What is a health educator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Experts
Dr. Bryan Carter Ph.D.,
Steve Jackowicz Ph.D.
introduction image

Primarily, health educators are providers of healthcare education to organizations, communities, or specific populations. They perform assessments and surveys to determine the health education needs of their target area. They work with health specialists and stakeholders to define goals and achieve results. Similarly, they create plans and policies to aid in achieving and monitoring the progress of set objectives. Furthermore, they create and distribute health education materials and aids like pamphlets, notices, video and audio clips, images, and posters. Additionally, they organize health education events, workshops, conferences, and presentations and also promote health education initiatives through various platforms.

Ideally, you need at least a bachelor's degree in public health or a related field. You must have a minimum of three years in healthcare education. Employers prefer candidates with professional certification. You need presentation, customer service, computer, communication, and networking skills for this role. Your salary will vary between $35,000 and $66,000, with an annual average of $47,822.

What general advice would you give to a Health Educator?

D

Dr. Bryan Carter Ph.D.Dr. Bryan Carter Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Director, Center for Digital Humanities, Associate Professor, Africana Studies, University of Arizona

To ensure they keep in mind cultural studies courses taken at the university, consider supporting the department you received your major in some way.
ScoreHealth EducatorUS Average
Salary
3.3

Avg. Salary $42,570

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.7

Growth Rate 12%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
10.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.31%

Asian 6.76%

Black or African American 11.06%

Hispanic or Latino 20.67%

Unknown 6.41%

White 53.78%

Gender

female 77.37%

male 22.63%

Age - 42
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42
Stress Level
7.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.6

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
9.1

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

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Health Educator career paths

Key steps to become a health educator

  1. Explore health educator education requirements

    Most common health educator degrees

    Bachelor's

    67.5 %

    Master's

    19.1 %

    Associate

    7.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific health educator skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Public Health11.76%
    Patients9.63%
    Community Health8.09%
    Health Promotion6.25%
    Health Education Programs3.43%
  3. Complete relevant health educator training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New health educators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a health educator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real health educator resumes.
  4. Research health educator duties and responsibilities

    • Manage day-to-day evolving aspects of the HHS Zika virus response.
    • Engage with members' telephonically, using motivational interviewing techniques to assist members' in achieving their health goals.
    • Work with an interdisciplinary staff within HHS and across other federal agencies.
    • Support of Norton patients by telephone providing information for community resources for new mothers and providing medical counseling concerning their prenatal/postnatal condition
  5. Prepare your health educator resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your health educator resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a health educator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Health Educator Resume templates

    Build a professional Health Educator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Health Educator resume.
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    Health Educator Resume
  6. Apply for health educator jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a health educator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Health Educator Job

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Average health educator salary

The average Health Educator salary in the United States is $42,570 per year or $20 per hour. Health educator salaries range between $30,000 and $58,000 per year.

Average Health Educator Salary
$42,570 Yearly
$20.47 hourly

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How do health educators rate their job?

5/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Health Educator reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

Care of others. Wound dressing. Personal Cares.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

Helping people with diabetes and helping them realize that they can still have a normal life

Cons

Other people being negative to diabetics


profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros

Helping other people who can't help themself

Cons

Not teaming up because I trust team work is always the best to acquire knowledge and provide good result.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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