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Community Health Workers
Promote health within a community by assisting individuals to adopt healthy behaviors. Serve as an advocate for the health needs of individuals by assisting community residents in effectively communicating with healthcare providers or social service agencies. Act as liaison or advocate and implement programs that promote, maintain, and improve individual and overall community health. May deliver health-related preventive services such as blood pressure, glaucoma, and hearing screenings. May collect data to help identify community health needs.
Other titles employers use
Apprise Counselor · Community Health Outreach Worker · Community Health Program Coordinator · Community Health Program Representative (Community Health Program Rep) · Community Health Promoter · Community Health Worker (CHW) · Community Nutrition Educator · HIV CTS Specialist (Human Immunodeficiency Virus Counseling and Testing Services Specialist)
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Maintain updated client records with plans, notes, appropriate forms, or related information.
- Advise clients or community groups on issues related to improving general health, such as diet or exercise.
- Identify or contact members of high-risk or otherwise targeted groups, such as members of minority populations, low-income populations, or pregnant women.
- Contact clients in person, by phone, or in writing to ensure they have completed required or recommended actions.
- Distribute flyers, brochures, or other informational or educational documents to inform members of a targeted community.
- Refer community members to needed health services.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, persuading and analytical work.
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Writing
- Reading Comprehension
- Service Orientation
Subjects to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Administration and Management
- Medicine and Dentistry
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.0 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.2 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.8 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 2.9 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A four-year degree 52%
- A two-year degree 23%
- A master's degree 15%
- High school or less 7%
- A certificate or some college 3%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Office suite software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Operating system software
- Spreadsheet software
- Electronic mail software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Video conferencing software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 11,070
- Job openings each year
- 210
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 23.0%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 11,070 | 210 | 23.0% |
| California | 10,300 | 1,100 | 19.8% |
| Texas | 6,150 | 660 | 20.6% |
| Washington | 4,150 | 490 | 15.0% |
| Missouri | 3,410 | 350 | 7.9% |
| Maryland | 3,060 | 320 | 17.2% |
| Florida | 2,670 | 290 | 24.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 2,480 | 260 | 12.7% |
| Illinois | 2,390 | 250 | 9.1% |
| Ohio | 2,040 | 210 | 11.5% |
| Michigan | 1,940 | 200 | 13.5% |
| Kentucky | 1,910 | 200 | 13.0% |
| New Jersey | 1,830 | 190 | 15.8% |
| North Carolina | 1,690 | 180 | 22.5% |
| Virginia | 1,530 | 160 | 20.5% |
| Arizona | 1,420 | 160 | 29.1% |
| New Mexico | 1,340 | 150 | 24.1% |
| Indiana | 1,310 | 140 | 13.9% |
| Oregon | 1,190 | 130 | 19.0% |
| Wisconsin | 1,130 | 120 | 13.0% |
| Colorado | 1,110 | 120 | 23.3% |
| Minnesota | 1,050 | 110 | 14.1% |
| Utah | 1,040 | 110 | 22.4% |
| Massachusetts | 920 | 100 | 13.6% |
| South Carolina | 900 | 100 | 26.8% |
| Georgia | 820 | 90 | 24.2% |
| Oklahoma | 810 | 90 | 12.5% |
| Mississippi | 800 | 90 | 17.6% |
| Nevada | 760 | 80 | 18.8% |
| Puerto Rico | 760 | 80 | 16.9% |
| Connecticut | 680 | 70 | 17.2% |
| Iowa | 580 | 60 | 18.4% |
| West Virginia | 490 | 50 | 16.7% |
| District of Columbia | 460 | 50 | 17.9% |
| Montana | 450 | 50 | 21.6% |
| Idaho | 420 | 50 | 27.3% |
| Nebraska | 420 | 50 | 16.7% |
| Delaware | 390 | 40 | 14.7% |
| Louisiana | 330 | 40 | 13.8% |
| Tennessee | 330 | 40 | 32.0% |
| New Hampshire | 310 | 30 | 14.8% |
| Alabama | 290 | 30 | 11.5% |
| North Dakota | 260 | 30 | 8.3% |
| Alaska | 220 | 20 | 4.8% |
| Maine | 200 | 20 | 5.3% |
| Vermont | 160 | 20 | 23.1% |
| Rhode Island | 150 | 20 | 15.4% |
| Wyoming | 140 | 20 | 7.7% |
| South Dakota | 80 | 10 | 14.3% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
University of South Carolina-Columbia
- Degrees each year
- 618
- Admit rate
- 61%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college FLUniversity of South Florida
- Degrees each year
- 1,465
- Admit rate
- 41%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college MDUniversity of Maryland-College Park
- Degrees each year
- 416
- Admit rate
- 45%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college TXThe University of Texas at Austin
- Degrees each year
- 800
- Admit rate
- 29%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Program entryApply after enrollment
Open college CAUniversity of California-Irvine
- Degrees each year
- 392
- Admit rate
- 26%
- Annual cost after aid
- $12,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college NHSouthern New Hampshire University
- Degrees each year
- 1,155
- Admit rate
- 96%
- Annual cost after aid
- $37,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college NJRutgers University-New Brunswick
- Degrees each year
- 398
- Admit rate
- 65%
- Annual cost after aid
- $18,000
Program entryApply after enrollment
Open college CACalifornia State University-Fullerton
- Degrees each year
- 378
- Admit rate
- 87%
- Annual cost after aid
- $6,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college