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Job outlook for wellness program managers in the United States
Are wellness program manager jobs in demand?
Wellness program manager job and salary trends over time
Wellness program manager jobs over time
Wellness program manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,738 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,601 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,571 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 1,483 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 1,380 | 0.00% |
Average wellness program manager salary over time
Wellness program manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $71,900 | $34.57 | +3.3% |
| 2025 | $69,625 | $33.47 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | $68,763 | $33.06 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $67,812 | $32.60 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $66,564 | $32.00 | +2.2% |
Wellness program manager jobs by state
Most common states for wellness program managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 466 | 67% |
| 2 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,892 | 39% |
| 3 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 221 | 29% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 326 | 24% |
| 5 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 255 | 24% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 218 | 23% |
| 7 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,781 | 21% |
| 8 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 637 | 21% |
| 9 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 223 | 21% |
| 10 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 838 | 20% |
| 11 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,331 | 19% |
| 12 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,052 | 19% |
| 13 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,010 | 18% |
| 14 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 629 | 18% |
| 15 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 304 | 18% |
| 16 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 236 | 18% |
| 17 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 327 | 17% |
| 18 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 147 | 17% |
| 19 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 478 | 16% |
| 20 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,865 | 15% |
Most common cities for wellness program managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cupertino | 1 | 2% | $104,760 |
| 2 | Pasadena | 1 | 1% | $89,633 |
Wellness Program Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of wellness program manager experts
Rutgers University - Camden
Freed-Hardeman University
Oklahoma Baptist University
Swarthmore College
Auburn University at Montgomery
Western Carolina University
Auburn University at Montgomery
Maryville University
Davenport University
Azusa Pacific University
Weber State University
California State University
Pawn Johnson-Hunter MS, RN, AGPCNP-BC, GERO- BC, CM/DN
Nurse Educator, Nclex Mentor/CoachWhat general advice would you give to a Wellness Program Manager?
Pawn Johnson-Hunter MS, RN, AGPCNP-BC, GERO- BC, CM/DN: A few ways to maximize earning potential as a new graduate nurse is through skillful negotiations and previous experience in healthcare, such as degree level, nurse externships, phlebotomy skills, or certifications. Many, if not all, employers appreciate that new graduates are equipped with clinical skills that are strongly recommended for the practice area. While many nurse certifications require experience, some are for entry-level, such as advanced life support (ACLS and PALS) and IV insertion. There are also some specialty practice certifications that new grads can obtain without years of experience; although they may recommend the experience at times, this is optional. All of this demonstrates the applicant's commitment to the profession and interest. Other ways are to work overtime hours, learn about clinical career ladders, or continue formal education.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Wellness Program Managers?
Dr. Catherine Stubin Ph.D.: Nursing is a complex profession that requires continuous interaction with a variety of individuals in a high-stress environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased nurses' psychological distress, which could leave the U.S. with an unstable nurse workforce in years to come.
Priority consideration must be given to the psychosocial needs of nurses, as preparing nurses to persevere through adversities is essential for maintaining their physical, mental, and emotional health throughout their careers. We need skilled, caring, competent nurses who can cope with the physical and psychological demands of the nursing profession. Resilience is a core value and fundamental theme that must be addressed in the nursing workforce. Research demonstrates that there is a correlation between a healthcare professional's resilience and well-being in the workplace. Access to or engagement with social resources can activate self-care and resilient attributes, and resilience training can positively impact nurse stress, mindfulness, and resilience. Resilient nurses can better manage their response to stress and adversity, which will contribute to patient safety and promote positive patient outcomes.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Wellness Program Managers?
Kristen Roberson: The workplace will forever be altered due to the pandemic, and the effects of those in career transitions, not just those graduating now, will be impacted for some time. It will take some time for the new normal to be normal.
What's a day at work look like for a Wellness Program Manager?
Kristen Roberson: That depends on the role they are in, but the big hurdle is going to be landing that first role. They need to be willing to shift their plans, be ready to try contract or project-based work. No matter where they land, the ability to self-manage will be more critical than before 2020 since more work will be remote and much more video conferences, and a lot less travel.
Dr. Daryl Green
Associate Professor of BusinessOklahoma Baptist University
College of Business
What soft skills should all Wellness Program Managers possess?
Dr. Daryl Green: The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has identified eight competencies associated with career readiness. These soft skills include career management, communication, critical thinking, cultural intelligence, digital literacy, leadership, professionalism, and teamwork. Sadly, most students are not aware of employers' expectation of career readiness competencies. College students who develop these career readiness competencies will be better prepared to compete for future job opportunities.
What's a good job out of college for Wellness Program Managers?
Stephen O'Connell: Work that uses your skills and builds new ones. There is a premium on your own flexibility over the couple of years, with a lot of job-market volatility due to uncertain structural impacts of the pandemic.
Brett Lehman Ph.D.
ProfessorAuburn University at Montgomery
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work
What's a good job out of college for Wellness Program Managers?
Brett Lehman Ph.D.: There is a business side and a human side to this answer. On the business side, I hope graduates are provided benefits like health insurance, a gainful salary, and opportunities for advancement. The way to hit a home-run is to get a job where those needs are taken care of and you still get to use your skills for something you feel is important. Most sociology students get into the subject because they care about the human side, want to help people, and see opportunity for creating positive social change. You'll get motivated sociology graduates when you show them a path towards achievement on the human side; then when we there's less worry about the business side, some impressive results could follow!
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Wellness Program Managers?
Brett Lehman Ph.D.: Sociology students with research and public speaking experience will have improved job prospects. This could be developed in many courses, though some core areas for us are Research Methods and Statistics. Most employers collect and analyze data of some kind. Then they have to organize the results properly and present the findings to a variety of audiences. Any course that require students to do their own projects, make difficult decisions, justify those decisions, and then explain the results give students a leg up in critical thinking skills and much more. Students might also have similar experiences through community service, independent/supervised research projects, or an internship.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Wellness Program Managers?
Angela Sebby Ph.D.: While jobs may be slower to return to the capacity pre-Covid, the industry and tourism employment will rebound as people still want to travel and explore diverse foods, cultures, and experiences. However, the enduring impact will be the rapid onset of technology that allowed for limited contact with employees and others has become the new norm. Although human interaction is an important aspect of service in the tourism industry, employers have found that they can reduce the number of personal interactions but still deliver an acceptable level of quality service. What would have taken years to adopt, COVID created an amplified adoption.
What soft skills should all Wellness Program Managers possess?
TeWhan Hahn Ph.D.: Writing skills including email writing, being able to work in teams, and knowing the workplace etiquettes.
Meaghan Goodman Ph.D.
Program Director & Assistant ProfessorMaryville University
Speech-Language Pathology
What's a day at work look like for a Wellness Program Manager?
Meaghan Goodman Ph.D.: A bachelor's in communication sciences and disorders can prepare you for three different tracks. First, it can prepare you to become a licensed Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA). This is someone who works under a fully credential speech-language pathologist. Often times, they carryout intervention plans developed by a fully credentialed speech-language pathologist. If graduate school is on your horizon, a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders will prepare you for acceptance into a Speech-Language Pathology program, or an Audiology program. If you are not accepted into a graduate program right away, working as a speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA) is a great way to get experience in the field!
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Wellness Program Manager job market given the pandemic?
Todd Terry: The pandemic has caused many existing businesses to scale back or go out of business. This disruption provides an avenue for the entrepreneur to excel. Areas that should experience entrepreneurial growth may include, technology, supply chain management with an emphasis on product delivery to the end consumer. Risk management is another sector that will experience growth. The business world is experiencing something it never had realized before with the pandemic, and this brings to the forefront the need to be prepared for such another type of experience. Online retail management is a sector that has experienced growth during the pandemic and is becoming the norm. Customers have adapted well to this concept of ordering products online and having them delivered to their door step. This practice turns into a time saving opportunity for the customer, and an opportunity for the entrepreneur to provide a service with in the supply chain.
What's a day at work look like for a Wellness Program Manager?
Todd Terry: What once was well defined with working hours, an office space, coworkers being close by to develop relationships with seems to be misplaced during the current working environment. In the working situation we are in today, graduates will need to be flexible with working hours as work hours may not be defined and could change by day. Office space may mean that one is working remotely from home. Building of relationships with coworkers will be done using technology as coworkers may be located in many different areas or time zones.
In general business will continue to function remotely. The pandemic has created a sense of creativity in how business is done. The one major component the pandemic has created is where large and small businesses are conducting daily business functions from remote locations. This practice has proven that business can be effectively done without having to travel to distant locations. Consequently, business travel will be continue to be slow.
What's a good job out of college for Wellness Program Managers?
Bala Musa Ph.D.: A good job out of college is one that allows you to apply creative and critical thinking skills. Future work environments will require employees to innovate and adapt. Any job that helps you cultivate, sharpen and apply those skills will serve you and your organization well. It will prepare you to adapt in the face of change and future disruptions.
Dr. Sally Cantwell Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Annie Taylor Dee School of NursingWeber State University
Annie Taylor Dee School of Nursing
What skills stand out on Wellness Program Manager resumes?
Dr. Sally Cantwell Ph.D.: Honestly, a list of task-based skills and experience is always important (including certifications, IV skills, a degree from an accredited institution, etc.), but what stands out are leadership experiences, participation in volunteer work, experience showing strong communication skills, and the ability to work in difficult circumstances and with sometimes challenging individuals. Resilience and active coping skills are a real thing!
Cinthya Sotelo
Director of NP Programs, FNP Option CoordinatorCalifornia State University
Patricia A. Chin School of Nursing
What skills stand out on Wellness Program Manager resumes?
Cinthya Sotelo: Prior experience with patients, such as nursing assistant, EMT, etc. It is important for new graduate nurses to place the number of clinical hours on their resume to show what experiences they had during nursing school. Being bilingual will also stand out on a resume.