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Job outlook for community health navigators in the United States
Community health navigator job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected community health navigator job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 15,200 new jobs for community health navigators are projected over the next decade.
Community health navigator salaries have increased 13% for community health navigators in the last 5 years.
There are over 7,398 community health navigators currently employed in the United States.
There are 61,439 active community health navigator job openings in the US.
The average community health navigator salary is $40,561.
Are community health navigator jobs in demand?
Community health navigator job and salary trends over time
Community health navigator jobs over time
Community health navigator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7,398 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 7,115 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 7,148 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 6,806 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 6,640 | 0.00% |
Average community health navigator salary over time
Community health navigator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $40,561 | $19.50 | +4.1% |
| 2025 | $38,977 | $18.74 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $38,186 | $18.36 | +3.0% |
| 2023 | $37,056 | $17.82 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $36,051 | $17.33 | +2.8% |
Community health navigator jobs by state
Most common states for community health navigators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 180 | 26% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 122 | 20% |
| 3 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 931 | 17% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,112 | 16% |
| 5 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 982 | 15% |
| 6 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 401 | 13% |
| 7 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 96 | 13% |
| 8 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,357 | 12% |
| 9 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,213 | 12% |
| 10 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 733 | 12% |
| 11 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 698 | 12% |
| 12 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 213 | 12% |
| 13 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,124 | 11% |
| 14 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 751 | 11% |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 660 | 11% |
| 16 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 330 | 11% |
| 17 | Delaware | 961,939 | 109 | 11% |
| 18 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 64 | 11% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 102 | 10% |
| 20 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 90 | 10% |
Most common cities for community health navigators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woonsocket | 2 | 5% | $51,191 |
| 2 | Southfield | 3 | 4% | $41,866 |
| 3 | Berwyn | 2 | 4% | $40,932 |
| 4 | Tinley Park | 2 | 4% | $40,732 |
| 5 | Bellingham | 2 | 2% | $46,164 |
| 6 | Everett | 2 | 2% | $45,680 |
| 7 | Lawrence | 2 | 2% | $44,399 |
| 8 | Trenton | 2 | 2% | $45,752 |
| 9 | Warwick | 2 | 2% | $51,370 |
| 10 | Bellevue | 2 | 1% | $45,470 |
| 11 | Spokane | 2 | 1% | $43,794 |
| 12 | Chicago | 4 | 0% | $40,944 |
| 13 | Phoenix | 3 | 0% | $41,102 |
| 14 | Washington | 3 | 0% | $48,934 |
| 15 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $37,811 |
Community Health Navigator job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of community health navigator experts
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
University of North Florida
Idaho State University
SUNY College at Oswego
Baylor University
Tennessee State University
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Pennsylvania State University
What Community Health Navigator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Catherine Annis Ph.D.: The world continues to become more interconnected, digitized, and globalized. Strong public sector candidates will be able to demonstrate skills related to collaboration, technology, and foreign language proficiency.
What general advice would you give to a Community Health Navigator?
Natalie Stepanian Ph.D., RN: Maximizing your salary is of course an important aspect of starting any career or job. When you are looking for your first job do your homework. You will need to look at the company or agency where you would like to apply for a job. You will need to understand what type a career ladder exists or potential for growth. You will want to know what type of benefits you will receive. Perhaps depending on your current degree, you may want to obtain a Masters in Public Health, will the company or agency help you with tuition? Would there be a career advance if you did obtain an MPH? Sometimes it is not about the highest paying job if the working environment is a healthy one and has room for growth may be more important. Do not dismiss the opportunities that exist in the U.S. Public Health Service (https://www.usphs.gov/) or working with the local, state, or federal Public Health Departments, they have many career opportunities.
What Community Health Navigator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Stephanie Hooper MPH, HTL: One of the most important things to do is volunteer or shadow at places that align with your future professional goals. Not only does doing these types of activities show potential employers that you are ambitious and willing to put in the time needed to be successful, sometimes we think that a career might be the one for us but once we get out there and try it, our opinion changes. Public health is an extremely broad field so getting hands-on experience can be extremely beneficial for helping to narrow down the choices and save time and money in the long run by eliminating what you are not interested in.
Ms. Michelle Edelstein MPH
Director of Marketing and CommunicationWhat general advice would you give to a Community Health Navigator?
Ms. Michelle Edelstein MPH: Attached are responses from Claire Brown, MPH, Director for Student Experiences & Alumni Affairs, Rutgers School of Public Health.
What Community Health Navigator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ms. Michelle Edelstein MPH: Attached are responses from Claire Brown, MPH, Director for Student Experiences & Alumni Affairs, Rutgers School of Public Health.
What will help Community Health Navigators increase their earning potential?
Ms. Michelle Edelstein MPH: Attached are responses from Claire Brown, MPH, Director for Student Experiences & Alumni Affairs, Rutgers School of Public Health.
What Community Health Navigator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kristin Van De Griend PhD, MPH: According to the Council on Education for Public Health, graduates of public health programs should be skilled in explaining and addressing the 'cultural, social, political, and economic determinants of health and how the determinants relate to population health and health inequities.' They should also understand how globalization impacts population health, with special attention to disparities among different populations. The focus in public health has moved from individual behaviors and behavior change to communities and partnerships.
Dr. Jessica Harris CHES
Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Wellness Management at SUNY Oswego, Assistant Associate Director of the Honors Program at SUNY Oswego, Part-time Instructor at Syracuse University Exercise Science Falk College, and Certified Health Education SpecialistSUNY College at Oswego
Gerontology
What general advice would you give to a Community Health Navigator?
Dr. Jessica Harris CHES: Adapting to evolving trends, technologies, and population needs will be critical for success in the health promotion field in the coming years. Alongside this trend, digital health literacy is set to become increasingly important, with virtual care delivery and integration of digital health technologies into everyday practice. Furthermore, cultural awareness and diversity awareness will remain essential as the field continues to serve diverse populations, requiring professionals to tailor interventions that resonate with different cultural backgrounds.
Gabriel Benavidez MPH, PhD
Assistant Professor - EpidemiologyBaylor University
Public Health
What will help Community Health Navigators increase their earning potential?
Gabriel Benavidez MPH, PhD: I would tell recent public health graduates, both grad and undergrad, not to underestimate their skills. Public health training equips students with a robust and diverse range of skills that are highly applicable across various roles and fields, even outside traditional public health paths. So, when you're out there job hunting, think outside the box. Your public health skills are not just applicable to traditional public health roles; they’re applicable and needed across a spectrum of careers.
Charles Brown Ph.D., M.Ed.
Associate ProfessorTennessee State University
Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
What will help Community Health Navigators increase their earning potential?
Charles Brown Ph.D., M.Ed.: My advice to recent graduates is to become more self-aware of your professional strengths and areas for improvement in the field. With this in mind, pursuing opportunities that offers the ability to work on areas for improvement and utilizing key strengths may be the best approach for recent graduates. This realization may lead graduates to their next set of experiences in the field.
Amy Lee MD, MPH, MBA
Professor and Program DirectorNortheast Ohio Medical University
Public Health
What will help Community Health Navigators increase their earning potential?
Amy Lee MD, MPH, MBA: Public health is diverse! However, general skills that will be more important in the next few years are communication and the ability to collaborate. Being able to address misinformation and being able to use multiple channels of communication, including social media is important to deliver evidence-based information to the public. Collaboration is important to mobilize resources and to change systems to improve the community’s health.
Jessica Clontz
Assistant Teaching Professor, Human Development and Family Studies, Program Coordinator, HDFSPennsylvania State University
Human Development and Family Studies Department
What skills stand out on Community Health Navigator resumes?
Jessica Clontz: The skills employers are looking for include teamwork, leadership, creativity, and flexibility. Although many agencies have moved to a remote service delivery model, professionals are still working as a team to meet client needs effectively. Employers want leaders who are not afraid to take on responsibility and communicate assertively. Working in human services requires you to think on your feet... a lot! Being creative will allow you to meet clients where they are instead of where you want them to be. The pandemic has made flexibility a necessary skill for all human service professionals. Schedules and activities can change at a moment's notice; therefore, you must be able to quickly adapt.
What soft skills should all Community Health Navigators possess?
Jessica Clontz: Although the pandemic has changed much of how the human services field functions, the most important skills remain the same: compassion, empathy, creativity, maintaining personal wellness, and holding space for others. With millions of people grieving sudden deaths of loved ones, professionals will need to be prepared to be a witness and hold space for that grief. To avoid compassion fatigue and burnout, it will be helpful for professionals (and employers!) to make personal wellbeing a priority and encourage a balance between work and other fulfilling endeavors.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Community Health Navigators?
Jessica Clontz: The pandemic forced us to redesign service delivery; therefore, professionals will need to demonstrate proficiency in tech skills such as setting up and hosting a teleconference, helping clients navigate online services, and leveraging social media for your agency. Although marketing on social media is not usually what professionals in the human services field expect to be doing, it is a necessary component among thriving organizations. Cultivating an engaging presence on social media and other platforms helps reach more people who may be in need of your services.
What skills will help Community Health Navigators earn the most?
Jessica Clontz: The ones you continue to strengthen and grow.