Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$42,990
- 25th Percentile — Junior$50,620
- 50th Percentile — Median$64,070
- 75th Percentile — Senior$87,130
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$118,200
The top 10% of Health Education Specialists earn $118,200 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $42,990, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $109,310 | +49.2% |
| Maryland | $106,630 | +45.5% |
| Georgia | $102,140 | +39.4% |
| New Jersey | $84,800 | +15.7% |
| Oregon | $81,440 | +11.1% |
| Pennsylvania | $81,320 | +11.0% |
| Minnesota | $78,300 | +6.9% |
| Connecticut | $78,200 | +6.7% |
| Colorado | $77,470 | +5.7% |
| Washington | $77,130 | +5.3% |
| Rhode Island | $76,910 | +5.0% |
| Virginia | $75,640 | +3.2% |
| California | $74,720 | +2.0% |
| New Hampshire | $74,400 | +1.5% |
| Alaska | $74,250 | +1.3% |
| Wisconsin | $73,630 | +0.5% |
| Vermont | $73,150 | -0.2% |
| Arizona | $73,040 | -0.3% |
| Iowa | $71,880 | -1.9% |
| West Virginia | $70,710 | -3.5% |
| Massachusetts | $70,370 | -4.0% |
| South Carolina | $70,140 | -4.3% |
| Texas | $69,630 | -5.0% |
| Utah | $69,310 | -5.4% |
| Nevada | $68,980 | -5.9% |
| Wyoming | $68,820 | -6.1% |
| Illinois | $68,730 | -6.2% |
| Kentucky | $68,360 | -6.7% |
| Ohio | $67,440 | -8.0% |
| Oklahoma | $67,330 | -8.1% |
| New York | $67,030 | -8.5% |
| Delaware | $66,520 | -9.2% |
| Hawaii | $65,700 | -10.3% |
| North Carolina | $65,570 | -10.5% |
| Kansas | $65,520 | -10.6% |
| Alabama | $65,140 | -11.1% |
| Missouri | $64,700 | -11.7% |
| Arkansas | $64,600 | -11.8% |
| Idaho | $64,280 | -12.3% |
| Tennessee | $63,980 | -12.7% |
| Indiana | $62,930 | -14.1% |
| North Dakota | $62,870 | -14.2% |
| New Mexico | $62,290 | -15.0% |
| Louisiana | $62,160 | -15.2% |
| South Dakota | $62,030 | -15.4% |
| Maine | $61,860 | -15.6% |
| Michigan | $59,660 | -18.6% |
| Nebraska | $59,540 | -18.8% |
| Mississippi | $55,600 | -24.1% |
| Montana | $54,500 | -25.6% |
| Florida | $53,530 | -27.0% |
What Factors Affect Health Education Specialists Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Health Education Specialists is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: District of Columbia pays an average of $109,310, while Florida pays $53,530 — a gap of $55,780 per year.
The middle half of Health Education Specialists earn between $50,620 and $87,130 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $42,990, while the top 10% earn more than $118,200.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Child Family and School Social Workers $64,000/yr United States 12.7% vs this role
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers $68,030/yr United States 7.2% vs this role
- Social and Human Service Assistants $47,690/yr United States 34.9% vs this role
- Community Health Workers $56,180/yr United States 23.3% vs this role
- Educational Guidance and Career Counselors $71,430/yr United States 2.5% vs this role
- Marriage and Family Therapists $76,960/yr United States +5.0% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +38.4% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +87.4% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Health Education Specialists?
The average salary for Health Education Specialists in the United States is $73,280 per year, with a median of $64,070.
What is the starting salary for Health Education Specialists?
Entry-level Health Education Specialists typically earn between $42,990 and $50,620 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Health Education Specialists the most?
District of Columbia pays Health Education Specialists the most at $109,310 per year on average, followed by Maryland ($106,630) and Georgia ($102,140).
How much do Health Education Specialists make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $73,280, Health Education Specialists earn approximately $35.23 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Health Education Specialists a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 65,690 Health Education Specialists jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $73,280 and a median of $64,070 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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