Health Education Specialists: Career Profile
Provide and manage health education programs that help individuals, families, and their communities maximize and maintain healthy lifestyles. Use data to identify community needs prior to planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programs designed to encourage healthy lifestyles, policies, and environments. May link health systems, health providers, insurers, and patients to address individual and population health needs. May serve as resource to assist individuals, other health professionals, or the community, and may administer fiscal resources for health education programs.
Featured schools near , edit
What Do Health Education Specialists Do?
The core tasks performed by health education specialists cover:
- Prepare and distribute health education materials, such as reports, bulletins, and visual aids, to address smoking, vaccines, and other public health concerns.
- Develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with agencies and organizations interested in public health care.
- Maintain databases, mailing lists, telephone networks, and other information to facilitate the functioning of health education programs.
- Document activities and record information, such as the numbers of applications completed, presentations conducted, and persons assisted.
- Develop and present health education and promotion programs, such as training workshops, conferences, and school or community presentations.
- Collaborate with health specialists and civic groups to determine community health needs and the availability of services and to develop goals for meeting needs.
- Develop, conduct, or coordinate health needs assessments and other public health surveys.
- Supervise professional and technical staff in implementing health programs, objectives, and goals.
What Health Education Specialists Need to Know
Top health education specialists combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Health Education Specialists Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- BLS Instructor (Basic Life Support Instructor)
- Behavioral Health Educator
- Breastfeeding Educator
- Breastfeeding Peer Counselor
- CPR Instructor (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Instructor)
- CPR and First Aid Instructor (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and First Aid Instructor)
- Certified Breastfeeding Educator (CBE)
- Certified Diabetes Educator
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 163,096 health education specialists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +3.7% over the projection horizon.
Health Education Specialists Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $81,726 |
| Hourly median | $39.29 |
| 10th percentile | $47,563 |
| 25th percentile | $64,644 |
| 75th percentile | $98,808 |
| 90th percentile | $115,890 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Health Education Specialists Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $110,620 |
| Maryland | $101,090 |
| Georgia | $97,010 |
| Rhode Island | $80,390 |
| New Jersey | $78,400 |
| Minnesota | $78,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,020 |
| Oregon | $73,830 |
| New Hampshire | $73,580 |
| Alaska | $72,650 |
| Washington | $72,540 |
| Connecticut | $71,980 |
| Idaho | $70,070 |
| Colorado | $69,890 |
| Ohio | $68,370 |
| Virginia | $68,180 |
| Iowa | $67,940 |
| Wisconsin | $67,340 |
| Kansas | $66,960 |
| Vermont | $65,370 |
| Hawaii | $64,580 |
| Kentucky | $64,160 |
| West Virginia | $62,400 |
| Wyoming | $62,390 |
| Massachusetts | $62,270 |
| Delaware | $61,800 |
| New Mexico | $61,730 |
| Utah | $61,660 |
| Nevada | $61,270 |
| Oklahoma | $60,980 |
| New York | $60,320 |
| California | $60,150 |
| Missouri | $60,110 |
| Indiana | $59,950 |
| South Carolina | $59,780 |
| Maine | $59,460 |
| North Dakota | $58,670 |
| Illinois | $58,100 |
| Arizona | $58,100 |
| Louisiana | $57,150 |
| Arkansas | $57,060 |
| Texas | $56,210 |
| Tennessee | $55,970 |
| South Dakota | $55,770 |
| North Carolina | $54,720 |
| Florida | $53,460 |
| Alabama | $53,110 |
| Michigan | $52,830 |
| Nebraska | $52,260 |
| Montana | $52,030 |
| Mississippi | $48,100 |
| Puerto Rico | $38,360 |
Where Health Education Specialists Earn the Most
Pay for health education specialists vary by region. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $76,967 | 15.8% | 1.18 |
| Plains States | $67,176 | 6.3% | 0.96 |
| Southeast | $66,851 | 19.6% | 0.96 |
| Rocky Mountains | $65,773 | 3.2% | 0.82 |
| New England | $64,496 | 5.2% | 1.28 |
| Far Western US | $62,268 | 27.4% | 1.77 |
| Great Lakes | $60,605 | 10.5% | 0.85 |
| Southwest | $57,552 | 10.8% | 0.91 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Health Education Specialists
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $121,890 | 2,100 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $109,260 | 2,600 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | NJ | $88,370 | 80 |
| York-Hanover, PA | PA | $86,420 | 50 |
| Owensboro, KY | KY | $85,250 | 40 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | MD | $83,690 | 40 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | CT | $82,870 | 30 |
| Reading, PA | PA | $82,720 | 40 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of health education specialists are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 28,060 | $65,510 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 2,960 | $51,850 |
| Finance and Insurance | 2,620 | $57,970 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2,340 | $71,990 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,390 | $62,690 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1,190 | $71,420 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 840 | $61,250 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 210 | $50,610 |
Health Education Specialists work in the following industries:
Software Health Education Specialists Use
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for health education specialists is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
- Contact With Others
- Freedom to Make Decisions
How to Become Health Education Specialists
Most health education specialists positions require an associate’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Medical and Health Services Managers (Supplemental)
- Social and Community Service Managers (Primary-Long)
- Health Informatics Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (Supplemental)
- Mental Health Counselors (Supplemental)
- Rehabilitation Counselors (Primary-Short)
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers (Primary-Long)
- Healthcare Social Workers (Primary-Short)
Where to Study
Students preparing for health education specialists commonly pursue programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
8 programs across 4 majors
- Public Health
- Health Sciences & Services
- Mental & Social Health Services
- Advanced Dentistry & Oral Sciences
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 21-1091.00 (Health Education Specialists).
GradDegree.com provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© GradDegree.com – All Rights Reserved.