Occupation · 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.
Median wage
$63,000
$42,210–$112,900
Projected growth
+4.5%
Average growth
Annual openings
320
per year
Employed (US)
65,150
Job Zone 4
Typical preparation
Considerable preparation
Stackable credential programs
679 mapped
Core skills
WritingActive ListeningSpeakingLearning StrategiesSocial PerceptivenessActive LearningReading ComprehensionCritical Thinking
Knowledge areas
Customer and Personal ServiceEducation and TrainingEnglish LanguageAdministrativePsychology
Technology & tools
Graphics or photo imaging softwareCustomer relationship management CRM softwareData base user interface and query softwareWeb page creation and editing softwareAnalytical or scientific software
Representative 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.Develop operational plans and policies necessary to achieve health education objectives and services.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.Develop, prepare, and coordinate grant applications and grant-related activities to obtain funding for health education programs and related work.Provide guidance to agencies and organizations on assessment of health education needs and on development and delivery of health education programs.Design and administer training programs for new employees and continuing education for existing employees.Develop educational materials and programs for community agencies, local government, and state government.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Health education materials such as brochures and visual aids — prepare and distribute under supervisor guidance to address targeted public health concerns such as smoking cessation or vaccine awareness.Community agency contact lists and mailing databases — maintain and update following established protocols to support health education program operations.Program activity records including presentation counts and persons assisted — document accurately using spreadsheet software under direct oversight.Health education presentations for school or community audiences — deliver scripted or pre-developed content under mentorship in structured settings.Public health surveys and needs assessment instruments — assist in administering using approved data collection tools and standardized procedures.Written health promotion reports and bulletins — draft following departmental templates and editorial guidelines for review by senior staff.Active listening and social perceptiveness — apply during community interactions to identify participant concerns and relay findings to the supervising specialist.Presentation software and multimedia educational tools — use to assemble slide decks and instructional materials from existing content libraries.Cooperative relationships with community organizations — begin establishing by attending joint meetings and following up on assigned correspondence under direction.Health education program goals and objectives — review and interpret to align daily tasks with broader public health priorities as directed by program leadership.
developing
Health education workshops and training conferences — plan and facilitate with reduced oversight, adapting content to address the specific demographic needs of the target community.Interagency working relationships with public health organizations and civic groups — develop and sustain through regular communication and collaborative program coordination.Program databases, telephone networks, and CRM software — manage and query independently to ensure accurate information flow across health education initiatives.Health needs assessments and community public health surveys — conduct using analytical or scientific software, synthesizing results into actionable program recommendations.Health promotion materials including reports, visual aids, and web-based content — produce using graphics and web page editing software for distribution across multiple channels.Activity documentation and program performance data — compile and analyze in spreadsheets to track outputs such as presentations conducted and applications processed.Health specialists, civic leaders, and community stakeholders — collaborate with routinely to identify service gaps and align program objectives with identified community needs.Instructional design strategies — apply when developing training curricula for community members and paraprofessional staff, selecting methods appropriate to diverse adult learners.Network conferencing and multimedia platforms — use to extend health education program reach to remote or underserved populations in hybrid delivery environments.Time management and workload coordination — exercise across simultaneous program tasks, meeting deadlines for reporting cycles and community event schedules without close supervision.
proficient
Comprehensive community health education programs — design, implement, and evaluate autonomously, integrating data from needs assessments to drive evidence-based curriculum decisions.Cross-sector partnerships with health agencies, government bodies, and nonprofit organizations — build and manage to expand program resources and coordinate population-level health interventions.Complex public health surveys and epidemiological needs assessments — lead from instrument design through analysis, using scientific software to produce statistically grounded findings.Non-routine health communication challenges such as disease outbreaks or emerging risk behaviors — address by rapidly developing targeted materials and adapting delivery strategies across media channels.Professional and technical staff assigned to health education initiatives — supervise day-to-day, providing performance feedback and ensuring implementation fidelity to program objectives.Medical software and integrated health information systems — apply to link clinical data with community education programming and evaluate health outcome trends across populations.Critical thinking and systems analysis — employ to diagnose barriers to health equity within communities and recommend multi-level program adjustments to leadership.High-stakes presentations to public health boards, funding agencies, and legislative audiences — prepare and deliver with persuasive clarity, drawing on robust program evidence and outcome data.Grant and program reports requiring advanced written comprehension and expression — author independently, synthesizing quantitative metrics with qualitative community impact narratives.Health education program goals and service availability — assess against community need data and recommend strategic realignment to optimize population health outcomes.
advanced
Organizational health education strategy and long-range program vision — define and champion at executive or departmental leadership level, aligning initiatives with public health policy priorities.Professional development frameworks for health education specialists and support staff — design and institutionalize to build organizational capacity and sustain evidence-based practice standards.System-wide health needs assessment processes — lead and institutionalize across multiple agencies or jurisdictions, establishing shared methodologies and data governance protocols.High-level intergovernmental and community coalitions — convene and chair to mobilize collective resources toward addressing complex, persistent public health disparities.Health education budget allocation and resource planning — oversee at program or division scale, applying judgment and decision-making frameworks to maximize population health impact.Organizational policies governing health communication, data management, and community engagement — author and champion, ensuring compliance with public safety, ethics, and equity standards.Emerging technologies including advanced CRM, AI-assisted analytics, and digital media platforms — evaluate and integrate into organizational health education infrastructure to modernize program delivery.Mentorship and succession planning for mid-career health education professionals — lead through structured coaching relationships, cultivating the next generation of public health practitioners.Cross-agency performance monitoring and accountability systems — architect to track program-wide outcomes, enabling data-driven continuous quality improvement across the health education portfolio.Public and legislative persuasion campaigns on priority health issues — lead at regional or national scale, synthesizing epidemiological evidence and community voice to influence policy and funding decisions.
Also known as
139 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
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