Health Educator

Duties and responsibilities: Health educators typically do the following: Assess the needs of the people and communities they serve, Develop programs and events to teach people about health topics, Teach people how to cope with or manage existing health conditions, Evaluate the effectiveness of programs and educational materials, Help people find health services or information, Provide training programs for other health professionals or community health workers, Supervise staff who implement health education programs, Collect and analyze data to learn about their audience and improve programs and services, and Advocate for improved health resources and policies that promote health. Community health workers do the following: Provide outreach and discuss health care concerns with community members, Educate people about the importance and availability of healthcare services, such as cancer screenings, Collect data, Report findings to health educators and other healthcare providers, Provide informal counseling and social support, Conduct outreach programs, Ensure that people have access to the healthcare services they need, Advocate for individual and community needs. The duties of health educators, who are sometimes called health education specialists, vary with their work settings. Most work in health care facilities, colleges, public health departments, nonprofits, and private businesses. Health educators who teach health classes in middle and high schools are considered teachers. For more information, see the profiles on middle school teachers and high school teachers.

Salary: $27,730-$86,810

Education: Entry-level health educator positions require a bachelor’s degree in health education or health promotion. These programs teach students theories and methods of health education and help students gain the knowledge and skills they need to develop health education materials and programs. Most programs include an internship. Some positions, such as those in the federal government or in state public health agencies, require a master’s or doctoral degree. Graduate programs are commonly in community health education, school health education, public health education, or health promotion. Entering a master’s degree program requires a bachelor’s degree, but a variety of undergraduate majors may be acceptable. Community health workers typically have a high school diploma, although some jobs may require post-secondary education. Education programs may lead to a 1-year certificate or a 2-year associate’s degree and cover topics such as wellness, ethics, and cultural awareness, among others. Community health workers typically have a shared language or life experience and an understanding of the community that they serve.

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Reflection: I would like to be a health educator because it seems to be an interesting job. In continuation I would also like to teach people about the body and how it works. For the reason that I like to learn about that to health is my favorite subject by far and it’s very interesting to me. Some people might not like it but it’s a job that fits my liking and learning and teaching about health word be something I would be interested in.