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The differences between lay health advocates and health educators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a lay health advocate and a health educator. Additionally, a health educator has an average salary of $42,570, which is higher than the $35,126 average annual salary of a lay health advocate.
The top three skills for a lay health advocate include patients, social work and substance abuse. The most important skills for a health educator are public health, patients, and community health.
| Lay Health Advocate | Health Educator | |
| Yearly salary | $35,126 | $42,570 |
| Hourly rate | $16.89 | $20.47 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 62,717 | 61,832 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A lay health advocate helps the patients prepare for medical appointments, update and organize physicians' information. After the medical appointments, a lay health advocate offers follow-up care services by monitoring patient conditions and ensuring they follow all treatment recommendations. They assist patients in scheduling additional appointments and arrange their medications. These professionals advise patients on the best ways to maintain control over medical care and prevent more medical issues like fall injuries.
A health educator is responsible for promoting a healthy lifestyle and wellness by developing programs and practices to improve an individual's physical, emotional, and mental condition, recommending a various approach to deal with stress and anxiety, and other situations affecting the clients' behaviors. Health educators record the clients' progress, educate them about healthy strategies and approaches, and coordinate with other health specialists and medical professionals on disseminating health information. A health educator must have excellent communication skills, especially during public speaking and seminars for health education programs.
Lay health advocates and health educators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lay Health Advocate | Health Educator | |
| Average salary | $35,126 | $42,570 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $44,000 | Between $30,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Johnston, RI | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Oregon |
| Best paying company | NRDC | The New York Foundling |
| Best paying industry | Education | Education |
There are a few differences between a lay health advocate and a health educator in terms of educational background:
| Lay Health Advocate | Health Educator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Health Education |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Florida |
Here are the differences between lay health advocates' and health educators' demographics:
| Lay Health Advocate | Health Educator | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.9% Female, 74.1% | Male, 22.6% Female, 77.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.7% Asian, 6.8% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 21% | 21% |