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Career overview · SOC 21-1091

Health Education Specialists

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.

Also called: Certified Diabetes Educator · Clinical Instructor · Community Health Consultant · Education Coordinator · Health Education Coordinator · Health Education Specialist

Median pay (national)
$63,000
$42,210–$112,900 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
65,150
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+4.5%
~7,900 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree

What the numbers say

Refit analysis ·Pay for health education specialists shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $112,900 versus $42,210 at the bottom 10% — 2.7x. The median of $63,000 leaves roughly 79% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +4.5% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 7,900 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 52 states with released data, District of Columbia pays the most for this role (median $110,620, +76% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $38,360 — a 188% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Writing, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint as in-demand technologies for this role.

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Top skills employers ask for

Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.

  • Active Listening
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • Learning Strategies
  • Active Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Critical Thinking
  • Monitoring
  • Science
  • Mathematics

What they actually do

Core O*NET tasks for this role.

  • Develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with agencies and organizations interested in public health care.
  • Supervise professional and technical staff in implementing health programs, objectives, and goals.
  • 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.
  • Prepare and distribute health education materials, such as reports, bulletins, and visual aids, to address smoking, vaccines, and other public health concerns.
  • 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.

Tools & technology

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Facebook
  • MEDITECH software
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge
  • Blackboard software
  • Blogging software
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC WONDER
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epi Info
  • Edpuzzle
  • JamBoard
  • LogMeIn GoToWebinar

Knowledge areas

  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Education and Training
  • English Language
  • Administrative
  • Psychology
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Mathematics
  • Sociology and Anthropology