What is the salary of a Health Education Specialist?

The typical salary range is $44,100 - $88,200 per year.

Medical & WelfareGrowingBright Outlook

Health Education Specialist

Mid-level

Also known as: Breastfeeding Educator, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor, Certified Breastfeeding Educator (CBE), Certified Diabetes Educator

Medical & WelfareBachelor's Degree

Job Description

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.

Health EducationPublic HealthCommunity HealthHealth PromotionHealthcareEducationProgram ManagementSocial SciencesDataAnalysis

A Day in the Life

You arrive at the community health center, coffee in hand. Your desk is in a vibrant open-plan office. First, you fire up your computer, opening Outlook to scan new emails. There's an update on the grant application for the diabetes prevention program and a request for resources from a local school. You pull up your digital calendar in Microsoft Teams, outlining your priorities for the morning: reviewing survey data and preparing for a program planning meeting. The hum of colleagues arriving fills the air.

Skills employers are looking for in 2027

Software and technologies flagged by O*NET as Hot or In-Demand for this role.

Hot technologies

Adobe Photoshop Facebook MEDITECH software Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Visio Microsoft Word

In-demand software

Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPoint

Job Outlook 2025-2035

Bright Outlook

O*NET flags this career as a Bright Outlook occupation: grows rapidly over the next decade.

Projected growth

+5.6%

US average: +3.5%

Job openings

6,900

per year (US)

Jobs today

70,400

in 2025 → 74,400 (2035)

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections; O*NET Bright Outlook. Read the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook

Work Environment

How this work is typically performed, based on O*NET work context data.

Email & digital communication

High

Working in a team

High

Contact with others

High

Freedom to make decisions

High

Time pressure

High

Time spent sitting

Moderate

Working outdoors

Low

Indoor, climate-controlled

High

Dealing with customers

High

Level of competition

Moderate

Source: O*NET Work Context (v31.0)

Future Perspective

Growing Job Market

This field is experiencing expansion with increasing job opportunities and career advancement potential. Market demand is rising, with new positions being created.

Career ladder

Often before this role

Community Health Worker
Wellness Coordinator Assistant
Public Health Intern

Health Education Specialist

Where it can lead

Public Health Program Manager
Senior Health Educator
Director of Community Health

Impact of AI on this Job

AI will primarily support Health Education Specialists by analyzing vast health data to identify community needs and predict health trends more efficiently. This will allow them to personalize educational content, automate program monitoring, and enhance outreach strategies, freeing up specialists to focus on direct community engagement and intervention design.

Salary

$64,070

Median annual wage, BLS 2025

Required Education

Bachelor's Degree

Minimum educational requirement for this position