Health Educators

Promote, maintain, and improve individual and community health by assisting individuals and communities to adopt healthy behaviors. Collect and analyze data to identify community needs prior to planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programs designed to encourage healthy lifestyles, policies and environments. May also serve as a resource to assist individuals, other professionals, or the community, and may administer fiscal resources for health education programs.

Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

1. Document activities and record information, such as the numbers of applications completed, presentations conducted, and persons assisted.

2. Develop and present health education and promotion programs, such as training workshops, conferences, and school or community presentations.

3. Develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with agencies and organizations interested in public health care.

4. Prepare and distribute health education materials, including reports, bulletins, and visual aids such as films, videotapes, photographs, and posters.

5. Develop operational plans and policies necessary to achieve health education objectives and services.

6. Collaborate with health specialists and civic groups to determine community health needs and the availability of services and to develop goals for meeting needs.

7. Maintain databases, mailing lists, telephone networks, and other information to facilitate the functioning of health education programs.

8. Supervise professional and technical staff in implementing health programs, objectives, and goals.

9. Design and conduct evaluations and diagnostic studies to assess the quality and performance of health education programs.

10. Provide program information to the public by preparing and presenting press releases, conducting media campaigns, or maintaining program-related web sites.

11. Develop, prepare, and coordinate grant applications and grant-related activities to obtain funding for health education programs and related work.

Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Education: Most of these occupations require a four - year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Training: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

The college search results are undergraduate programs associated with Health Educators. Further education may also be required to pursue this career.

The training search results include both short and long-term programs associated with Health Educators, and may be more appropriate for adult and non-traditional students. Further training may also be required to pursue this career.

In NY the average wage for this occupation was:

$32,410 (per year) for entry level workers, and $53,930 (per year) for experienced workers.

Based on the total number of annual openings and its growth rate, the employment prospects for this occupation are described as Favorable.

During 2006, there were approximately 5,420 Health Educators employed in NY.

We estimate that in 2016 there will be 6,210  employed in NY. This represents an increase of 80 job(s) each year, and a total of 60 job openings each year.

There are no additional resources for this occupation.

Graduate Teaching Assistants - Assist department chairperson, faculty members, or other professional staff members in college or university by performing teaching or teaching-related duties, such as teaching lower level courses, developing teaching materials, preparing and giving examinations, and grading examinations or papers. Graduate assistants must be enrolled in a graduate school program. Graduate assistants who primarily perform non-teaching duties, such as laboratory research, should be reported in the occupational category related to the work performed.

Vocational Education Teachers, Postsecondary - Teach or instruct vocational or occupational subjects at the postsecondary level (but at less than the baccalaureate) to students who have graduated or left high school. Includes correspondence school instructors; industrial, commercial and government training instructors; and adult education teachers and instructors who prepare persons to operate industrial machinery and equipment and transportation and communications equipment. Teaching may take place in public or private schools whose primary business is education or in a school associated with an organization whose primary business is other than education.

Instructional Coordinators - Develop instructional material, coordinate educational content, and incorporate current technology in specialized fields that provide guidelines to educators and instructors for developing curricula and conducting courses.

Teacher Assistants - Perform duties that are instructional in nature or deliver direct services to students or parents. Serve in a position for which a teacher or another professional has ultimate responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services.