Many health educators work in a classroom.
Health education is a varied field with employers ranging from school districts to the federal and state government. Often those in health education are Registered Nurses (RN) while others are teachers.
Job
The jobs in health education vary much, but many of them are in the school system. Those working as Registered Nurses (RN), however, have some of the highest salaries. According to PayScale.com, they have a median salary of $51,600 in 2010. Non-RN health educators have some of the lowest salaries of $36,900. In the school system, secondary school teachers have some of the highest salaries with a median salary of $51,000 and physical education teachers have a median salary of $47,800.
Education
There are various degree options for those interested in pursuing a job in health education. Some individuals attain a Doctorate in Psychology while others attain a Master of Arts in Education. As of March 2010, those with a Master of Social Work (MSW) have a median salary of $54,000 and those with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) have a median salary of $52,000 according to PayScale.com. Those with a Bachelor of Science (BS) have a higher median salary of $62,000.
Experience
Generally, the more experience you have, the higher your salary is. This is mostly true for those in health education. However, those with one to four years of experience have a reported lower salary than those with less than a year. In 2010, those with five to nine years of experience have a median salary of $49,200 and those with 10 to 19 years of experience have a median salary of $53,700. Veteran health educators, those with 20-plus years, have a reported median salary of $64,200 according to PayScale.com.
Employer Type
Though school systems are a large employer of health education specialists, jobs outside of the school system typically pay more. The median salary of health educators in school districts is $47,900 while the median salary of those working for the federal government is $70,500. The state and local government pays their health educators a median salary of $65,100 according to PayScale.com. Non-profit organizations and non-traditional organizations are the only employers to pay health educators salaries below those in school districts.
Industry
Various industries also hire health educators. Those working in health insurance and health care services have some of the highest salaries. In 2010, these industries pay their health educators median salaries of $55,500 and $53,500 according to PayScale.com. Those working in health care have a median salary of $48,000. Health educators working in public health research have some of the lowest salaries with a reported median of $44,000. Those in the education industry earn slightly more with a median salary of $47,200.
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