What Does a Health Educator Do?
Whether students welcome advice about sleep, alcohol and sex or roll their eyes at it, colleges and health departments still rely on health educators to reach them with accurate information. The key to the job, then, is to plan programs around what a group actually needs and deliver them plainly but with warmth. Senior educators often lead a topic such as sexual health or substance use, while assistants help with events and outreach.
Also known as: Assistant Health Educator, Senior Health Educator, Behavior Education Specialist
Health Educator Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a health educator include:
- Assess the health needs of students, patients or community groups using surveys and local data.
- Plan programs on topics such as nutrition, sexual health, stress and substance use.
- Lead workshops, classes and residence hall sessions in plain, nonjudgmental language.
- Write and design brochures, social media posts and campaign materials.
- Train peer educators and student volunteers to deliver approved content.
- Run outreach tables, screenings and awareness events with campus or community partners.
- Evaluate programs with before and after surveys and report what changed.
- Refer people to counseling, medical or recovery services when a conversation calls for it.
- Apply for grants and write the reports that funders require.
- Keep up with public health guidance and update materials to match current evidence.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a health educator, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential
- Program planning and evaluation
- Public speaking to groups large and small
- Motivational interviewing basics
- Canva or Adobe tools for handouts and social posts
- Survey design and basic data analysis in Excel
- Cultural awareness and respect for different beliefs
- Grant writing and reporting
Education and Training
Most health educators qualify through a bachelor's degree in health education, public health or health promotion, but some start out by working as peer educators or community health workers while they study. Many employers prefer candidates to be CHES certified. With experience and often a master's in public health, you could progress from assistant to senior health educator or program director.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $50,620 - $87,130 per year, with a median of $64,070.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Health Education Specialists.
According to BLS, employment of health education specialists is projected to grow about 6 percent from 2025 to 2035. That adds up to roughly 6,900 openings a year. Hiring in this field often is tied to the state of public health budgets, but health educators always will be needed as more employers pay for wellness programs and as colleges add prevention work.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Health education specialists.