Community and social service
Health education specialist
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.
Median pay
$64,070
Growth to 2035
+6%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
6,900
Time to qualify*
Minimal
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Health education specialist
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Exposure to disease
Health education specialist: 42% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
Also called: Certified Diabetes Educator · Clinical Instructor · Community Health Consultant · Education Coordinator · Health Education Coordinator · Health Education Specialist · Health Educator · Health Promotion Specialist
Outlook and AI
Health education specialists held 70,400 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 74,400 by 2035 (+6%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
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