What Can You Do With a Health Education Degree in 2025?

by Imed Bouchrika, Phd

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

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What can you do with a health education degree?

A health education degree prepares students to promote wellness, prevent disease, and empower communities through education and advocacy. With this degree, you can work in schools, public health departments, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, and corporate wellness programs.

Common roles include health educator, community health worker, public health specialist, or patient educator. You will design programs, develop educational materials, and teach individuals or groups how to make healthier lifestyle choices. The degree also provides a strong foundation for those interested in graduate studies in public health, healthcare administration, or even clinical fields.

For career changers, a health education degree offers the opportunity to enter a growing field that blends communication, healthcare, and social impact. It can be a practical transition if you have a background in teaching, social work, fitness, or any role that involves working with people.

This degree opens doors to jobs focused on preventive healthcare, wellness coaching, or policy development, giving you the chance to make a meaningful difference in both individual lives and community health. It’s also a flexible career path, with opportunities ranging from hands-on education to program planning, advocacy, and research.

What jobs can you get with a health education degree?

A health education degree opens the door to many specific, in-demand roles. While salaries vary based on location, experience, and employer, this list gives you a realistic picture of the career paths and typical earning potential you can expect.

1. Health Education Specialist

Estimated Annual Salary Range: $45,000 - $75,000

This is the most direct career path. You will be responsible for creating, managing, and evaluating health programs for communities, hospitals, or companies. Your goal is to assess health needs and develop strategies to improve wellness outcomes.

2. Community Health Worker

Estimated Annual Salary Range: $38,000 - $60,000

In this role, you are a trusted frontline agent of public health. You act as a crucial link between communities and healthcare providers, helping people access necessary resources, social services, and information to improve their well-being. Explore how to become a certified community health worker to check if this role fits you.

3. Corporate Wellness Coordinator

Estimated Annual Salary Range: $50,000 - $80,000

Working in the private sector, you'll design and manage programs that improve the health and productivity of employees. This can include anything from fitness challenges and nutrition seminars to stress management resources.

4. Patient Navigator

Estimated Annual Salary Range: $42,000 - $65,000

Based in a hospital or clinic, you guide patients and their families through the complex healthcare system. You help coordinate appointments, connect them with financial aid, and ensure they overcome any barriers to receiving timely care.

5. Public Health Program Manager

Estimated Annual Salary Range: $60,000 - $95,000

This is a leadership role where you oversee the administration of public health projects. You'll manage budgets, supervise staff, and ensure that program goals are met on time and within scope.

6. Health Communications Specialist

Estimated Annual Salary Range: $55,000 - $85,000

You are a storyteller for public health. You create and share clear, compelling health information with the public through media campaigns, websites, social media, and other communication channels.

7. Health Coach

Estimated Annual Salary Range: $40,000 - $70,000

You work one-on-one with individuals to help them set and achieve their personal health goals. This role is increasingly popular in corporate wellness programs and can often be done remotely.

8. Health Policy Analyst

Estimated Annual Salary Range: $60,000 - $100,000+

In this role, you research and analyze health policies to advise government agencies or healthcare organizations. Your work helps shape the laws and regulations that impact public health.

9. School Health Educator

Estimated Annual Salary Range: $40,000 - $65,000

Working within an educational system, you teach students about critical health and wellness topics. You play a key role in shaping healthy habits and positive behaviors from a young age.

10. Public Health Research Assistant

Estimated Annual Salary Range: $40,000 - $60,000

Often found at universities or research institutions, you support studies on public health issues. Your work involves collecting data, conducting literature reviews, and helping to prepare findings for publication.

The practical skills you develop are a strong foundation for some of the top online public health programs if you decide to pursue a graduate degree later on.

Where Health Educators Work by Sector

It's also helpful to see where these jobs are concentrated. The field is quite diverse, with opportunities in both the public and private sectors. Government agencies are the largest employers, but hospitals and ambulatory care services also provide a significant number of roles. This distribution shows the stability of the profession, as it isn't reliant on a single industry.

Here’s a look at the largest employers of health education specialists.

Is health education a good major for career opportunities?

Yes, it is. Choosing a major is a big decision, and you can feel confident about this one. With over 62,100 health educator jobs in the U.S. currently, it is a well-established and stable profession.

The strength of a health education degree comes from its three core advantages: a positive job outlook, high demand across multiple sectors, and a versatile skill set that employers value. It prepares you for a real career. For students who want an even broader foundation before specializing, an accelerated health sciences online degree can be a great starting point that leads into this field.

A Profession for All Ages

One of the most reassuring things about this career is its long-term stability. The demand for health educators is driven by major societal trends, like an aging population and the ongoing need to manage chronic diseases. These factors ensure that your skills will be needed for decades to come.

This isn't just a field for recent graduates, either. Data shows that 55% of health educators are over the age of 40. This demonstrates that it's a sustainable, long-term career that you can grow with throughout your professional life, which is a powerful indicator of opportunity and security.

What are the top careers for health education graduates in 2025?

The highest-paying careers in health education are typically found in hospitals, government agencies, and private-sector roles, particularly in corporate wellness. These are the sectors where expertise in program management and health strategy is most valued.

It is important to understand that reaching these top-tier salaries often requires strategic planning. The most competitive candidates for these roles usually have a master's degree and the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential. These qualifications signal a higher level of expertise and are often prerequisites for leadership positions.

Highest-Paying Industries for Health Educators

The salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics makes it very clear where the highest earning potential lies. Hospitals lead the way, with a median salary of over $82,000. This is because effective health education directly impacts patient outcomes and can reduce costly readmissions, providing a clear return on investment. Similarly, corporate wellness roles in the private sector are growing and pay well because a healthy workforce is a more productive one. For those exploring allied health careers, understanding what can you do with an associate's degree in respiratory care therapy can also highlight strong earning potential and diverse workplace opportunities.

What is the average salary for a health education specialist?

Let’s look at the most important number. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for health education specialists was approximately $63,000 in 2024.

It's important to see this as a solid midpoint. The full salary range for the profession runs from below $43,000 for entry-level roles to more than $112,000 for experienced professionals in high-paying sectors. This shows there is significant room for financial growth throughout your career.

What factors influence your salary?

That national average is a useful benchmark, but it isn't your destiny. You can strategically increase your earning potential by making smart career choices.

Factors like your geographic location, the industry you work in (as we saw, hospitals and private companies pay more), and your level of education all play a major role. Earning an advanced degree or a professional certification like the CHES—or pursuing certified sterile processing technician jobs—are two of the most direct ways to position yourself for a higher salary and more senior-level responsibilities.

How does salary increase with a Master’s in Health Education?

Earning a master's degree provides a clear and significant financial return. While about 67% of health educators have a bachelor's, those who go on to earn a master's degree see a quantifiable jump in their earning potential. On average, professionals with a master's degree earn nearly $6,000 more per year than those with only a bachelor's.

This salary increase is a direct reflection of the advanced skills you gain in program management, evaluation, and leadership. It's a strategic investment in your long-term career growth.

Comparing Graduate Degree Options

The salary bump is an important part of the equation, but it's not the only benefit. An advanced degree is often the key to unlocking leadership and management positions. Many professionals find they hit a career ceiling without one, making it a critical step for long-term advancement.

When considering your options, it's also helpful to look at related fields. For example, you can explore what can you do with a masters in public health to see how the career paths and skill sets compare. This allows you to make the most informed decision about your educational future.

The salary potential for health educators often depends on their level of education. The chart below highlights the average earnings at different educational levels, helping you see how additional qualifications can impact career growth.

What are the different concentrations in health education degrees?

Choosing a concentration is how you tailor your health education degree to a specific career path. While programs vary, most offer specializations that align with the major employment sectors in the field.

Common concentrations include:

• Community Health: This is a broad-based option that prepares you for roles in government and non-profit organizations, focusing on large-scale health initiatives.
• School Health: This path is designed for those who want to work in K-12 or university settings, teaching and developing wellness programs for students.
• Corporate Wellness: This specialization focuses on the skills needed for private-sector jobs, such as employee health program management and evaluation.
• Health Policy & Advocacy: This prepares you to work on the systemic level, analyzing and advocating for policies that improve public health.

Another option for advanced practice nurses is a DNP women's health nurse practitioner online, which equips graduates with specialized clinical and leadership skills in women’s health.

Common Academic Paths to a Health Education Career

It's reassuring to know that you don't need a specific undergraduate major to enter this field. Many successful health educators start in related disciplines like psychology, nursing, or social work. The key is gaining a solid foundation in the social and biological sciences. This flexibility means that your past experience can be a great asset. If you are interested in the policy side, for example, there are programs like the fastest online health education degree that can help you specialize efficiently.

Below are some of the most common majors that lead to a career as a health educator.

Do you need certification to work in health education?

This is a critical question. While certification isn't always a legal requirement to work in the field, the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential is the recognized industry standard. Top employers often require or strongly prefer it.

Think of it this way: your degree proves your knowledge, while the CHES certification proves your competency. It's an official verification that you have mastered the core skills needed to be an effective health educator, which gives you a significant competitive advantage in the job market. It signals to employers that you are a serious professional.

Certifications vs. Degrees

It’s important to understand how different credentials serve different purposes. Your degree provides a deep, foundational education. Certifications, on the other hand, are designed to validate specific professional skills.

The field of health education is becoming increasingly professionalized, and credentials like CHES are a key part of that trend. It's a different kind of qualification than, for example, a fast track public health degree online, which is an academic credential. Both are valuable, but the CHES certification is the primary way that practitioners demonstrate their professional standing.

What skills do you need to succeed as a health educator?

Success in this field is built on a specific set of professional skills that you'll develop throughout your degree program. The most important ones are strong communication, program planning and evaluation, community assessment, and cultural competency.

These aren't just "soft skills." They are the power skills that make you an effective agent of change. A health education degree—or a special education graduate certificate online—is designed to make you an expert in motivating people, managing projects, and understanding community needs—competencies that are valuable in any leadership role.

Beyond the Classroom: Applying Your Skills

It helps to see how these skills translate into real-world tasks.

• Program planning is what a Corporate Wellness Coordinator uses to design and launch a company-wide stress reduction initiative.
• Community assessment is the tool a public health official uses to identify the most pressing health needs in a specific neighborhood.
• Cultural competency allows a Community Health Worker to build trust and communicate effectively with diverse populations.
• Communication skills are what a Patient Navigator uses to explain complex medical information in a way that is easy to understand.

What is the job outlook for health educators according to the BLS?

Here is the final, most important piece of information for your decision. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for health education specialists will grow by 7% through 2033. This is significantly faster than the average for all occupations.

This growth translates to about 4,300 job openings each year, on average, over the decade. This is a strong, clear indicator of a healthy and expanding job market, which means you can feel secure in the long-term stability of this career path.

The 'Why' Behind the Growth

This positive outlook isn't an accident. It's driven by a major, ongoing shift in our society and healthcare system. There is a national focus on improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs, and health educators are on the front lines of that effort.

From corporate wellness programs designed to keep employees healthy to community initiatives aimed at preventing chronic disease, the demand for professionals with these skills is built into the future of healthcare. When you choose this career, you are aligning yourself with a powerful and positive trend.

Here's What Graduates Have to Say About Their Health Education Degree

Other Things You Should Know About a Health Education Degree

How long does it take to get a health education degree?

A bachelor's degree in health education typically takes four years to complete for a full-time student. For those pursuing a master's degree, the program usually lasts about two years. Accelerated online programs are also available at both the bachelor's and master's levels, which can help you graduate sooner.

What does a health education degree cost?

The cost of a health education degree varies widely depending on the institution. Tuition for an undergraduate degree at a public, in-state university can range from $10,000 to $15,000 per year, while private universities are often more expensive. Most students use a combination of financial aid, scholarships, and grants to fund their education.

What are the prerequisites for a health education program?

Admission to a bachelor's degree program generally requires a high school diploma or GED. To enroll in a master's in health education program, you will need a completed bachelor's degree. While a health-related undergraduate degree is helpful, it is not always required, though some graduate programs may ask for prerequisite courses in science or statistics.

Are online health education degrees respected by employers?

Yes, employers respect online health education degrees from accredited colleges and universities. What matters most to employers are the skills and knowledge you have, not whether you earned your degree online or on campus. An accredited online program qualifies you for the same jobs, salaries, and professional certifications.