What Do Health Coaches Do?
Wondering what the job is really like for health coaches?
You've come to the right place.
Keep reading to find detailed information about what health coaches do, including the type of work they are tasked with on a daily basis, industries in which they work, and the specific skills needed for a successful career.
Health Coaches Overview & Description
Let's get started with the basics about health coaches by taking a look at a simple description and popular job titles.
Health Coaches 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.
Popular Job Titles For Health Coaches
Sample of Reported Job Titles
- Health Educators
- Lactation Consultants
- Health Coaches
- CPR and First Aid Instructors
- Diabetes Educators
- CPR Instructors
- Fitness Coaches
- Wellness Specialists
- Nutrition Educators
- Breastfeeding Peer Counselors
- Community Health Educators
- Wellness Representatives
Read on for insight into the industries where the highest concentration of jobs for health coaches can be found.
Best Industries for Health Coaches
Health Coaches Jobs By Industry
- General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: 13.2%
- Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals: 11.5%
- State Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals: 9%
- Federal Government, Civilian: 7.8%
- Outpatient Care Centers: 7.6%
- Individual and Family Services: 7.5%
- Other: 43.4%
When it comes to jobs in the United States, the largest single category of health coaches can be found working in the General Medical and Surgical Hospitals sector. In 2023, about 13.2% of all jobs for health coaches were found there.
Other top industries by percentage include Local Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals (11.5%), State Government, Excluding Education and Hospitals (9%), Federal Government, Civilian (7.8%), Outpatient Care Centers (7.6%) and Individual and Family Services (7.5%).
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Degree Options for Health Coaches
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 Do Health Coaches Do on a Daily Basis?
So you have a high-level understanding of what health coaches do and the types of industries in which they work - but what do they really do each day?
A great way to understand the type of work health coaches do is to examine actual job postings and focus on the specific skills that employers are seeking. That will help paint a clearer picture of the tasks that health coaches tackle each day.
Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for health coaches, as well as common skills - interpersonal qualities and attributes - that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Health Coaches
Based on 34,379 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Health Coaches
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Health Education | 5,368 | 16% |
| Nursing | 4,587 | 13% |
| Public Health | 3,653 | 11% |
| Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) | 2,930 | 9% |
| Health And Wellness Coaching | 2,882 | 8% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Health Coaches
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 11,823 | 34% |
| Management | 7,261 | 21% |
| Customer Service | 6,717 | 20% |
| Teaching | 5,509 | 16% |
| Leadership | 5,266 | 15% |
Based on 34,379 job postings related to health coaches, health education was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 16% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for nursing, public health, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (cpr), health and wellness coaching and health promotion were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for health coaches, followed by management, customer service, teaching, leadership and planning.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Health Education | 5,368 | 16% |
| Nursing | 4,587 | 13% |
| Public Health | 3,653 | 11% |
| Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) | 2,930 | 9% |
| Health And Wellness Coaching | 2,882 | 8% |
| Health Promotion | 2,865 | 8% |
| Diabetes Mellitus | 2,748 | 8% |
| Community Health | 2,716 | 8% |
| Social Work | 2,489 | 7% |
| Marketing | 2,348 | 7% |
| Mental Health | 2,316 | 7% |
| Behavioral Health | 2,287 | 7% |
| Patient Education And Counseling | 2,034 | 6% |
| Psychology | 2,020 | 6% |
| Bilingual (Spanish/English) | 1,891 | 6% |
| Weight Management | 1,626 | 5% |
| Motivational Interviewing | 1,455 | 4% |
| Nutrition Education | 1,442 | 4% |
| Selling Techniques | 1,437 | 4% |
| Chronic Diseases | 1,416 | 4% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 11,823 | 34% |
| Management | 7,261 | 21% |
| Customer Service | 6,717 | 20% |
| Teaching | 5,509 | 16% |
| Leadership | 5,266 | 15% |
| Planning | 5,038 | 15% |
| Writing | 4,896 | 14% |
| Presentations | 4,430 | 13% |
| Research | 4,244 | 12% |
| Coordinating | 3,989 | 12% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 3,626 | 11% |
| Microsoft Excel | 3,272 | 10% |
| Microsoft Office | 3,231 | 9% |
| Operations | 3,079 | 9% |
| Coaching | 3,065 | 9% |
| Sales | 2,967 | 9% |
| Time Management | 2,927 | 9% |
| Computer Literacy | 2,852 | 8% |
| Scheduling | 2,834 | 8% |
| Problem Solving | 2,799 | 8% |
Most In-Demand Jobs for Health Coaches
Top 5 Posted Job Titles
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Health Educators | 4,234 | 13.3% |
| Lactation Consultants | 5,033 | 15.8% |
| Health Coaches | 3,608 | 11.3% |
| CPR and First Aid Instructors | 2,445 | 7.7% |
| Diabetes Educators | 2,491 | 7.8% |
According to job postings that were published between September 2022 and August 2023, the top job sought by employers was health educators, with 1,899 unique job postings. Lactation consultants were second, with 1,123 postings, followed by health coaches, cpr and first aid instructors and diabetes educators.
Expand the section below to see unique job postings for all occupations related to health coaches.
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Health Educators | 4,234 | 13.3% |
| Lactation Consultants | 5,033 | 15.8% |
| Health Coaches | 3,608 | 11.3% |
| CPR and First Aid Instructors | 2,445 | 7.7% |
| Diabetes Educators | 2,491 | 7.8% |
| CPR Instructors | 1,617 | 5.1% |
| Fitness Coaches | 1,611 | 5.1% |
| Wellness Specialists | 1,222 | 3.8% |
| Nutrition Educators | 1,308 | 4.1% |
| Breastfeeding Peer Counselors | 875 | 2.8% |
| Community Health Educators | 1,113 | 3.5% |
| Wellness Representatives | 856 | 2.7% |
| Public Health Educators | 757 | 2.4% |
| Health Program Representatives | 615 | 1.9% |
| Health Promotion Specialists | 792 | 2.5% |
| Wellness Attendants | 647 | 2% |
| Behavioral Health Coaches | 783 | 2.5% |
| Coding Educators | 501 | 1.6% |
| Certified Diabetes Educators | 961 | 3% |
| Nutritional Health Coaches | 342 | 1.1% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information for health coaches? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for health coaches.
How much do health coaches make?
Health Coaches: How do you become one?
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