Community Health Worker job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

14

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$51,850

BLS May 2025

1. Report incidences of child or elder abuse, neglect, or threats of harm to authorities, as required. importance 4.3 of 5
2. Monitor nutrition of children, elderly, or other high-risk groups. importance 4.2 of 5
3. Maintain updated client records with plans, notes, appropriate forms, or related information. importance 4.2 of 5
4. Contact clients in person, by phone, or in writing to ensure they have completed required or recommended actions. importance 4.0 of 5
5. Advise clients or community groups on issues related to self-care, such as diabetes management. importance 3.8 of 5
6. Refer community members to needed health services. importance 3.8 of 5
7. Advise clients or community groups on issues related to improving general health, such as diet or exercise. importance 3.8 of 5
8. Develop plans or formal contracts for individuals, families, or community groups to improve overall health. importance 3.7 of 5
9. Advocate for individual or community health needs with government agencies or health service providers. importance 3.6 of 5
10. Identify the particular health care needs of individuals in a community or target area. importance 3.5 of 5
11. Advise clients or community groups on issues related to risk or prevention of conditions, such as lead poisoning, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), prenatal substance abuse, or domestic violence. importance 3.4 of 5
12. Attend community meetings or health fairs to understand community issues or build relationships with community members. importance 3.3 of 5
13. Provide feedback to health service providers regarding improving service accessibility or acceptability. importance 3.2 of 5
14. Distribute flyers, brochures, or other informational or educational documents to inform members of a targeted community. importance 3.1 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Making Decisions and Solving Problems and Working with Computers.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Perform basic diagnostic procedures, such as blood pressure screening, breast cancer screening, or communicable disease screening.
• Identify or contact members of high-risk or otherwise targeted groups, such as members of minority populations, low-income populations, or pregnant women.
• Advise clients or community groups on issues related to sanitation or hygiene, such as flossing or hand washing.
• Advise clients or community groups on issues related to diagnostic screenings, such as breast cancer screening, pap smears, glaucoma tests, or diabetes screenings.
• Advise clients or community groups on issues related to social or intellectual development, such as education, childcare, or problem solving.
• Conduct home visits for pregnant women, newborn infants, or other high-risk individuals to monitor their progress or assess their needs.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Medicine and Dentistry, Psychology and Therapy and Counseling.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Apple macOS, Google Workspace software. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a community health worker.

Most community health workers surveyed by O*NET (56%) name a bachelor's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Community Health Worker
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Community Health Worker to promote health within a community by assisting individuals to adopt healthy behaviors.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Report incidences of child or elder abuse, neglect, or threats of harm to authorities, as required.
- Monitor nutrition of children, elderly, or other high-risk groups.
- Maintain updated client records with plans, notes, appropriate forms, or related information.
- Contact clients in person, by phone, or in writing to ensure they have completed required or recommended actions.
- Advise clients or community groups on issues related to self-care, such as diabetes management.
- Refer community members to needed health services.
- Advise clients or community groups on issues related to improving general health, such as diet or exercise.
- Develop plans or formal contracts for individuals, families, or community groups to improve overall health.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in social perceptiveness, active listening and speaking
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $51,850 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $24.93. BLS estimates about 61,660 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of community health workers to grow 12.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,000 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full community health worker salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real community health worker posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Report incidences of child or elder abuse, neglect, or threats of…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only community health worker work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (social perceptiveness and active listening); community health worker interview questions turns them into practice questions.