Health Education Specialist Jobs in Chicago, IL: Pay and Who's Hiring

In Chicago, the May 2025 median for health education specialists is about $60.1K, 6% under the U.S. median. The middle half runs from $48.6K to $77.1K.

Pay

The median is the middle of health education specialists already employed, not a starting wage. The 25th is the lower quarter of that group. The 75th is what the upper quarter already earns.

Percentile	Metro	IL	U.S.
25th	$48,590	$49,670	$50,620
Median	$60,120	$60,120	$64,070
75th	$77,100	$77,100	$87,130

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Hiring difficulty and demand

Hiring difficulty

7.2

Metro employment

690

National growth, 2025 to 2035

Unpublished

National openings a year

Unpublished

This is the same score as the free check.

License and training

States do not license health educators. Many employers prefer the CHES or MCHES credential from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. Read the posting for the credential the funder expects.

Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, health education specialists

The work

You plan a class or a campaign, deliver it, and gather the numbers that show whether it worked. Some days are presentations. Others are reports and data.

Some of them also lead community health workers or volunteers. You also write the grant report that keeps the program open.

Nearby metros

South Bend, IN · 74 miles
Milwaukee, WI · 86 miles
Elkhart, IN · 89 miles
Lafayette, IN · 108 miles

Related roles

One manager hiring: Hire a Health Education Specialist in Chicago.

Health Education Specialists hiring pages

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Questions

Do I need a license to be a health educator in Illinois?

No state license is required. Employers in Chicago may still prefer CHES.

What should an employer in Chicago weigh when hiring a health educator?

Ask about program results and grant reporting. Chicago has about a third as many of these workers as a typical metro. This metro is within 3 percent of the Illinois median.