Health Education Specialists Salary
In New York, health education specialists earn $62,560 at the median, or about $30.08 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $96K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.21), that's roughly $63,700 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,917/month, about 46.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New York. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $63K get you in New York?
About health education specialists
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What this looks like in New York
Health education specialists pay in New York tracks closely to the national median, $63K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,917/month, which is 46.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.21) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York
Entry-level health education specialists (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $96K or more, a $51K spread from bottom to top.
Health Education Specialists salary by metro in New York
10 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $69K | +10% | 330 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $68K | +9% | 120 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $64K | +2% | 3,380 |
| Ithaca | $60K | -3% | 40 |
| Syracuse | $59K | -5% | 120 |
| Rochester | $59K | -6% | 280 |
| Utica-Rome | $53K | -16% | 50 |
| Kingston | $52K | -17% | 30 |
| Binghamton | $51K | -19% | 40 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $50K | -21% | 160 |
Compare to other states
Track health education specialists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when New York numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a health education specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 46.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,917/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 New York?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new health education specialists typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,690/month. At HUD’s $1,917/month FMR, rent would take 71% 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 New York?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $63K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does New York compare to the national average for health education specialists?
New York pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — below the national median.
How much do health education specialists make in New York?
The median is $62,560 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,830, and experienced health education specialists can clear $95,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in New York?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,122/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,917/month, which eats 46.5% 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 New York?
New York has a Regional Price Parity of 98.21 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median health education specialists salary is worth about $63,700 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.