🏛️
Public Health Agencies
CDC, New York City Department of Health, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Community Health Workers
Community health workers help people navigate the health system from the outside in. They spend much of their time building trust, following up on appointments and referrals, and explaining healthy habits in plain language, but the job is often about solving practical barriers like transportation, paperwork, and access to care. The tradeoff is that the work is personal and meaningful, yet much of the outcome depends on problems they cannot control.
Also known as Community Health WorkerCommunity Health Outreach WorkerCommunity Health AdvocatePublic Health Outreach WorkerCommunity Health Representative
Median Salary
$51,030
Mean $55,970
U.S. Workforce
~61K
7.8K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+11.3%
65.1K to 72.5K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Community Health Workers sits in the Healthcare category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~61K workers, with a median annual pay of $51,030 and roughly 7.8K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 65.1 K in 2024 to 72.5K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Associate's degree in community health, public health, or a related field, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Community Outreach Assistant and can progress toward Community Health Program Coordinator. High-value skills usually include Community Outreach, Referral Tracking & Follow-Up Systems, Electronic Health Records (EHR) & Client Documentation, and Health Education Materials & Group Presentation Tools, paired with soft skills such as Active listening, Social perceptiveness, and Speaking clearly.
Core Responsibilities
- Talk with residents about health goals, basic prevention, and everyday choices like eating better or getting more exercise.
- Go to neighborhood events, clinics, and health fairs to meet people, answer questions, and learn what the community needs.
- Check in with clients by phone, text, email, or in person to remind them about next steps and help them stay on track.
- Hand out flyers, brochures, and other easy-to-read materials that explain services or health topics.
Keep exploring: more Healthcare careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Talk with residents about health goals, basic prevention, and everyday choices like eating better or getting more exercise.
02 Go to neighborhood events, clinics, and health fairs to meet people, answer questions, and learn what the community needs.
03 Check in with clients by phone, text, email, or in person to remind them about next steps and help them stay on track.
04 Hand out flyers, brochures, and other easy-to-read materials that explain services or health topics.
05 Connect people to clinics, screenings, insurance help, social services, or other support they need.
06 Keep client notes, forms, and records current, and in some settings help with basic preventive care such as immunizations.
Industries That Hire
🏥
Hospitals and Health Systems
Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic
🩺
Community Clinics and FQHCs
Planned Parenthood, MinuteClinic, One Medical
🤝
Nonprofits and Community Services
United Way, American Red Cross, YMCA
💳
Health Insurance and Managed Care
UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Molina Healthcare
Pros and Cons
Advantages
+
You can get into the field without years of school; BLS says a high school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry point, and the job only calls for short-term on-the-job training.
+
There are steady job opportunities: employment is projected to grow from 65.1K to 72.5K by 2034, with about 7.8K openings a year.
+
The work is very people-centered, so you spend your day helping real people solve real problems instead of sitting behind a desk all day.
+
The role gives you a close view of how clinics, schools, and community services work together, which can lead to other healthcare careers.
+
The day-to-day work changes often, from outreach and education to follow-up and referrals, so the job rarely feels completely repetitive.
Challenges
-
The pay is decent for an entry-access role but not high for healthcare: the median annual salary is $51,030 and the mean is $55,970.
-
A lot of the job is spent dealing with barriers you cannot fix yourself, such as transportation problems, missed appointments, housing instability, or lack of insurance.
-
The work can be emotionally draining because you are often helping people who are high-risk, underserved, or overwhelmed by multiple problems at once.
-
There is a lot of documentation and follow-up work, so the job is not just talking with people; keeping records current can take a big chunk of the day.
-
Career growth can plateau without more education or credentials, and higher-level roles often move into coordination or supervision rather than direct client work.
Career Progression
Community Outreach Assistant
0-2 years
$34K-$42K
Helps with outreach events, reminder calls, basic paperwork, and simple follow-up under close supervision.
Community Health Worker
2-5 years
$43K-$56K
Works directly with clients, explains services, makes referrals, tracks progress, and helps people follow through on care plans.
Senior Community Health Worker THIS ROLE
5-8 years
$57K-$70K
Handles more complex cases, mentors newer staff, and may coordinate outreach with clinics, schools, or local agencies.
Community Health Program Coordinator
8+ years
$71K-$88K
Leads programs, manages outreach priorities, tracks results, and works with partners to improve access to services.
Education Paths
Associate's degree in community health, public health, or a related field
The most common education path in the O*NET data, held by 22.71% of workers in this role.
Master's degree in public health, social work, or a related field
An advanced path reported by 15.3% of workers, often used by people moving into supervision or specialized outreach.
High school diploma or equivalent with short-term job training
BLS lists this as the typical entry point, and 7.49% of workers in the O*NET data report high school as their highest level.
Community health worker certificate or employer training program
A practical alternative for getting started quickly; the distribution does not list a percentage for this pathway, but BLS says short-term on-the-job training is common.
Key Skills
Technical
Community Outreach, Referral Tracking & Follow-Up Systems 82%
Electronic Health Records (EHR) & Client Documentation 80%
Health Education Materials & Group Presentation Tools 78%
Care Coordination Software & Scheduling Tools 76%
Microsoft Excel, Word & Google Workspace 74%
Basic Immunization Support & Preventive Care Procedures 72%
Soft Skills
Active listeningSocial perceptivenessSpeaking clearlyWritingReading comprehensionService orientation Job Outlook and Trends
+11.3%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
7.8K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 65.1K to 72.5 K over the next decade, representing 11.3% growth. Around 7.8 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.