Health educators promote health and wellbeing of communities, create ‘bridges’ between socially and economically marginalized populations and mainstream health and social services, address the social determinants of health, engage with communities to strengthen community capacity, advocate for equity, and catalyze change.
Health educators provide support to the people with limited health literacy, help them navigate the health services, contributes to infectious and chronic disease prevention and management, provide support for pre-natal, labour & delivery, and post-natal help; navigation of health, social services, education and employment resources supports; mediation between families and services, such as child welfare intervention or disability services; and partnering to address common issues.
They may work for community agencies, government agencies, schools, hospitals, research institutes, or in professional organizations.
Average Hourly
$23.43
Range Hourly
$18.72 – $39.82
Average Yearly
$45,679
Range Yearly
$36,508 – $77,654
Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers (4165)
Decision support analyst - health
Decision support specialist
Health and social services institution accreditation officer
Health and social services liaison officer
Health care association program officer – health
Health educator
A diploma or certificate in Health Education/Promotion is usually required on top of bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in the Health-related programs (including but not limited to nursing, Health sciences, Psychology)
Employers may also require applicants to have 1 or more of the following:
first aid and CPR certification
Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) certification
Workplace Hazardous Material Information Systems (WHMIS) certification
clear security and child welfare checks
a valid driver’s licence
a reliable vehicle for transportation.
Average hourly |
Range hourly |
Average yearly |
Range yearly |
$23.43 |
$18.72 - $39.82 |
$45,679 |
$36,508 - $77,654 |
Medium
Employment outlook is good to fair in most provinces. More information is available here.
With further education and experiences managerial positions are possible to obtain.
1-2 years relevant experience
Certificate and diploma programs are available at many colleges. Examples include:
Canadian Health Care Certificate at McMaster University
Diploma in Education – Health Education at University of British Columbia
Fitness and Health Promotion at Centennial College
Health Promotion Foundations and Health Equity Impact Assessment courses by Public Health Ontario
Community and Health Services Navigation –Graduate Certificate at Cambrian College
Team player, compassionate, attentive to the clients, passionate for working with people with disabilities, critical thinking skills, interest to explore new things and taking challenges, strong communication skills, highly responsible, able to stay calm under pressure, ability to consistently project a positive, professional image, on and off the job; the ability to maintain a balanced perspective; excellent organizational and time management skills; an interest in facilitating individual and organizational growth; negotiation skills; Valid CPR/First Aid certificate may be required
Non-regulated
Health educators work in a wide range of settings, including public health units, community health centres, ethno-specific and multicultural community-based organizations, as well as other regional and provincial organizations. Residential settings may require shift work. Other settings may offer more regular hours. Evening and weekend work are sometimes required.
Enrolling into above mentioned programs and obtaining relevant degrees are usually a starting point. Also, volunteering in different social and health services organizations could help get in-field experience and kick off.