# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/community-health-workers
- SOC code: 21-1094.00
- Career family: Community and social service
- Median annual pay: $51,850 (10th percentile $38,810, 90th percentile $77,180)
- Projected growth: Much faster than average, +12.7%
- Openings a year: 7,000
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SEI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 17 |
| Investigative (I) | 42 |
| Artistic (A) | 20 |
| Social (S) | 93 |
| Enterprising (E) | 42 |
| Conventional (C) | 40 |

## What you'd do

- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 93/100)
- Getting Information (importance 92/100)
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public (importance 88/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 82/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 81/100)
- Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People (importance 78/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 76/100)
- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 75/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 74/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 73/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Active Learning, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Service Orientation, Writing, Complex Problem Solving

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Medicine and Dentistry, Psychology, Therapy and Counseling, Computers and Electronics, Education and Training, Administration and Management, Public Safety and Security, Administrative

## Also called

Behavioral Health Advocate, Behavioral Health Worker (BHW), Benefits Outreach Specialist, Communicable Disease Liaison, Community Development Coordinator, Community Health Advisor, Community Health Advocate, Community Health Agent, Community Health Assistant, Community Health Coordinator

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5115) (CIP 5115, 969 colleges)
- [Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5100) (CIP 5100, 917 colleges)
- [Public Health](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5122) (CIP 5122, 836 colleges)
- [Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0909) (CIP 0909, 621 colleges)
- [Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5132) (CIP 5132, 352 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Touro College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/touro-college-2795) | Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $93,075 | $135,742 | $12,500 |
| [Valparaiso University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/valparaiso-university-3111) | Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | not reported | $115,095 | $20,500 |
| [University of Delaware](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-delaware-2905) | Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $34,007 | $107,695 | $26,891 |
| [Utah State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/utah-state-university-3102) | Public Health | $77,239 | $93,161 | not reported |
| [Syracuse University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/syracuse-university-2667) | Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $63,858 | $90,535 | $24,250 |
| [University of Southern California USC](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-southern-california-usc-3050) | Public Health | not reported | $89,522 | $17,279 |
| [Southern Methodist University SMU](https://www.collegesref.com/college/southern-methodist-university-smu-2498) | Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $56,398 | $89,330 | $17,375 |
| [George Washington University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/george-washington-university-1066) | Public Health | $55,305 | $87,217 | $19,500 |

## Related careers

- [Health Education Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/health-education-specialists): $64,070 median pay
- [Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mental-health-and-substance-abuse-social-workers): $60,280 median pay
- [Child, Family, and School Social Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/child-family-and-school-social-workers): $59,550 median pay
- [Rehabilitation Counselors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/rehabilitation-counselors): $46,850 median pay
- [Healthcare Social Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/healthcare-social-workers): $67,880 median pay
- [Mental Health Counselors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mental-health-counselors): $59,350 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.