Health education–often referred to as human services–is a social science that incorporates interdisciplinary research to promote health and general well being while also combating disease and other negative outcomes of poor health. Depending on the role of the particular health education professional, these specialists work with individuals, groups, or entire communities to remedy environmental or systemic pressures that might negatively impact one’s personal, social, or professional life.
A career in health education manifests in many different forms–from a community project management, to health education in school systems and corporate environments, even to organizing state-level initiatives. As implied by this wide range of professional outcomes, a career in health education is extremely flexible.
What one health education professional does might only slightly resemble the work of another. And these diverging paths of health education professions begin in school. That is, the direction of each individual health educator’s career is established, at least in part, early on through degree programs and certifications.
What is an Education in Human Services / Health Education?
Health education is considered by many health professionals to be a career of honor much like teaching, and is therefore one of the best health degrees to consider. Health education is similar to a health science degree (what can I do with a degree in health science?) except with an emphasis on education. Though the exact format of your degree program will depend mostly on your desired career trajectory.
While there are certainly Associate’s degree options for health education, many certifications and employers will require at least a baccalaureate degree. That is not to say one cannot find employment or professional success with an Associate level education, however it is safe to say that the traditional route of health education will lead to a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.
What do Health Education Degree Programs Look like?
With this in mind, what will a traditional education look like? Most undergraduate and graduate programs in health education have set standards that are common between programs at different universities, such as requiring the completion of practicum or internships. The common thread here is that health education programs require engagement with one’s community, and–depending on the specialization of the program–with certain populations in need.
If you are interested in a career in healthcare, but are unsure if health education is the best fit or want to explore the specifics, check out our healthcare degree FAQ for a list of healthcare professions and their degree requirements. Also check the resources below for information on available healthcare degrees and the careers they lead to.
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Health Oriented Associate’s
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Health Oriented Master’s and Career Information
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Health Oriented PhD and Career Information
- What Can I Do with a Health Management and Policy PhD?
- What Can I Do with a Community Health Education PhD?
Health Education Degree: Cost, Flexibility, and Time Requirement
Most undergraduate health education degree programs are delivered through a 120 credit format. That is, full-time students can expect to complete their Bachelor’s of Health Education in about four years. Of course for part-time students this schedule is stretched to five or even six years depending on the course load they undertake. Both Associate’s and Master’s programs are typically completed in half the time (60 credit hours).
While the expense associated with any degree program is impacted by many factors, the typical cost of an undergraduate degree in health education seems to range from about $15,000 to $60,000. The deciding factor in the expense of tuition seems to be a combination of the university’s reputation and the particular offerings of the degree program.
Prospective health educators will be pleased to learn that many degree programs offer traditional, hybrid, and fully-online formats. This can accommodate professionals who have locational restraints or who wish to keep working while pursuing a degree.
What are the Most Common Career Settings of Health Education?
As mentioned in the introduction, health education is a broad field of many diverse career paths. Among which are settings that might be of particular interest to prospective professionals and might warrant a specific focus of study during their education. Below are the seven most common settings.
Community Health Education
Health educators who work in the community setting will focus their efforts on programs that will deliver the most good to the most people within said community. If, for instance, the community is highly impoverished, a health educator might work on a program on connecting community members with the healthcare they need.
Similarly, many community-oriented health educators direct their efforts toward minimizing the negative effects of alcoholism and substance abuse, unplanned pregnancy, or other self-induced problems. These professionals engage in community outreach and intervention by spreading helpful information and educating key members in the community.
See – What Can I Do with a PhD in Community Health Education?
Common Job Titles within this Setting
- Community Health Educator
- Prevention Specialist
- Alcohol and Substance Abuse Educator
- Family Services Specialist
- Community Resource Coordinator
Health Education in Business
In America’s 2020 businesses and international corporations alike are held to a higher standard of employee health and satisfaction. One’s work environment should not be unhealthy or toxic to one’s mental health. Health educators work within the business setting to ensure that both employers and employees are well educated on important topics.
These professionals might develop a company-wide health initiative, plan a business’ wellness retreat, or conduct seminars on combating unhealthy behaviors in the workplace. Health educators often work as consultants for businesses who have a specific need, though they often find employment in large corporations with large numbers of employees as well.
Common Job Titles within this Setting
- Wellness Consultant
- Integrative Health Educator
- Corporate Health Trainer
- Cultural Competency/Sensitivity Trainer
- Health Media Director
Health Education in Non-Profits
Non-profit organizations embody an amazing sentiment: forgoing corporate profit-mongering in lieu of propagating a social cause or advocating for a progressive change in a community, or in governmental policy. Because nonprofits require the utmost in efficiency and productivity in order to run effectively, health educators play an important role.
Health educators typically work in the nonprofit sector in one of two capacities–that is, they either work to directly improve the working conditions for the non-profit, or they work as an instrument of change in communities for the nonprofit. In other words, health educators usually work on-site at the nonprofit or they engage in outreach by carrying the nonprofit’s message.
Common Job Titles within this Setting
- Health Literacy Educator
- Health Specialist Grant Writer
- Alcohol and Substance Abuse Education Coordinator
- Clinical Researcher / Clinical Research Coordinator
- Employee Wellness Coordinator
Health Education in Schools
School aged children are often the most vulnerable to many forms of illness and disease. This fact combines with the fact that school systems represent the ideal breeding grounds for bacteria, viruses, and even forms of contagious behavioral illnesses. The resulting reality is that school districts are straddled with an enormously difficult burden of protecting students from such negative outcomes.
Health educators work closely both in schools, school boards, and panels to establish policies and enact initiatives designed to curtail any threats to student safety or health. The focus of these health educators is typically that of K-12 school settings.
Common Job Titles within this Setting
- School Health Educator
- District Wellness Coordinator
- Youth Outreach Coordinator
- Youth Program Director
- Head Start Health Specialist
Health Education in Academia
The needs of school aged children differ drastically from the needs of college aged students and adult learners at university. For this reason, health educators take on entirely different roles when working in this setting. And for the most part their roles can be categorized into different approaches.
One group of health educators works with universities as a client, that is, they help to educate both students and faculty, develop on-campus programs for health education, and ensure student health is considered in university policies and programs. The other group of health educators work with universities as an employee. These professionals work either as health education faculty, or work within student services to fill a specific role educating both faculty and students.
Common Job Titles within this Setting
- Assistant Professor / Professor
- Curriculum Development Coordinator
- University Health and Wellness Consultant
- Education Director
- Education Outreach Program Director
Health Education in Government
When considering the health of individuals and communities, a primary infrastructure of concern is that of the government. That is, when seeking out the health and betterment of people there are few power structures with more influence, and perhaps more importantly, few power structures have more responsibility to use this influence to enact positive change.
For this reason, many health educators find successful careers in government at the state or federal level. These educators can work closely with policy makers to ensure that it encourages health and wellbeing of people, communities, and the environment. These educators also work closely with government bodies as clients in order to ensure that government employees have healthy work environments, are educated against unhealthy behaviors, and knowledgeable in the prevention of disease and illness.
Common Job Titles within this Setting
- Environmental Health Educator
- Health Department Director
- Health Program Advocate
- Infection/Disease Prevention Specialist
- Accreditation Coordinator
Health Education in Healthcare
It might be counterintuitive that health educators would play such a vital role in the healthcare industry, but their task is a indeed crucial one. While most professionals in the healthcare industry have specialized medical knowledge of some sort, their knowledge is more focused on their craft as a doctor, surgeon, nurse, etc.
Thus it is common for these professionals to lack knowledge about what is best practice for their behavior as employees of hospitals who interact with people both inside and outside of work. Given the health risks associated with these things, health educators take on the role of educating healthcare professionals on the proper procedures and protocols for upholding a high standard of health.
As it is in many other professional settings, these health educators might work in a hospital as an employee by ensuring patients and clients are given quality care, or work with the hospital as a client by educating its staff in key areas. Which direction one takes will depend on the size of the healthcare organization, the specialization of one’s work, and one’s education level and resume.
Common Job Titles within this Setting
- Medical Resource Manager
- Prevention Specialist
- Nutrition Services Coordinator
- Patient Care Coordinator
- Patient Education Director
What are the Professional Associations of Health Education?
Besides offering top-end employment for exceptional health educators, professional associations provide an abundance of resources for both active professionals in the workforce and for students engaged in a degree program. Enrolling in a membership grants access to medical journals, professional development opportunities, as well as networking events. So with this in mind, let’s breakdown the most prominent professional associations.
Society of Public Health Education (SOPHE)
SOPHE represents health educators both across the United States and throughout the larger world. This association promotes healthy living guidelines for cultures both local and abroad by conducting massive research and community engagement initiatives. SOPHE organizes national conferences and conventions throughout the year.
American Public Health Association (APHA)
APHA is present in more than 40 countries to raise the quality of living and standards for community wellness. This international presence is the fueling force behind its growing body of research archived in its medical journal. Given the size of this Association, there are a large number of professional opportunities available both directly and indirectly through APHA.
Health Care Education Association (HCEA)
HCEA differs from the other two organizations in that its primary focus is a commitment to healthcare. This commitment is delivered through a multidisciplinary approach where educators prioritize the propagation of information in regards to patient, consumer, and family in the context of healthcare. That is, this association works closely with the healthcare infrastructure in America to ensure that its institutions function as organizations and also as care providers.
Where Can You Go with a Health Education Degree?
While some health education careers require specialized education like that of nurse education (how to become a nurse educator), other careers are wide open to exceptional professionals. Similarly, some advanced degree programs will only accept applicants with the most focused and exemplary backgrounds. Given how this information might guide decisions early in one’s career, we will go over these career goals and career resources now.
Doctorate Level Education
Doctorate level degree programs only accept top candidates. And becoming a top candidate takes years of preparation and due diligence in education programs. That is you must demonstrate academic thriving in your associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s programs.
With that in mind, here are some doctoral programs you can work towards:
Community Health Education PhD
What Can I Do with a PhD in Community Health Education?
Health Management and Policy PhD
What Can I Do with a PhD in Health Management and Policy?
Find a Hotspot for Healthcare Education Jobs
Not all healthcare professions are created equal (see 10 best healthcare careers for the future or 5 Healthcare Jobs In-Demand). While healthcare education is certainly a strong field and is projected to grow at above average rates through the next five years, the best opportunities will be located in the areas of the country with thriving healthcare industries.
With that in mind, be sure to explore the best cities for healthcare jobs. But for the most part the best healthcare jobs are in large urban centers with robust state funding. These kinds of cities leverage infrastructure to provide a higher standard of healthcare to its locals–and this is where healthcare educators come in.
5 Top-End Salaries of Health Education Careers
Healthcare careers are known for providing some of the most stable and lucrative jobs in the American job market. Not all careers are created equal however, and for many prospective professionals there are few factors more important than salary. There is nothing wrong with valuing salary, especially when it comes through a career that one loves.
Below are some of the most lucrative jobs within health education. Though it should be noted that some of these positions will only be attainable by those who have established the necessary specialization and expertise–some of which might be wholly attainable in a degree program, while some may not. Similarly, these figures represent the top-end percentiles of salaries within a field, and as such will not be representative of average earnings.
Public Health Attorney
Top-End Earnings: $208,000
Public health attorneys combine the skills of a lawyer with those of a public health activist in order to raise the living quality and standards of health for individuals and communities alike. These legal professionals are both able to fight predatory policies in court while also promoting beneficial policies through building political affiliations and inciting government initiatives.
Health education professionals will need to earn a law degree in order to work towards this career path, however their background in health education and public health administration will be equally crucial.
Medical Services Manager
Top-End Earnings: $183,000
Also known as healthcare managers or healthcare executives, these professionals fill the managerial role in healthcare environments and typically oversee physician groups and other clinical professionals. These medical services managers function as the quarterback for daily activities within a healthcare environment and work in a variety of settings including hospitals, retirement homes, and clinics.
Health education professionals will likely need to pursue an advanced degree in healthcare management, however a background in healthcare education would be an excellent specialization.
Biostatistician
Top 10% Earnings: $147,000
Biostatisticians are public health professionals who dedicate their careers to researching the interplay of technology, work, and modern society on public health. These professionals design studies and produce questionnaires in order to collect necessary data. Biostatisticians then analyze this data and present it in ways that key figures can understand, so as to encourage policy change that might incorporate it.
A health education professional will want to earn a specialization in biostatistics in their health education degree program. Otherwise, they will want to develop this expertise in the workforce, or through pursuing a separate statistics degree program.
Emergency Management Director
Top-End Earnings: $141,000
Emergency management directors take on the responsibility of preparing an organization for an emergency situation–such as natural disasters, fires, or other emergencies. Emergency management directors work closely with government services, large corporations, and communities to ensure that the unique impact of various emergencies has been considered, measured, and prepared for in such a way as to minimize impact on public health.
Health education professionals will likely want to build some expertise in management and emergency response, however a background in public health education with a specialization in emergency management would be ideal.
Epidemiologist
Top 10% Earnings: $120,000
Epidemiologists work to conduct research and organize studies in order to collect data on disease, illness, and injury in order to lessen or even negate its effects on public health. These professionals are researchers at heart, but oftentimes enter the field to collect samples or review data. The field of epidemiology has received tremendous funding and growth after the global pandemic spurred a renewed interest in public health issues.
Health education professionals will likely want to pursue a specialization in epidemiology while earning their health education degree. Otherwise, they may wish to build this expertise by taking on relevant jobs and projects related to epidemiology, or may want to pursue a separate degree entirely.