What is a Community Health Worker?
Position Description Assist individuals and communities to adopt healthy behaviors. Conduct outreach for medical personnel or health organizations to implement programs in the community that promote, maintain, and improve individual and community health. May provide information on available resources, provide social support and informal counseling, advocate for individuals and community health needs, and provide services such as first aid and blood pressure screening. May collect data to help identify community health needs.
A Day in the Life of a Community Health Worker
- Administer immunizations or other basic preventive treatments.
- Refer community members to needed health services.
- Distribute flyers, brochures, or other informational or educational documents to inform members of a targeted community.
- Collect information from individuals to compile vital statistics about the general health of community members.
- Maintain updated client records with plans, notes, appropriate forms, or related information.
- Report incidences of child or elder abuse, neglect, or threats of harm to authorities, as required.
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Community Health Worker Required Skills
Below is a list of the skills most Community Health Workers say are important on the job.
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.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Apprise Counselor
- Health Navigator
- Community Health Representative
- Community Health Navigator
- Health Advocate
What Kind of Community Health Worker Job Opportunities Are There?
There were about 57,500 jobs for Community Health Worker in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 17.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 10,300 new jobs for Community Health Worker by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 8,500 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Community Health Worker are Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Illinois, or Mississippi. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Community Health Workers Make A Lot Of Money?
The salary for Community Health Workers ranges between about $26,070 and $65,890 a year.
Community Health Workers who work in District of Columbia, Utah, or Maryland, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Community Health Workers in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $42,830 |
| Alaska | $46,590 |
| Arizona | $40,090 |
| Arkansas | $40,220 |
| California | $49,260 |
| Colorado | $42,000 |
| Connecticut | $47,240 |
| Delaware | $40,940 |
| District of Columbia | $61,770 |
| Florida | $39,930 |
| Georgia | $41,240 |
| Hawaii | $46,380 |
| Idaho | $35,840 |
| Illinois | $42,250 |
| Indiana | $42,000 |
| Iowa | $38,050 |
| Kansas | $41,350 |
| Kentucky | $38,210 |
| Louisiana | $39,840 |
| Maine | $37,470 |
| Maryland | $50,160 |
| Massachusetts | $44,500 |
| Michigan | $44,380 |
| Minnesota | $41,110 |
| Mississippi | $32,880 |
| Missouri | $38,310 |
| Montana | $39,830 |
| Nebraska | $38,190 |
| Nevada | $45,740 |
| New Hampshire | $49,050 |
| New Jersey | $51,560 |
| New Mexico | $40,020 |
| New York | $44,340 |
| North Carolina | $41,610 |
| North Dakota | $45,210 |
| Ohio | $38,490 |
| Oklahoma | $47,110 |
| Oregon | $42,350 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,550 |
| Rhode Island | $47,430 |
| South Carolina | $42,770 |
| Tennessee | $44,630 |
| Texas | $41,640 |
| Utah | $47,830 |
| Vermont | $33,670 |
| Washington | $42,610 |
| West Virginia | $34,080 |
| Wisconsin | $45,720 |
| Wyoming | $48,230 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Community Health Workers
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Community Health Workers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Publisher
- SmugMug Flickr
- Electronic health record EHR software
- Client databases
Becoming a Community Health Worker
What education or degrees do I need to become a Community Health Worker?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where do Community Health Workers Work?
The table below shows the approximate number of Community Health Workers employed by various industries.
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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