Health Education Specialists Salary
In Virginia, health education specialists earn $64,040 at the median, or about $30.79 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $138K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $67,560 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 39.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $64K get you in Virginia?
About health education specialists
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What this looks like in Virginia
Health education specialists pay in Virginia tracks closely to the national median, $64K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 0% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 39.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level health education specialists (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $138K or more, a $95K spread from bottom to top.
Health Education Specialists salary by metro in Virginia
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $68K | +7% | 150 |
| Harrisonburg | $62K | -4% | 60 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $52K | -19% | 180 |
Compare to other states
Track health education specialists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a health education specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 39.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/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 Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new health education specialists typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,558/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 Virginia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $64K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for health education specialists?
Virginia pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do health education specialists make in Virginia?
The median is $64,040 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,640, and experienced health education specialists can clear $137,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,189/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 39.3% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $67,560 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.