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Health coach vs doctor

The differences between health coaches and doctors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a doctor has an average salary of $208,582, which is higher than the $38,671 average annual salary of a health coach.

The top three skills for a health coach include customer service, patients and optimal health. The most important skills for a doctor are patients, customer service, and emergency medicine.

Health coach vs doctor overview

Health CoachDoctor
Yearly salary$38,671$208,582
Hourly rate$18.59$100.28
Growth rate12%7%
Number of jobs63,12914,571
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age4348
Years of experience4-

What does a health coach do?

A Health Coach is an individual health educator who provides lifestyle and behavior guidance. They work with clients to help them feel their best through food and lifestyle changes.

What does a doctor do?

A doctor is a medical expert who diagnoses and treats illnesses and injuries, often specializing in particular areas. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial interviews and examinations, studying a patient's medical history and laboratory results, providing consultations and care advice, prescribing medication, and referring patients to specialists when necessary. They must also coordinate and maintain an active communication line with nurses, administrators, and technicians for a smooth workflow. Moreover, a doctor must educate patients about their health conditions, helping them understand their situation better.

Health coach vs doctor salary

Health coaches and doctors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Health CoachDoctor
Average salary$38,671$208,582
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $55,000Between $106,000 And $408,000
Highest paying CityEureka, CAGreen Bay, WI
Highest paying stateAlaskaOhio
Best paying companyMassachusetts General HospitalSaint Luke's Health System
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between health coach and doctor education

There are a few differences between a health coach and a doctor in terms of educational background:

Health CoachDoctor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common majorNursingMedicine
Most common collegeUniversity of Minnesota - Twin CitiesDuke University

Health coach vs doctor demographics

Here are the differences between health coaches' and doctors' demographics:

Health CoachDoctor
Average age4348
Gender ratioMale, 20.9% Female, 79.1%Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 6.2% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.6% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage21%13%

Differences between health coach and doctor duties and responsibilities

Health coach example responsibilities.

  • Participate in workshops and offer lectures on various health topics, aim toward prevention and management of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
  • Motivate staff to participate in lunch time yoga and strength training exercises as well as cooking demos and office nutrition trivia.
  • Promote, educate and assist individuals in health management including diabetes management, nutrition, stress management and tobacco cessation.
  • Obtain CPR certification before the summer program begin.
  • Maintain and control all hippa-relate patient documentation via EMR.
  • Perform all job duties in compliance with HIPAA guidelines and company confidentiality policies.
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Doctor example responsibilities.

  • Manage conditions including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypothyroidism, asthma, and GERD.
  • Develop personalize treatment plans, rehabilitation plans, exercise plans, report of findings, nutritional plans and narrative reports.
  • Perform patient x-rays, provide MRI consultations.
  • Perform x-rays of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.
  • Hire, train, educate and monitor staff in HIPPA policies and procedures.
  • Create, update, and maintain confidential patient EHRs in compliance with all HIPAA laws and regulations.
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Health coach vs doctor skills

Common health coach skills
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Patients, 13%
  • Optimal Health, 11%
  • Disease Management, 6%
  • Ongoing Support, 5%
  • Nutrition Education, 5%
Common doctor skills
  • Patients, 33%
  • Customer Service, 12%
  • Emergency Medicine, 5%
  • Surgery, 5%
  • DR, 4%
  • Cleanliness, 3%

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