Health Education Specialists

Health education specialists teach people about behaviors that promote wellness. They develop strategies to improve the well-being of individuals and communities.

Duties

Health education specialists typically do the following:

• Assess the health needs of individuals and communities
• Develop programs, materials, and events to teach people about health topics, such as managing existing conditions
• Evaluate the effectiveness of programs and educational materials
• Help people find health services or information
• Provide training programs for community health workers or other healthcare providers
• Supervise staff who implement health education programs
• Collect and analyze data to learn about a particular community and improve programs and services
• Advocate for improved health resources and policies that promote health

Health education specialists have different duties depending on where they work. The following are descriptions of duties for health education specialists, by work setting:

• In healthcare facilities, health education specialists may work one-on-one with patients or their families. They teach patients about their diagnoses and treatment options. They also lead efforts to develop and administer surveys for identifying health concerns in the community and to develop programs that meet those needs. For example, they may help to organize blood-pressure screenings or classes on proper installation of car seats. Health education specialists also create programs to train medical staff to interact more effectively with patients.

• In nonprofits, health education specialists create programs and materials about health issues in the community they serve. They help organizations obtain funding, such as through grants for promoting health and disease awareness. They also educate policymakers about ways to improve public health. In nonprofits that focus on a particular disease or audience, health education specialists tailor programs to meet those needs.

• In public health departments, health education specialists develop public health campaigns on topics such as emergency preparedness, immunizations, or proper nutrition. They also develop materials for use in the community and by public health officials. Some health education specialists collaborate with other workers, such as on statewide or local committees, to create public policies on health and wellness topics. They may also oversee grants and grant-funded programs to improve the public health.

Health education specialists create workplace programs or suggest modifications that focus on wellness. For example, they may develop incentives for employees to adopt healthy behaviors, such as controlling cholesterol, or recommend changes in the workplace to improve employee health, such as creating smoke-free areas.

For information about workers who promote wellness and coordinate care for different populations, see the profile on community health workers. For information about workers who teach health classes in middle and high schools, see the profiles on middle school teachers and high school teachers.

Health education specialists held about 71,800 jobs in 2024. The largest employers of health education specialists were as follows:

Although most health education specialists work in offices, they may spend a lot of time away from their desks to carry out programs or attend meetings.

Work Schedules

Most health education specialists are employed full time. They may need to work nights and weekends to attend programs or meetings.

Health education specialists typically need at least a bachelor’s degree. Certification may be required or preferred for some health education specialists.

The median annual wage for health education specialists was $63,000 in May 2024.

Employment of health education specialists is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 7,900 openings for health education specialists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.