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
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Certified Diabetes Educator, Clinical Instructor, Community Health Consultant, Education Coordinator, Health Education Coordinator, Health Education Specialist, Health Promotion Specialist, Public Health Educator.
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.
Health Educator Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $42,990 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $50,620 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $64,070 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $87,130 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $118,200 |
Highest-Paying States for Health Educators
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Maryland ($104,470), District of Columbia ($103,330), Georgia ($99,400), Pennsylvania ($80,670), Minnesota ($78,400). Pay is lowest in Mississippi ($51,020), Tennessee ($49,630), Florida ($46,360).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $65,210 |
| Alaska | $71,940 |
| Arizona | $63,390 |
| Arkansas | $62,270 |
| California | $63,610 |
| Colorado | $74,150 |
| Connecticut | $66,870 |
| Delaware | $63,300 |
| District of Columbia | $103,330 |
| Florida | $46,360 |
| Georgia | $99,400 |
| Hawaii | $63,740 |
| Idaho | $61,330 |
| Illinois | $60,120 |
| Indiana | $58,170 |
| Iowa | $75,750 |
| Kansas | $62,990 |
| Kentucky | $65,370 |
| Louisiana | $57,840 |
| Maine | $58,300 |
| Maryland | $104,470 |
| Massachusetts | $57,510 |
| Michigan | $56,360 |
| Minnesota | $78,400 |
| Mississippi | $51,020 |
| Missouri | $57,050 |
| Montana | $51,200 |
| Nebraska | $56,800 |
| Nevada | $62,120 |
| New Hampshire | $69,990 |
| New Jersey | $73,740 |
| New Mexico | $57,990 |
| New York | $62,560 |
| North Carolina | $58,080 |
| North Dakota | $59,650 |
| Ohio | $64,860 |
| Oklahoma | $62,440 |
| Oregon | $75,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $80,670 |
| Rhode Island | $75,360 |
| South Carolina | $64,720 |
| South Dakota | $57,370 |
| Tennessee | $49,630 |
| Texas | $59,340 |
| Utah | $59,790 |
| Vermont | $68,140 |
| Virginia | $64,040 |
| Washington | $77,420 |
| West Virginia | $62,760 |
| Wisconsin | $74,040 |
| Wyoming | $62,750 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as health education specialists about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% use email every day
- 80% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 77% are on the phone every day
- 69% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 69% speak in front of groups at least once a week
- 59% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 38% deal with rude or angry people at least once a week
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Associate's degree | 62% |
| Bachelor's degree | 31% |
Tools and Software Health Educators Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy helping, teaching or caring for people as well as analyzing problems and working with ideas.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Writing, Speaking, Learning Strategies, Active Learning, Social Perceptiveness.
Knowledge areas used most: Customer and Personal Service, Education and Training, English Language, Administrative, Psychology.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 4 of 5, which means considerable preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for a Health Educator Job
- Job application letter sample
- Resume or CV: which to send
- How to describe your work experience
- Job interview tips
- Interview thank-you note
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 21-1091.00 (Health Education Specialists). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.