Patient Advocates: How to Become One

If you were to ask a group of patient advocates 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 patient advocates to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of patient advocates 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 patient advocates.

What Education & Experience is Needed for Patient Advocates?

Do patient advocates need a degree? What kind of experience do patient advocates 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 patient advocates to secure jobs.

Education Level Required in Job Postings for Patient Advocates

A master's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of patient advocates. According to job data, a master's degree was required for 50% of positions. In 28% of job listings no education level was listed and in 11% of postings a bachelor's degree was required.

Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Patient Advocates

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 patient advocates. In 48% of job postings for Patient Advocates, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 41% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 10% of job postings for patient advocates.

What Kind of Degree Do Patient Advocates Need?

So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for patient advocates, 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 18 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective patient advocates, and in 2023 a total of 265,358 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 patient advocates.

Top Degree Programs for Patient Advocates

Top Online College For Working Adults

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 Patient Advocates

What Skills Do Patient Advocates Need?

Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by patient advocates 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 patient advocates, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.

In-Demand Skills for Today's Patient Advocates
Based on 39,600 job postings

Based on 39,600 job postings related to patient advocates, social work was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 54% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for treatment planning, mental health, medical social work, psychology and crisis intervention were also highly sought.

As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for patient advocates, followed by planning, coordinating, advocacy, management and problem solving.

Additional Links

Ready to dig deeper into career information about patient advocates? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for patient advocates.

What do patient advocates do?
How much do patient advocates 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.

View Other Occupations