Health Educators: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of health educators about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for health educators to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of health educators expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for health educators.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Health Educators?
Do health educators need a degree? What kind of experience do health educators typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for health educators to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Health Educators
Jobs Postings for Health Educators By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 31,487 (43%)
- No Education Listed: 16,059 (22%)
- Master's degree: 13,939 (19%)
- High School or GED: 9,041 (12%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 2,282 (3%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of health educators. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 43% of positions. In 22% of job listings no education level was listed and in 19% of postings a master's degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Health Educators
Jobs Postings for Health Educators By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 8,410 (22%)
- 2-3 Years: 21,247 (56%)
- 4-6 Years: 7,775 (20%)
- 7-9 Years: 395 (1%)
- 10+ Years: 279 (1%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for health educators. In 56% of job postings for Health Educators, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 22% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 20% of job postings for health educators.
What Kind of Degree Do Health Educators Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for health educators, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 17 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective health educators, and in 2021 a total of 81,387 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective health educators.
Top Degree Programs for Health Educators
Top 5 Degree Programs for Health Educators (2021)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Public Health, General. | 22,677 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General. | 13,892 |
| Human Services, General. | 13,224 |
| Health and Wellness, General. | 6,105 |
| Nutrition Sciences. | 5,302 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Public Health, General. | 22,677 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General. | 13,892 |
| Human Services, General. | 13,224 |
| Health and Wellness, General. | 6,105 |
| Nutrition Sciences. | 5,302 |
| Public Health Education and Promotion. | 4,550 |
| Public Health, Other. | 3,404 |
| Health Services Administration. | 3,027 |
| Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling. | 2,516 |
| Health Teacher Education. | 1,801 |
| International Public Health/International Health. | 1,599 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, Other. | 1,240 |
| Behavioral Aspects of Health. | 814 |
| Sports Studies. | 614 |
| Health Communication. | 410 |
| Maternal and Child Health. | 163 |
| Dental Public Health and Education. | 49 |
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Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 affordable bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.
Degree Options for Health Educators
Become an important part of the patient care experience and put yourself at the forefront of health and wellness with a broad-based healthcare education that prepares you for an entry-level role at a hospital, physician’s office, healthcare agency, and more.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
The B.S. Exercise Science major provides a clear path to a rewarding career helping individuals realize their health and fitness goals. You’ll learn to evaluate fitness levels, design results-oriented exercise programs and apply coaching methodologies to help your clients reach their full potential.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
Improve quality of life by removing barriers to healthcare, promoting wellness and reducing health disparities.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
What Skills Do Health Educators Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by health educators to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for health educators, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Health Educators
Based on 60,021 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Health Educators
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 23,537 | 39% |
| Health Education | 7,284 | 12% |
| Clinical Nursing | 5,412 | 9% |
| Health And Wellness Coaching | 4,428 | 7% |
| Clinical Experience | 4,270 | 7% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Health Educators
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 22,005 | 37% |
| Teaching | 14,461 | 24% |
| Leadership | 14,063 | 23% |
| Management | 13,920 | 23% |
| Planning | 11,620 | 19% |
Based on 60,021 job postings related to health educators, nursing was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 39% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for health education, clinical nursing, health and wellness coaching, clinical experience and nursing practices were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communications was the most desired skill found in job postings for health educators, followed by teaching, leadership, management, planning and customer service.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 23,537 | 39% |
| Health Education | 7,284 | 12% |
| Clinical Nursing | 5,412 | 9% |
| Health And Wellness Coaching | 4,428 | 7% |
| Clinical Experience | 4,270 | 7% |
| Nursing Practices | 4,168 | 7% |
| Quality Improvement | 3,935 | 7% |
| Clinical Practices | 3,933 | 7% |
| Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) | 3,924 | 7% |
| Curriculum Development | 3,912 | 7% |
| Patient Education And Counseling | 3,883 | 6% |
| Nurse Education | 3,787 | 6% |
| Public Health | 3,704 | 6% |
| Health Promotion | 3,617 | 6% |
| Diabetes Mellitus | 3,252 | 5% |
| Acute Care | 2,868 | 5% |
| Community Health | 2,846 | 5% |
| Adult Education | 2,822 | 5% |
| Mental Health | 2,796 | 5% |
| Performance Improvement | 2,779 | 5% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 22,005 | 37% |
| Teaching | 14,461 | 24% |
| Leadership | 14,063 | 23% |
| Management | 13,920 | 23% |
| Planning | 11,620 | 19% |
| Customer Service | 11,034 | 18% |
| Research | 8,669 | 14% |
| Writing | 8,408 | 14% |
| Coordinating | 8,093 | 13% |
| Presentations | 7,680 | 13% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 7,553 | 13% |
| Coaching | 6,452 | 11% |
| Microsoft Excel | 5,899 | 10% |
| Problem Solving | 5,821 | 10% |
| Computer Literacy | 5,634 | 9% |
| Operations | 5,459 | 9% |
| Microsoft Office | 5,386 | 9% |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 5,122 | 9% |
| Training And Development | 4,792 | 8% |
| Sales | 4,785 | 8% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about health educators? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for health educators.
What do health educators do?
How much do health educators make?
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.