Skip to content
Boston Career Explorer

Community and Social Service

Health Education Specialists

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.

Also called: Certified Diabetes Educator, Clinical Instructor, Community Health Consultant, Education Coordinator, Health Education Coordinator, Health Education Specialist

Compare with my current job (Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other)
Median pay in Greater Boston
$62,260
$29.93/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
1,620
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+3.5%
210 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Bachelor's degree

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$37,590$49,920$62,260$96,440$143,340

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Prepare and distribute health education materials, such as reports, bulletins, and visual aids, to address smoking, vaccines, and other public health concerns.
  • Develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with agencies and organizations interested in public health care.
  • Maintain databases, mailing lists, telephone networks, and other information to facilitate the functioning of health education programs.
  • Document activities and record information, such as the numbers of applications completed, presentations conducted, and persons assisted.
  • Develop and present health education and promotion programs, such as training workshops, conferences, and school or community presentations.
  • Collaborate with health specialists and civic groups to determine community health needs and the availability of services and to develop goals for meeting needs.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Higher exposure72 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 62
  • Language-model AIOE 73
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 80

Observed AI use today: Some (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is on the higher side, and some AI use is already seen. AI tools can help draft health materials, organize databases, and write up program records. Leading workshops, working with community groups, and earning people's trust still rely on people.

Likely to change

  • Drafting health bulletins and handouts
  • Updating databases and activity records

Still relies on people

  • Leading workshops and community presentations
  • Building working relationships with local organizations

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary

    Presenting to groups and giving feedback carry over to teaching. This role requires a bachelor's degree and has a median pay of $82,420 in Boston.

    Pay difference
    +$20,160 median
    AI exposure
    Moderate
    MA growth
    +3.8%
    To get started
    Bachelor's degree

  • Child, Family, and School Social Workers

    Working with families and assessing community needs carry over to this role. It requires a bachelor's degree and has a median pay of $77,420 in Boston.

    Pay difference
    +$15,160 median
    AI exposure
    Moderate
    MA growth
    +4.2%
    To get started
    Bachelor's degree

  • Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors

    Teaching groups and adjusting for different levels carry over to fitness instruction. It has lower AI exposure and strong projected growth in Massachusetts.

    Pay difference
    +$2,930 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +14.0%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

21 programs near Boston (plus 24 graduate)

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

Talk to a career coach