Career Discovery Tool
Your email has not been verified. Verify email now ›

Health Educator

Overview and Key Facts

health educator
Education
Education
Bachelor's degree
Median Pay
Median Pay
$63,000
Job Growth
Job Growth
4.50%
(US Average)
Jobs in 2034
Jobs in 2034
75,000

What Do They Do?

A health educator could...

 
diabetic blood sugar check
Help diabetics understand the importance of monitoring their blood-sugar levels.
anti-smoking
Create an anti-smoking commercial to prevent teens from smoking.
baby in a diaper
Teach a class that shows new parents how to care for a baby.
CDC instructions for proper handwashing
Design a poster that shows people the steps they can take to reduce their chances of catching the flu.
 
diabetic blood sugar check anti-smoking baby in a diaper CDC instructions for proper handwashing

Overview Listen to this section

Have you ever heard the expression "Prevention is the best medicine"? Prevention is the fundamental work of all health educators. They attempt to prevent illnesses or diseases in individuals or entire communities through education about nutrition, exercise, or other habits and behaviors. Health educators present scientific information in ways that their audience can relate to, and are sensitive to cultural differences. They are the cornerstone of the public health system, improving health and saving thousands of lives by motivating changes in behavior.
Watch this video where families enjoyed a morning of heart-healthy fun at the Ready, Set, Explore Hearts event at the Susan P. Byrnes Health Education Center in York.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GTqLjoPyIk

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Health Educator?


  1. Writing: ?
  2. Active Listening: ?
  3. Speaking: ?
  4. Learning Strategies: ?
  5. Social Perceptiveness: ?
More skills...

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Health Educator might do:
  • 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.
  • Develop operational plans and policies necessary to achieve health education objectives and services.
  • Provide program information to the public by preparing and presenting press releases, conducting media campaigns, or maintaining program-related Web sites.
  • Develop and maintain health education libraries to provide resources for staff and community agencies.
  • Design and conduct evaluations and diagnostic studies to assess the quality and performance of health education programs.
  • Develop, prepare, and coordinate grant applications and grant-related activities to obtain funding for health education programs and related work.
  • Provide guidance to agencies and organizations on assessment of health education needs and on development and delivery of health education programs.
  • Design and administer training programs for new employees and continuing education for existing employees.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

Tap or scroll over map to see median salaries for each state

Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Health Educator Jobs Grow by 2034?
Projected % Growth
Rapid growth
(10% or higher)
Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)
Faster than average
(5% - 7%)
About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)
Slower than average
(0% - 3%)
Decreasing
Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)
Health Educator jobs (4.50%)
Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming a Health Educator

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.
Math
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Physiology
Bio-Medical / Biotech
IT &
Engineering
Computer Science
Applied Technology
Drafting & CAD Training
Core
English
Foreign Language
Business
Psychology / Sociology

Career Pathway Listen to this section

A bachelor's degree is generally required for entry-level health educator positions, but some employers prefer a bachelor's degree and some related experience gained through an internship or volunteer work. A master's degree may be required for some positions and is usually required for advancement. In addition, some employers may require candidates to be Certified Health Education Specialists.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree
Post
high school credential
AA
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Bachelor's degree ? Types of Degrees and Credentials

Entry-level health educator positions generally require a bachelor's degree in health education. Over 250 colleges and universities offer bachelor's programs in health education or a similarly titled major. These programs teach students the theories of health education and develop the skills necessary to implement health education programs. Courses in psychology, human development, and a foreign language are helpful, and experience gained through an internship or other volunteer opportunities can make graduates more appealing to employers.

Graduate health education programs are often offered under titles such as community health education, school health education, or health promotion and lead to a Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Education, or a Master of Public Health degree. Many students pursue their master's in health education after majoring or working in another related field, such as nursing or psychology. A master's degree is required for most health educator positions in public health.

Once hired, on-the-job training for health educators varies greatly, depending on the type and size of employer. State and local public health departments and other larger offices may have a formal training program, while smaller health education offices and departments may train new employees through less formal means, such as mentoring or working with more experienced staff. Some employers may require and pay for educators to take continuing education courses to keep their skills up-to-date.

Companies That Hire Health Educators

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

On the Job

Role Models

Read this interview to meet health educator, Ti Pasteur, as he counsels Haitian families after both natural disasters and outbreaks of disease.
One of the hardest things about our work is when parents lose their child to cholera and we have to explain to them that their child’s body has to be taken and decontaminated before it is buried. 
Ti Pasteur

Nature of the Work

Health educators work to encourage healthy lifestyles and wellness through educating individuals and communities about behaviors that promote healthy living and prevent diseases and other health problems.

They attempt to prevent illnesses by informing and educating individuals and communities about health-related topics, such as proper nutrition, the importance of exercise, how to avoid sexually transmitted diseases, and the habits and behaviors necessary to avoid illness. They begin by assessing the needs of their audience, which includes determining which topics to cover and how to best present the information. For example, they may hold programs on self-examinations for breast cancer to women who are at higher risk or may teach classes on the effects of binge drinking to college students. Health educators must take the cultural norms of their audience into account. For example, programs targeted at the elderly need to be drastically different from those aimed at a college-aged population.

After assessing their audiences' needs, health educators must decide how to meet those needs. Health educators have a lot of options in putting together programs to that end. They may organize a lecture, class, demonstration or health screening, or create a video, pamphlet or brochure. Often, planning a program requires working with other people in a team or on a committee within the organization that employs them. Also, health educators must plan programs that are consistent with the goals and objectives of their employers. For example, many nonprofit organizations educate the public about just one disease or health issue and, therefore, limit their programs to cover topics related to that disease or issue.

Next, health educators need to implement their proposed plan. This may require finding funding by applying for grants, writing curriculums for classes, or creating written materials that would be made available to the public. Also, programs may require dealing with basic logistics problems, such as finding speakers or locations for the event.

Generally, after a program is presented, health educators evaluate its success. This could include tracking the absentee rate of employees from work and students from school, surveying participants on their opinions about the program, or other methods of collecting evidence that suggests whether the programs were effective. Through evaluation, they can improve plans for the future by learning from mistakes and capitalizing on strengths.

Although programming is a large part of their job, health educators also serve as a resource on health topics. This may include locating services, reference material, and other resources that may be useful to the community they serve, and referring individuals or groups to organizations or medical professionals.

The basic goals and duties of health educators are the same, but their jobs vary greatly depending on the type of organization in which they work. Most health educators work in medical care settings, colleges and universities, schools, public health departments, nonprofit organizations, and private business.

Work Environment

Health educators work in various environments, based on the industry in which they work. In public health, nonprofit organizations, business work sites, colleges and universities, and medical care settings, they primarily work in offices. However, they may spend a lot of time away from the office implementing and attending programs, meeting with community organizers, speaking with patients, or teaching classes. Health educators in schools spend the majority of their day in classrooms.

Health educators generally work 40-hour weeks; however, when programs, events, or meetings are scheduled they may need to work evening or weekends.

More Information

Ask Questions

Do you have a specific question about a career as a Health Educator that isn't answered on this page? Post your question on the Science Buddies Ask an Expert Forum.

Additional Resources

Sources

Top
Quick Links X
Free science fair projects.