Health Educator

Duties and responsibilities: Health educators create programs that encourage health and wellness, and prevent disease. They teach people how to make good health decisions, incorporate healthy activities into their lives and avoid harmful behaviors. Health educators may work in public health clinics, schools and colleges, hospitals or community centers; they are often employed by private health services providers, nonprofit organizations and government agencies.Health educators are often responsible for creating and implementing health education programs for the general public, as well as targeting at-risk populations, such as diabetes patients, expectant mothers and heart patients. Preparing presentations, conducting health screenings and patient outreach, and serving as point of contact for patients are typical duties.

Salary:$43,840 per year and $21.08 per hour.

Education:Most health educator jobs require a bachelor’s degree at minimum and some employers may prefer candidates who also are Certified Health Education Specialists, the BLS reports. Undergraduate fields of study include health promotion or health education, and often include an internship.

Demand for this profession: Employment of health educators and community health workers is projected to grow 13 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations. Growth will be driven by efforts to improve health outcomes and to reduce healthcare costs by teaching people healthy habits and behaviors and explaining how to use available health care services.

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Reflection: I'd be one because they pay good money.