470 |
|
Montana |
$45,370 |
|
Mississippi |
$43,140 |
|
Tennessee |
$40,700 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Health Educators
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Health Educators may use on a daily basis:
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Visio
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Office
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Word
- Blackbaud The Raiser’s Edge
Becoming a Health Educator
Education needed to be a Health Educator:
How Long Does it Take to Become Health Educator?
Where do Health Educators Work?
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
References
Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons
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