Health Education Specialists Salary
In California, health education specialists earn $63,610 at the median, or about $30.58 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $113K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $59,930 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 59.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $64K get you in California?
About health education specialists
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What this looks like in California
Health education specialists pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $64K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 58.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level health education specialists (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $113K or more, a $64K spread from bottom to top.
Health Education Specialists salary by metro in California
21 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $99K | +56% | 1,850 |
| Vallejo | $82K | +28% | 130 |
| Merced | $80K | +25% | 40 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $79K | +24% | 80 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $76K | +19% | 610 |
| Redding | $70K | +9% | 60 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $65K | +3% | 150 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $65K | +2% | 110 |
| Salinas | $63K | -1% | 130 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $63K | -2% | 1,020 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $63K | -2% | 1,080 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $62K | -2% | 120 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $62K | -2% | 4,320 |
| Visalia | $62K | -2% | 110 |
| Modesto | $62K | -3% | 160 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $62K | -3% | 260 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $61K | -3% | 140 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $61K | -4% | 700 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $59K | -7% | 210 |
| Chico | $59K | -7% | 210 |
| Fresno | $59K | -7% | 430 |
Showing 1–10 of 21 metros
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Track health education specialists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a health education specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 58.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for health education specialists in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new health education specialists typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,941/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 84% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is health education specialist a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $64K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for health education specialists?
California pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — below the national median.
How much do health education specialists make in California?
The median is $63,610 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,020, and experienced health education specialists can clear $113,170. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,246/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 58.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a health education specialists salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median health education specialists salary is worth about $59,930 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do health education specialists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.