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Community Health Worker

$51,850
median / year
$38,810 – $77,180
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Connect community members to health and social services and teach basic health and wellness.

You may also see this posted as: Community Health Outreach Worker, Community Health Program Coordinator, Community Health Promoter, Community Nutrition Educator, Apprise Counselor, Community Health Program Representative (Community Health Program Rep).

Where you work

Clinics, homes, and community sites

The hours

Full time, mostly daytime

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Maintain updated client records with plans, notes, appropriate forms, or related information.
  • Advise clients or community groups on issues related to improving general health, such as diet or exercise.
  • Identify or contact members of high-risk or otherwise targeted groups, such as members of minority populations, low-income populations, or pregnant women.
  • Contact clients in person, by phone, or in writing to ensure they have completed required or recommended actions.
  • Distribute flyers, brochures, or other informational or educational documents to inform members of a targeted community.

Good fit if you like…

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

Enterprising

leading, persuading, selling, or turning an idea into action

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

O*NET job zone 4 of 5

High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

EmpathyCooperationDependabilityOptimism

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordApple macOSGoogle Workspace software

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$51,850
per year
Hourly median
$24.93
per hour
What most earn
$38,810–$77,180
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~7,800
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+11.3%
Much faster than average
Working in the U.S.
61,660
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 0.8% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

High school / no degree

Training path: High school plus on-the-job training.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training.

License or certification

No license nationwide, though some states offer or require a certification.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

CommunicationLocal knowledgeOutreachEmpathy

The honest take

Connects people in their own neighborhoods to health services, often bridging language and cultural gaps.

Standard Occupational Classification 21-1094. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.