Counselors, Social Workers, and Other Community and Social Service Specialists

How to become a Health Education Specialist

Official title: Health Education Specialists

Also called: Certified Diabetes Educator, Clinical Instructor, Community Health Consultant, Education Coordinator, Health Education Coordinator, Health Education Specialist, Health Educator, Health Promotion Specialist, Public Health Educator, Public Information Officer

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.

Main 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.

How to become one

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

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Health & Public Health degrees, Offered by 29 universities in the US
College: Education & Teaching degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $64,070 a year The middle half earn $50,620 to $87,130.
About 70,400 people work in this job now, and about 74,400 are projected by 2035. (+5.6%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Health Education Specialist?

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

How much does a Health Education Specialist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $64,070 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $50,620 to $87,130.

Is a Health Education Specialist a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6% by 2035, from about 70,400 to about 74,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Health Education Specialist?

Usually. 66% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Health Education Specialist?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.