Community Health Worker Salary: Your 2025 Guide

Community health workers (CHWs) are responsible for understanding the specific ethnic, cultural, and environmental health needs of the communities they work with. They communicate those needs to health care systems, social services, and public health officials. They are health professionals who understand the basics of health and are also respected and trusted individuals in their community. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that there will be 7,500 new job openings for CHWs each year for the next decade [1].

Learn more about what a community health worker does, what it takes to become one, and factors that may affect your salary.

What is a community health worker?

As a CHW, you would be vital in working between health systems and those who receive health care. In this role, you'll perform various tasks, including:

• Providing health education to community members

• Collecting data on community health necessities

• Advocating for community and individual health needs

• Removing barriers to health access

• Conducting outreach programs

Who do community health workers work for?

CHWs work for insurance companies, individuals and families, outpatient care, and hospitals. You might also work for a clinic, a state or local government agency, a nursing care facility, a nonprofit organization, a faith-based group, or a community-based group.

How to become a community health worker

You can become a community health worker in a variety of ways, depending on where you intend to work. For example, the only requirement for some employers may be having a high school diploma. Others, such as public health organizations, may require a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

You might also obtain a CHW certification through a state program or an institution like a university or community college. These exams may vary from state to state. However, expect to answer questions on the following topics:

• Health knowledge

• Job functions

• Jurisdictions

• Conflict resolution skills

• Human skills

• How to best advocate for individual health needs

• Health education

How much does a community health worker make?

CHWs make a median annual salary of $48,200 in the United States, according to the BLS [2]. These health care professionals work full-time and may work abnormal hours, like nights and weekends, based on community needs. Explore five annual base salary ranges for a community health worker from various salary websites [ 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].

*All salary data current as of January 2025

Factors that impact a community health worker salary

Various factors can affect how much you may make as a CHW, including where you work and your education. Take a closer look at each factor to see how it directly affects community health worker earnings. 

Education

Education can dictate the type of responsibilities you have as a CHW. The more knowledge you have on health issues, technical terms, illnesses, and interpersonal skills, the more valuable you can be as a CHW in your community. According to Zippia, 60 percent of CHWs have a bachelor’s degree, and 16 percent hold an associate degree. Another 12 percent have a master’s [4].

Community health worker education may help you grow in the health care field. You could progress to become a health education specialist overseeing the programs and personnel who implement health initiatives. According to BLS, a health education specialist's median average annual salary is $62,860 as of May 2023 [7].

Here’s a look at how education might affect your community health worker earnings [4]: 

• High school diploma: $33,053

• Associate degree: $33,756

• Bachelor’s degree: $37,557

• Master’s degree: $42,300

Experience

Experience also affects the salary of community health workers. Discover the annual base pay at six ranges of experience, reported by Glassdoor as of November 2024 [6]:

This data shows CHWs who have worked for 10 years can expect to make over $5,000 more annually than entry-level community health workers. 

Location

Location affects community health worker salaries and varies from state to state or city to city. Employment opportunities also vary based on location. According to the BLS, the states with the highest employment of CHWs are California, New York, Texas, Maryland, and Massachusetts.

Review the mean annual wages for those five states, according to BLS [8]:

• California: $57,860 

• New York: $58,020 

• Texas: $44,990 

• Maryland: $53,060 

• Massachusetts: $55,090 

Highest-paying states for community health workers

However, other states pay more than others, such as when the concentration of community health workers is higher. Take a look at the highest-paying mean salaries for community health workers by state, based on data gathered by the BLS [8]:

• District of Columbia: $65,510

• New Mexico: $63,900

• Rhode Island: $63,660

• Nevada: $63,220

• Connecticut: $60,990

Highest-paying cities for community health workers

Your salary can also vary by the city you choose to work in. Explore the highest mean salaries for community health workers by metropolitan area, according to Indeed [8]:

• Napa, CA: $81,380

• Carson City, NV: $70,570

• San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA: $69,030

• San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: $68,650

• New Haven, CT: $68,650

If you’d rather live in a more rural area, here are the top-paying nonmetropolitan areas for community health workers [8]:

• Oregon coast: $59,670

• Alaska nonmetropolitan area: $56,400

• South Central Wisconsin: $56,060

Industry

Community health workers work in various industries, including government, individuals and families, religious or community organizations, outpatient care, and hospitals run by state or local governments or private organizations. View the annual salaries for CHWs below, looking at the industries with the highest level of employment in the US, according to the BLS [8]. 

• Local government (non-school or hospital): $54,550

• Individual and family services: $47,200 

• General medical and surgical hospitals: $59,130 

• Outpatient care centers: $48,040 

• Offices of physicians: $48,080 

Similarly, explore the industries with the highest-paying CHW yearly salaries in general [9]:

• Scientific research and development services: $76,140  

• Home health care services: $66,100  

• Grantmaking and giving services: $65,040

• Insurance carriers: $64,790

• Specialty hospitals: $63,760

Related job titles

Since CHWs work at the intersections between social work, patient advocacy, health care systems, and community, many other jobs have similar functions. Discover some job titles for community health workers and their average annual salaries. 

*All salaries are annual base averages from Glassdoor as of January 2025. 

• Outreach worker: $43,064 

• Mental health technician: $46,180 

• Public health nurse: $90,844  

• Social worker: $58,148 

• Patient advocate: $45,101 

Job outlook

CHWs are in-demand positions, and the field is expected to grow 13 percent between 2023 and 2033, according to BLS [1]. BLS anticipates many job openings for community health workers in the next decade, primarily due to preventive disease-spreading measures and replacing retired workers.  

Getting started as a community health worker with Coursera

Community health workers are essential to ensure preventative care, health, and wellness of individuals and communities. Based on salary data, it’s evident that the salaries of community health workers fluctuate based on education, experience, state, city, and the industry you work in. 

If you are a community health worker looking to upskill in your profession, degrees and certificates in health care and social work may help you. For example, check out the Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners Specialization on Coursera. This program covers US social services for families, housing, education, and more. Upon completion, gain a shareable Professional Certificate to include in your resume, CV, or LinkedIn profile.