1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
What is a Community Health Worker?
Community Health Workers, also known as CHWs, are community- or organisation-selected members of the community who provide various but basic health-related care to the community, such as informal counseling, education, social support, preventative and promotional care, rehabilitation, and so on.
It is important for a CHW to develop a relationship with their community, as that allows them to better understand what they might need. CHWs also help fill the gaps where the medical system might otherwise be stretched far too thin.
The academic requirements of such a Health Worker vary wildly, depending on the place. Some employers might ask for only a high school degree, whilst others seek out those who have a college degree and even other credentials. They also often receive additional training on the job.
What Does a Community Health Worker Do
Health educators teach people about behaviors that promote wellness. They develop and implement strategies to improve the health of individuals and communities. Community health workers provide a link between the community, health educators, and other healthcare and social service professionals. They develop and implement strategies to improve the health of individuals and communities. They collect data and discuss health concerns with members of specific populations or communities. Although the two occupations often work together, responsibilities of health educators and community health workers are distinct.
How To Become a Community Health Worker
Health educators need a bachelor’s degree. Some employers may require the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential. Community health workers typically have at least a high school diploma and must complete a brief period of on-the-job training. Some states have certification programs for community health workers.
Community Health Worker Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of therapeutic support staff you might progress to a role such as case manager eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title nursing director.
Community Health Worker
Nursing Director
9 Years
Director Of Social Services
6 Years
Clinical Services Director
11 Years
Practice Manager
9 Years
Administrative Director
8 Years
Nurse Manager
9 Years
Show More
Average Salary for a Community Health Worker
Community Health Workers in America make an average salary of $37,079 per year or $18 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $49,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $27,000 per year.
Average Community Health Worker Salary
$37,079 Yearly$17.83 hourly
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Community Health Worker
The role of a community health worker includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general community health worker responsibilities:
- Provides targeted outreach and recruitment of women
- Prepare banquet room for the function display excellent customer service
- Works under the guidance of an rn care advisor conducts initial outreach calls to encourage patients
There are several types of community health worker, including:
Mental Health Worker
Role:
A mental health worker provides care for people with mental health concerns or developmental disabilities. You will mostly work under the supervision of a registered nurse in psychiatric hospitals and residential mental health facilities. Some of your core job responsibilities include assessing and interacting with patients to develop treatment plans and strategies, administering therapeutic care, monitoring patients, leading individual, family, or group therapy to foster group support and growth. You will be involved in case management, brokerage services, pharmaceutical assistance, chart documentation, and other insurance concerns.
You are also expected to facilitate communication between care, service, and support providers. Important skills for any mental health worker are crisis intervention, mental health, patient care, CPR, vital signs, and great verbal and non-verbal communication skills. The average mental health worker earns $17.72 per hour or $36,000 annually. Most of them have a bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, criminal justice, or other related fields.
You are also expected to facilitate communication between care, service, and support providers. Important skills for any mental health worker are crisis intervention, mental health, patient care, CPR, vital signs, and great verbal and non-verbal communication skills. The average mental health worker earns $17.72 per hour or $36,000 annually. Most of them have a bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, criminal justice, or other related fields.
- Average Salary: $41,081
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Community Liaison
Role:
A community liaison serves as the human link between the organization and the people you serve. You are a personal contact for an organization's clients or customers; therefore, you must ensure their orientation with new programs. To become a community liaison, work must be put in places, such as reinitiating contact with employees, community members, and follow-up clients who need it.
To help the community, you are to connect special populations with government community support system programs or services especially for the empowerment of the community. You are expected to schedule community outreach meetings with local community members to know their issues and also the area where development is vital. After this, you will plan fundraising activities and marketing. You are also to plan and perform marketing and sales-related activities such as making a presentation, calling clients, and hosting events to create awareness of the community's needs. You are to take charge of preparing, planning, and distributing a written press release. The main objective of your work is to create an awareness of your organization's activities.
An exceptional public speaker, good marketer, excellent communicator with writing skills, good administrative skills, and interpersonal skills are all essential qualities of a community liaison. An average of $40,000 is what a community liaison earns annually. To become a community liaison, you must have a bachelor's degree in Communication, Business, or other related fields.
To help the community, you are to connect special populations with government community support system programs or services especially for the empowerment of the community. You are expected to schedule community outreach meetings with local community members to know their issues and also the area where development is vital. After this, you will plan fundraising activities and marketing. You are also to plan and perform marketing and sales-related activities such as making a presentation, calling clients, and hosting events to create awareness of the community's needs. You are to take charge of preparing, planning, and distributing a written press release. The main objective of your work is to create an awareness of your organization's activities.
An exceptional public speaker, good marketer, excellent communicator with writing skills, good administrative skills, and interpersonal skills are all essential qualities of a community liaison. An average of $40,000 is what a community liaison earns annually. To become a community liaison, you must have a bachelor's degree in Communication, Business, or other related fields.
- Average Salary: $39,899
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Health Educator
Role:
Primarily, health educators are providers of healthcare education to organizations, communities, or specific populations. They perform assessments and surveys to determine the health education needs of their target area. They work with health specialists and stakeholders to define goals and achieve results. Similarly, they create plans and policies to aid in achieving and monitoring the progress of set objectives. Furthermore, they create and distribute health education materials and aids like pamphlets, notices, video and audio clips, images, and posters. Additionally, they organize health education events, workshops, conferences, and presentations and also promote health education initiatives through various platforms.
Ideally, you need at least a bachelor's degree in public health or a related field. You must have a minimum of three years in healthcare education. Employers prefer candidates with professional certification. You need presentation, customer service, computer, communication, and networking skills for this role. Your salary will vary between $35,000 and $66,000, with an annual average of $47,822.
Ideally, you need at least a bachelor's degree in public health or a related field. You must have a minimum of three years in healthcare education. Employers prefer candidates with professional certification. You need presentation, customer service, computer, communication, and networking skills for this role. Your salary will vary between $35,000 and $66,000, with an annual average of $47,822.
- Average Salary: $42,570
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
States With The Most Community Health Worker Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active community health worker jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where community health workers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average Salary: Job Openings:
Number Of Community Health Worker Jobs By State
Top Colleges for Community Health Workers
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
3. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,222
Enrollment
23,396
Top Skills For a Community Health Worker
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 12.7% of community health workers listed patients on their resume, but soft skills such as analytical skills and instructional skills are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Community Health Worker Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Community Health Worker templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Community Health Worker resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Community Health Worker Demographics
Community Health Worker Gender Distribution
Female
77%
Male
24%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among community health workers, 76.5% of them are women, while 23.5% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among community health workers is White, which makes up 54.3% of all community health workers.
- The most common foreign language among community health workers is Spanish at 71.7%.
Online Courses For Community Health Worker That You May Like
Advertising Disclosure
1. Community Engagement in Research and Population Health
Welcome to the Community Engagement in Population Health course! As you will learn, the health system is in the midst of a critical transition. The current system is not sustainable with escalating costs, mediocre health outcomes, and unacceptable disparities. This course will first discuss the current system, including definitions of population health and social determinants of health, and how the US compares to other countries on the triple aim –lower cost, better care, and a healthier...
See More on Coursera2. Foundational Skills for Communicating About Health
Effective communication is a core skill that nearly every health professional will need and use during their careers. Yet, few health professionals receive even basic training in how to design communications to be clear and successful. As “foundational skills,” the content in this course can be applied to both oral and written communication, within and beyond health. Learners will develop the skills to: analyze and tailor a communication effort for different audiences, develop clear messages,...
See More on Coursera3. Mental Health and Resilience for Healthcare Workers
This course will help institutions and individuals better manage the mental health challenges of being a healthcare worker. Healthcare providers such as the University Health Network (UHN) address the mental health needs of their staff through several initiatives intended to help build resilience and to provide respite from the demands of their work. This was critical during the pandemic but, of course, healthcare workers encounter high levels of stress even without a pandemic. The primary...
See More on CourseraJob type you want
Full Time
Part Time
Internship
Temporary
Best States For a Community Health Worker
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a community health worker. The best states for people in this position are Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Illinois. Community health workers make the most in Connecticut with an average salary of $46,958. Whereas in Rhode Island and Delaware, they would average $46,470 and $45,507, respectively. While community health workers would only make an average of $45,458 in Illinois, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. New Hampshire
Total Community Health Worker Jobs: 379
Highest 10% Earn:
$61,000
Location Quotient:
1.29
$44,160
Avg. Salary
2. Delaware
Total Community Health Worker Jobs: 233
Highest 10% Earn:
$66,000
Location Quotient:
1.1
$45,507
Avg. Salary
3. Connecticut
Total Community Health Worker Jobs: 465
Highest 10% Earn:
$67,000
Location Quotient:
0.83
$46,958
Avg. Salary
How Do Community Health Worker Rate Their Jobs?
5.0
Community health • February 2020
5.0
Community health • February 2020What do you like the most about working as Community Health Worker?
Care of others. Wound dressing. Personal Cares. Show MoreWhat do you NOT like?
Housework.. Heavy lifting. Grocery shopping for others. Show More5.0
An advocate for better CHEW • April 2019
5.0
An advocate for better CHEW • April 2019What do you like the most about working as Community Health Worker?
I like that am able to relate with my client well and solve their problem by providing adequate care and creating awareness on preventive measures Show MoreWhat do you NOT like?
How people underrate community health workers Show MoreTop Community Health Worker Employers
Most Common Employers For Community Health Worker
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts General Hospital | $45,077 | $21.67 | 8 |
| 2 | Peace Corps | $42,153 | $20.27 | 11 |
| 3 | Evolent Health | $40,352 | $19.40 | 54 |
| 4 | Vinfen | $40,143 | $19.30 | 15 |
| 5 | Homeless Prenatal Program | $39,465 | $18.97 | 15 |
| 6 | Anthem | $39,193 | $18.84 | 38 |
| 7 | Mary's Center | $39,150 | $18.82 | 12 |
| 8 | Legacy Community Health | $37,488 | $18.02 | 10 |
| 9 | Commonwealth Care Alliance | $37,345 | $17.95 | 10 |
| 10 | CareSource | $36,746 | $17.67 | 15 |
Community Health Worker Videos
Critical Links: Community Health Workers
A Day in the Life of a Community Health Worker
Peer Support: A Day in the Life -- Promotores de Salud & Community Health Workers
Becoming a Community Health Worker FAQs
How Long Is A Community Health Worker Certification Program?
A community health worker certification program is anywhere between 31 to 1,000 hours long. In some states, there are specific statewide requirements for all community health worker (CHW) certification programs. In other states, it is left to the individual program or organizations.
What Is Considered A Community Health Worker?
A community health worker is considered a lay member of the community who works either for pay or as a volunteer in association with the local health care system in both urban and rural environments.
What Skills Do You Need To Be A Community Health Worker?
The skills needed for you to be a community health worker include advocacy, care coordination, communication, cultural humility, and outreach planning. This covers some of the major skill sets needed to be an effective community health worker. However, there are many other skills that will take time and experience to develop.
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.