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The average salary for a Health Communication Specialist is approximately $49,493 per year, equating to around $24 per hour. This role involves crafting messages and strategies to improve public health outcomes, making it essential in healthcare settings.
Salary ranges for health communication specialists can vary significantly by state. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher salaries compared to others, reflecting the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals in these areas.
Health communication specialists find employment in diverse sectors, including government agencies, hospitals, and non-profits. By exploring various job listings, candidates can identify positions that align with their skills and salary expectations.
Several factors influence salaries, including experience, education level, and industry. Specialists with advanced degrees or those working in high-demand areas may command higher salaries.
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The average health communication specialist salary in Alaska, California, and Idaho are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average health communication specialist salary states are Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | $62,797 | $30.19 |
| 2 | Alaska | $71,574 | $34.41 |
| 3 | California | $63,911 | $30.73 |
| 4 | South Dakota | $58,382 | $28.07 |
| 5 | Nevada | $59,412 | $28.56 |
| 6 | Vermont | $54,425 | $26.17 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $56,639 | $27.23 |
| 8 | Maryland | $58,970 | $28.35 |
| 9 | Michigan | $52,359 | $25.17 |
| 10 | Oregon | $60,929 | $29.29 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $57,946 | $27.86 |
| 12 | Montana | $59,833 | $28.77 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $56,280 | $27.06 |
| 14 | Utah | $57,879 | $27.83 |
| 15 | Mississippi | $54,357 | $26.13 |
| 16 | Arizona | $53,876 | $25.90 |
| 17 | Washington | $61,213 | $29.43 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $54,392 | $26.15 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $52,560 | $25.27 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $57,863 | $27.82 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $51,926 | $24.96 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $58,458 | $28.10 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $57,003 | $27.41 |
| 24 | Delaware | $54,795 | $26.34 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | $49,822 | $23.95 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $50,117 | $24.09 |
| 27 | Iowa | $49,430 | $23.76 |
| 28 | Virginia | $53,049 | $25.50 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $49,144 | $23.63 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $54,676 | $26.29 |
| 31 | Indiana | $46,338 | $22.28 |
| 32 | Colorado | $52,229 | $25.11 |
| 33 | Ohio | $46,513 | $22.36 |
| 34 | Maine | $52,081 | $25.04 |
| 35 | Massachusetts | $49,439 | $23.77 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $48,958 | $23.54 |
| 37 | New York | $53,047 | $25.50 |
| 38 | Missouri | $46,531 | $22.37 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $43,915 | $21.11 |
| 40 | Texas | $47,882 | $23.02 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $46,491 | $22.35 |
| 42 | Pennsylvania | $49,175 | $23.64 |
| 43 | Alabama | $44,027 | $21.17 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $43,019 | $20.68 |
| 45 | Illinois | $49,100 | $23.61 |
| 46 | New Jersey | $50,235 | $24.15 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $43,973 | $21.14 |
| 48 | Kansas | $41,403 | $19.91 |
| 49 | Florida | $44,942 | $21.61 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $42,997 | $20.67 |
| 51 | Georgia | $41,489 | $19.95 |
The highest-paying cities for health communication specialists are Hillsboro, OR, Bethesda, MD, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hillsboro, OR | $61,104 | $29.38 |
| 2 | Bethesda, MD | $58,719 | $28.23 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $57,072 | $27.44 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $53,054 | $25.51 |
| 5 | Greeley, CO | $52,372 | $25.18 |
| 6 | Minneapolis, MN | $51,916 | $24.96 |
| 7 | Allentown, PA | $49,584 | $23.84 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $49,400 | $23.75 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $49,217 | $23.66 |
| 10 | Madison, WI | $48,962 | $23.54 |
| 11 | San Antonio, TX | $48,188 | $23.17 |
| 12 | Kansas City, MO | $46,959 | $22.58 |
| 13 | Miami, FL | $45,317 | $21.79 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $41,542 | $19.97 |
A health communication specialist's salary ranges from $34,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $71,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $71,000 | $5,917 | $34 |
| 75th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
| Average | $49,493 | $4,124 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| 10th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
The highest paying types of health communication specialists are radiation safety officer, plant safety leader, and ehs specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant Safety Leader | $75,374 | $6,281 | $36.24 | 36,957 |
| Safety Trainer | $45,097 | $3,758 | $21.68 | 35,032 |
| Safety Advisor | $55,939 | $4,662 | $26.89 | 53,425 |
| Safety Instructor | $29,977 | $2,498 | $14.41 | 38,602 |
| Safety Officer | $46,336 | $3,861 | $22.28 | 68,487 |
| Safety And Training Coordinator | $43,367 | $3,614 | $20.85 | 43,362 |
Top companies hiring health communication specialists now:
Health communication specialist salaries at Centers For Disease Control And Prevention and McKinsey & Company Inc are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average health communication specialist salary at companies like University of California, Berkeley and Lehigh Valley Health Network are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centers For Disease Control And Prevention | $68,536 | $32.95 |
| 2 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $65,005 | $31.25 |
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley | $64,231 | $30.88 |
| 4 | Lehigh Valley Health Network | $62,753 | $30.17 |
| 5 | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | $61,549 | $29.59 |
| 6 | Massachusetts General Hospital | $61,513 | $29.57 |
| 7 | University Health | $61,256 | $29.45 |
| 8 | Emory Healthcare | $61,231 | $29.44 |
| 9 | Cadence Design Systems | $61,132 | $29.39 |
| 10 | Weld County Government | $60,780 | $29.22 |
| 11 | Rings Levin A Atty | $59,923 | $28.81 |
| 12 | Georgetown University | $59,658 | $28.68 |
| 13 | Deschutes County | $59,580 | $28.64 |
| 14 | Fort Bend County | $58,471 | $28.11 |
| 15 | East Stroudsburg University | $57,556 | $27.67 |
| 16 | Emory University | $57,349 | $27.57 |
| 17 | Tufts University | $51,859 | $24.93 |
| 18 | Katmai Careers | $51,309 | $24.67 |
| 19 | Minnesota Limited | $51,224 | $24.63 |
| 20 | Peraton | $49,511 | $23.80 |
The average health communication specialist salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $60,109 | $28.90 |
| 2 | Government | $56,417 | $27.12 |
| 3 | Professional | $52,972 | $25.47 |
| 4 | Non Profits | $51,459 | $24.74 |
The average health communication specialist salary has fallen by $-4,885 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average health communication specialist earned $54,378 annually, but today, they earn $49,493 a year. That works out to a -15% change in pay for health communication specialists over the last decade.
Compare health communication specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare health communication specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $49,500 | $23.79 | +3.5% |
| 2025 | $47,800 | $22.97 | -25.4% |
| 2024 | $59,900 | $28.81 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $58,900 | $28.32 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $58,200 | $27.98 | +1.0% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie County, Pa | Public Health Communications Specialist | Erie, PA | 05/25/2025 | $47,876 |
| Lantana Consulting Group | Health Communications Specialist I | Thetford, VT | 05/24/2025 | $65,000 |
| UMCP | Health Communications Specialist | Maryland | 03/03/2025 | $60,000 |
| Texas Health & Human Services Commission | Specialty Health Communications Specialist | Austin, TX | 02/23/2025 | $57,614 |
| Sauge Ai | Health Communication Specialist I | Chicago, IL | 02/19/2025 | $65,400 |
| California State University | Health Communications Specialist | Sacramento, CA | 02/17/2025 | $58,104 |
| California State University, Sacramento | Health Communications Specialist | Sacramento, CA | 02/17/2025 | $58,104 |
| Abt Associates | Temporary Public Health Communications Specialist (Remote Flexible) | Rockville, MD | 01/30/2025 | $73,045 |
| Chenega Corporation | Health Communications Specialist III | Atlanta, GA | 01/29/2025 | $82,000 |
| Abt Global Inc. | Temporary Public Health Communications Specialist (Remote Flexible) | Durham, NC | 01/29/2025 | $73,045 |
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