Job description

Health educators teach individuals, talk to communities and participate in healthcare settings on how to adopt and maintain healthier lifestyles. They concentrate on improving nutrition, avoiding bad habits (alcohol, cigarettes and smoking) and outlining a list of tools and techniques that patients can use to develop healthy behaviours and avoid life-threatening risks.

Duties

    • Compose materials, discuss issues and highlight various treatment programmes regarding health and wellness
    • Host community meetings and present health education information
    • Plan, implement and monitor patient programmes and treatments that address a person’s needs
    • Establish and maintain patient logs to correctly schedule procedures and ensure attendance
    • Track patient progress to determine if they are meeting objectives
    • Consult and coordinate with medical professionals regarding health education services
    • Develop and execute public opinion surveys for data-gathering purposes
    • Assess data to determine what is necessary to improve the public’s health
    • Conduct media campaigns and engage with the press to discuss health education
    • Meet with healthcare and education representatives to talk about resources and staff
    • Start and update databases and mailing lists
    • Communicate, supervise and delegate technical support staff during community health programmes
    • Research, prepare, write and submit grant applications to garner health education funding

Skills and qualities

Communication
Interpersonal
Physical stamina
Time management
Public speaking
Leadership
Teamwork
Creativity
Problem-solving

Job outlook

Projected growth
The projected growth rate of employment in the US from 2018 to 2028, based on data collected through the BLS Employment Projections (EP) programme. The national average growth rate for all professions is 5%.

10%

New jobs
The number of jobs projected to become available in the US between 2018 and 2028, based on data collected through the BLS Employment Projections (EP) programme.

6.4k

Automation risk

4.5%

Career progression

There is a lot of room for advancement for experienced health educators. You can specialise in certain areas (such as lactation consulting, chronic disease prevention, diabetes coordinating, public health analysis and tobacco education), while you can progress to a management position or board membership.

Working conditions

Average hours

40h/ week

Typical schedule

Full Time

Standard business hours

A health educator will typically maintain a normal 40-hour workweek, although will often work evenings and weekends to host programmes, participate in meetings or run community events.

Salary

Bottom 10%

$32k

Median

$54k

Top 10%

$99k

Annual salary estimates are based on percentile wage data collected through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey of US workers.

Qualifications and training

Education level

Undergraduate

Bachelor’s degree in health education

Study time

4 years

To become a health educator, you will need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in health education or health promotion. That said, some employers prefer candidates with a master’s or doctoral degree, especially if you work for a government agency or public organisation.

Certification – such as the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential offered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) – is another common requirement among employers.

Sources

Bureau of Labor Statistics National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) O*NET OnLine Oxford Martin School

Last Updated: Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Perfect career wave

Search for jobs

Find health educator vacancies near you