Public Health Educators

Career summary

#No alternate titles CJ

Public health educators teach people about wellness. They work in a variety of settings, including:

• Healthcare facilities
• Community non-profit agencies
• Schools and colleges
• Large businesses

Health educators assess health needs and plan education programs in the community, school, or work place. They talk to community members, students, or employees. Depending on where they work they may also talk to managers, health specialists, or civic groups.

After gathering information, public health educators set up goals for a health education program and plan actions to meet those goals.

To carry out programs, they may make presentations to groups of people or plan workshops and conferences. For example, they might:

• Teach factory workers about how to protect themselves from repetitive motion injuries in the work place.
• Educate teenagers and college students about behaviors that could put their health at risk. Teach patients recovering from a heart attack about the need for exercise and good nutrition.

In addition, educators communicate with the public about health needs and resources available in a community. They may help people find nutritional or health services. Sometimes they set up health screenings for high blood pressure and other conditions.

Health educators prepare materials such as pamphlets or videos. They may specialize in one area or a particular disease. They also may oversee staff who deliver health education programs.

Following implementation of a program, public health educators evaluate the program's effectiveness. To do this, they talk to people and collect data to determine if goals have been met. They write reports of their findings and make presentations to local officials, managers, or health care providers.

Related careers

This career is part of the Human Services cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Adult and Vocational Education Teachers
• Community Health Workers
• Dietitians
• High School Teachers
• Instructional Coordinators
• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Middle School Teachers
• School Counselors
• Social and Human Service Assistants
• Social Workers

Military careers

• Environmental Health and Safety Officers

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to public health educators.

• Assess individual, community, or organization needs for health education.
• Plan effective health education programs.
• Develop and write grant applications and related materials to obtain funding for programs.
• Confer with managers, health specialists, or civic groups.
• Implement programs. Make presentations and promote discussion.
• Prepare and distribute educational materials. Organize and deliver presentations, conferences, and workshops. Write reports.
• Coordinate health education services. Develop cooperation between public, civic, and professional agencies.
• Act as a resource person in health education and information.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of health education programs. Document all activities and keep records.
• May supervise other health education staff.
• Provide guidance to agencies and organizations. Help them determine their health education needs.
• Maintain databases, mailing lists, and other information.

Common work activities

Public health educators perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Get information needed to do the job
• Explain the meaning of information to others
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Teach others
• Perform for or work with the public
• Schedule work and activities
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Develop and build teams
• Use computers
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Process information
• Think creatively
• Analyze data or information
• Develop goals and strategies
• Document and record information
• Assist and care for others
• Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others
• Evaluate information against standards
• Monitor and control resources
• Provide advice and consultation to others
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Convince others to buy goods or change their minds or actions
• Perform administrative tasks
• Coach others
• Coordinate the work and activities of others
• Estimate sizes, quantities, time, cost, or materials needed

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, public health educators:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have a very high level of social contact. They work closely with community members and give public talks.
• Communicate on a daily basis by phone, e-mail, and in person discussions. They also write letters and memos, but less frequently.
• Usually work as part of a team of public health officials and workers.
• Are responsible for the public's health and safety.
• May occasionally be placed in conflict situations in which others may become rude or angry.

Physical work conditions

• Almost always work indoors.
• May be exposed to the diseases and infections of others.
• May work physically near other employees and members of the public, usually within a few feet.

Work performance

• Must be very exact in their work. Errors could endanger the public's health.
• Must be sure all details of the job are done so that presentations of information are successful.
• Repeat the same activities.
• Regularly make decisions that greatly impact their organization and members of the public. They often decide a course of action independently.
• Set most of their daily tasks and activities independently.
• Must meet strict weekly deadlines.

Hours/travel

• Typically work 40 hours a week or more.
• Usually work regular business hours.
• May travel to make presentations or gather information.

Physical demands

Public health educators frequently:

• Sit for long periods of time.

It is important for public health educators to be able to:

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand the speech of another person.
• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for public health educators to be able to:

• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.
• Make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls.
• Move two or more limbs together (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while remaining in place.
• Use muscles to lift, push, pull, or carry heavy objects.
• Hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm.
• Use one or two hands to grasp, move, or assemble objects.

Skills and abilities

Public health educators need to:

Communicate

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Listen to others and ask questions.
• Understand spoken information.
• Understand written information.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.
• Read and understand work-related materials.

Reason and problem solve

• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Think of new ideas about a topic.
• Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Recognize when important changes happen or are likely to happen in a system.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.
• Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.
• Identify what must be changed to reach goals.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Manage the time of self and others.
• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Motivate, develop, and direct people as they work.

Work with people

• Use several methods to learn or teach new things.
• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
• Teach others how to do something.
• Look for ways to help people.
• Persuade others to approach things differently.
• Solve problems by bringing others together to discuss differences.

Work with things

• Analyze needs and requirements when designing products.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Public and Community Health

Other programs of study to consider

• Community Services
• Dietetics
• Emergency Management
• Environmental Health
• Health Services Administration
• Long Term Care Administration and Management
• Public Administration
• Public Relations
• Registered Nursing
• Social Work

Training

To work as a public health educator, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent; and
• have a bachelor's degree.

Education after high school

Most public health educators have at least a bachelor's degree in public health or a related health field. Some public health educators have a nursing degree with a specialty in community health. Others have a social work degree with emphasis in health and nutrition.

A limited number of colleges and universities offer programs in public health. However, many others offer nursing and social work programs. Some offer nutrition and related programs that are good preparation for this field.

It is becoming more common for individuals in this field to have a master's degree in this field or a related one.

Work experience

Some public health educators begin their careers as registered nurses, biologists, or physicians. After a period of working in their profession, they switch to public health education.

On-the-job training

Public health educators update their knowledge continually. Public health threats, laws, and medical treatments change quickly. To keep up, educators attend seminars and classes.

Military training

Some branches of the military train people to become environmental health and safety specialists or officers. For specialists, training lasts from 11 to 19 weeks, depending on your specialty. Additional training occurs on the job. Initial training is not offered for officers. They need at least a bachelor's degree to enter the military occupation. Most training is on the job.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum may be different from your state's graduation requirements. You need a very strong background in math and science to work in this field. Take as many math and science courses as you can.

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Computer Applications
• Food and Nutrition
• Foreign Language
• Introduction to Health Care
• Nursing
• Safety and First Aid

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Employers may prefer to hire public health educators with specific backgrounds or degrees. For example, a public health department may prefer to hire a nurse with a specialty in community health. Employers may prefer applicants with an advanced degree for some positions. Employers sometimes look for applicants with experience in a specific area. Internship experience may be helpful.

Most employers prefer applicants who have excellent communication skills. Public health educators work with groups of people and prepare educational materials. They must be good speakers and good writers. Employers look for educators who are energetic and enjoy working with people.

Costs to workers

Some workers join professional associations, which may have membership fees and annual dues.

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Health Educators 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

Wages vary by employer and area of the country. Wages also vary by the educator's level of experience, education, and responsibility.

Benefits vary by employer. Most full-time public health educators receive typical benefits. These include vacation, sick leave, and health insurance. Government employees usually receive a retirement plan. Part-time educators rarely receive benefits.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

Major employers:

• Hospitals
• Local, state, and federal government agencies
• Non-profit organizations
• Social service agencies

National outlook

Demand for this occupation will grow faster than average. As health care costs rise, more attention and money are being given to preventative health care approaches. New federal laws will also lead to more screenings being available. Public health educators will be needed to help people find health care services they need.

Job prospects should be best for people who have formal training or who have specialized in a specific area of public health. People who speak a second language should also have good job opportunities.

Other resources

American Public Health Association 
800 I Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
202.777.2742

American Public Human Services Association 
1101 Wilson Boulevard, 6th Floor
Arlington, VA 22209
202.682.0100

Explore Health Careers: Public Health Overview 

Society for Public Health Education 
10 G Street NE, Suite 605
Washington, DC 20002
202.408.9804

References

Career cluster

• Human Services

Career path

• Social

O*Net  occupation

• Health Educators (21-1091.00) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 4 - Considerable preparation needed. A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.

DOT occupation

• Public Health Educator (079.117-014) 

Holland occupational clusters

• Social/Enterprising/Artistic
• Social/Enterprising/Investigative

COPSystem

• Service Professional