How to hire a health promotion specialist

How to hire a health promotion specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step health promotion specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a health promotion specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new health promotion specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a health promotion specialist do?

Post a health promotion specialist job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a health promotion specialist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect health promotion specialist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents health promotion specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Health Promotion Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Health Promotion Specialist	Health educators teach people about behaviors that promote wellness. They develop and implement strategies to improve the health of individuals and communities... Show more	$13-26
   Community Educator	Community Educators are responsible for organizing and improving access to training and education opportunities throughout a local community. Their duties include forming relationships with community groups, discovering local interests, develop service plans with education providers, and increase learning channels such as through classes, tutorials, and mentorship programs... Show more	$12-31
   Diabetes Educator	A Diabetes Educator helps improve the health condition of people who are at risk of developing diabetes. They collect patient data to monitor health status and manage the patients conditions.	$21-38

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Public Health
   • Data Collection
   • Health Promotion Programs
   • Health Fairs
   • Program Development
   • Wellness Programs
   • Community Health Promotion
   • Disease Prevention
   • Health Education Programs
   • Health Assessments
   • Health Screenings
   • Motivational
   • Health Promotion
   • Educational Materials

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage overall time off processing and reporting as it relates to FMLA and disability programs.
   • Coordinate and develop individual exercise prescription, independently complete monthly progress reports for physician efficiently in a cardiopulmonary rehabilitation setting.
   • Develop recipes and menu plans to accommodate multiple food allergies.
   • Create custom meal plans for diabetics, food allergies and other conditions.
   • Provide case management of enrollee participation to ensure completion of schedule mammograms and cervical testing.

   More health promotion specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your health promotion specialist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A health promotion specialist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, health promotion specialists' average salary in tennessee is 38% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level health promotion specialists earn 50% less than senior-level health promotion specialists.
   • Certifications. A health promotion specialist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a health promotion specialist's salary.

   Average health promotion specialist salary

   $40,198yearly

   $19.33 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level health promotion specialist salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average health promotion specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$56,532	$27
   2	Alaska	$51,421	$25
   3	Oregon	$49,209	$24
   4	Connecticut	$47,693	$23
   5	Maryland	$46,583	$22
   6	Minnesota	$43,780	$21
   7	Illinois	$42,966	$21
   8	Nevada	$41,001	$20
   9	Oklahoma	$40,388	$19
   10	Colorado	$40,335	$19
   11	New Jersey	$40,008	$19
   12	Massachusetts	$39,482	$19
   13	New York	$39,299	$19
   14	Montana	$38,918	$19
   15	North Carolina	$38,901	$19
   16	Utah	$37,378	$18
   17	Arizona	$37,085	$18
   18	Virginia	$36,104	$17
   19	Texas	$35,164	$17
   20	Florida	$35,136	$17

   Average health promotion specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Columbia University in the City of New York	$54,355	$26.13
   2	University of Alaska	$47,277	$22.73	2
   3	Colangelo	$44,974	$21.62
   4	Lincoln Holdings LLC	$44,945	$21.61	1
   5	Multnomah County	$44,802	$21.54
   6	Intermountain Healthcare	$44,712	$21.50	8
   7	Field Club of Greenwich	$43,894	$21.10
   8	Tufts University	$43,770	$21.04
   9	Sharecare	$43,329	$20.83	1
   10	Sunnyside Care Center	$41,635	$20.02
   11	University at Albany	$41,577	$19.99
   12	Lulac Head Start	$40,323	$19.39	1
   13	Houston Foods Inc	$40,137	$19.30
   14	Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties	$38,243	$18.39
   15	Avenue 360 Health and Wellness	$37,985	$18.26	2
   16	Axispoint	$37,698	$18.12
   17	Americorps	$37,489	$18.02	41
   18	Oklahoma City County Health Department WIC Clinic Fair Park	$37,405	$17.98
   19	Dakota Holding Corporation	$37,405	$17.98
   20	Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic	$35,419	$17.03	11

4. Writing a health promotion specialist job description

   A health promotion specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a health promotion specialist job description:

   Health promotion specialist job description example

   Applicants for all positions must be or become fully vaccinated against Covid-19 if selected for hire. Valid medical or religious exemptions will be considered but serial Covid-19 testing will be required to maintain employment.
   
   Provides instruction to participants that promotes healthy everyday living. Creates and implements curriculum and instruction to meet the needs of the participants.
   Essential Functions/Responsibilities/Duties
   
   * Creates curriculum that utilizes theories and models of health promotion and incorporates multicultural diversity and social justice concepts and principles to provide health education to individuals.
   * Adapts the curriculum to fit the needs of the target audience and community.
   * Creates lesson plans and ensures instruction flow is planned, presented, and paced effectively for participants. Maintains accurate records and documentation.
   * Implements ecological approach that addresses both individual and environmental influences on health.
   * Provides participants with opportunities to set goals, make plans, and reflect on learning.
   * Provides activities that support active engagement and encourages and supports participants in building new skills.
   * Uses participant feedback to improve instruction and create an engaging class. Creates plans for improvement based on pilot tests, youth and adult assessments, and stakeholder feedback.
   * Designs written and electronic educational materials and videos. Contributes content to the organization's website, social media, and newsletters.
   * Collaborates with key stakeholders to develop a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to health education within the community (i.e., SNAP-Ed Services at local Farmers Markets, local schools, and chamber of commerce).
   * Assists with designing, planning, and implementing evidence-based and cost effective strategies, policies, programs, and services.
   * Assists with setting measurable program objectives.
   * Assists with conducting needs assessments and analyzing data to assist in designing and improving program outcomes, such as focus groups, surveys, and assessment tools as needed.
   * Selects priority instructional issues based on needs assessment results.
   * Monitors and assesses programs for student learning outcomes, individual health status and behavior changes, and overall community health.
   * Assists with developing and implementing improvement plans for the program based on outcomes.
   * Provides accurate monthly reporting based on the evaluation plan (data entry, surveys, written narrative reports, process evaluation, success stories, etc.).
   * Communicates with families and participants about health and/or basic education progress.
   * Ensures program, instruction, and activities maintain compliance with Federal, State, and County requirements and deliverables.
   * Assists with developing and delivering presentations, workshops, training, and outreach events based on the principles of health promotion, healthy lifestyle choices, risk reduction and prevention, and/ or relevant subjects.
   * Participates in activities at YVFWC and other partner events to share program information and/or provide activities.
   
   Qualifications
   
   * Education: High School Diploma or GED. Associate's Degree in a health related field preferred.
   * Experience: Two years' experience working with adults and/or youth in a classroom setting or in a health promotion related field. Experience working in health and nutrition preferred. Experience presenting information and teaching classes to small groups preferred.
   * Professional Licenses/Certificates/Registration: Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) or eligible to become certified preferred. First Aid/CPR certification within 90 days of employment. Valid Driver's License and proof of automobile liability insurance coverage.
   * Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: Bilingual (English/Spanish) required. Must demonstrate the ability to communicate at level 10 on the language proficiency scale to receive bilingual differential pay. Knowledge of human service programs. Ability to develop lesson plans. Ability to effectively manage a classroom and students. Effective facilitation and presentation skills. Ability to develop effective working relationships with clients, social service providers, and partners. Ability to successfully work with individuals from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds. Effective verbal, written and listening communication skills with individuals and groups. Strong organizational skills. Ability to work independently. Basic proficiency with a variety of computer programs including Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Proficiency with virtual platforms including Google Classroom, Google Meets, and Zoom.
   
   About YVFWC
   
   We serve more than 181,000 patients across 25 medical clinics, 14 dental clinics, 10 pharmacies, and 64 program sites in two states. We are Level 3 Certified as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). With integrated services including medical, dental, pharmacy, orthodontia, primary care nutritional counseling, autism screening, and primary care behavioral health, YVFWC's patient-centered model of care offers patients the full spectrum of care and shelter assistance, energy assistance, weatherization, HIV and AIDS counseling and testing, home visits, and four mobile medical/dental clinics.
   
   Working at YVFWC
   
   Working in our organization means being the passionate champion for those who have no voice. It means having the opportunity to work with underserved populations and with peers committed to the same work.
   
   At Farm Workers Clinic
   
   * We will consistently trust one another to work for the common good.
   * We will foster integrity by demonstrating ethical behavior and insisting on doing what we say we will do.
   * We will demonstrate transparency by being candid and truthful no matter the risk.
   * We will create partnerships to strengthen ourselves and our community.
   * We will fight for just treatment for all individuals.
   * We will let joy in.
   * We have the courage to be an agent of change and refuse anything short of excellence.
   
   Our mission celebrates diversity. We are committed to equal opportunity employment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right health promotion specialist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with health promotion specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit health promotion specialists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your health promotion specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit health promotion specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit health promotion specialists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new health promotion specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the health promotion specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new health promotion specialist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a health promotion specialist?