Compensation Of Certified Health Education Specialists

Health education moved toward professionalization with the establishment, in 1988, of the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. Today, there are approximately 8,000 active holders of the CHES credential. This article examines the compensation levels of CHES recipients in relation to their current position, employment setting and academic preparation. All current CHES-credentialed individuals listed in the directory were asked to complete an Internet-based survey about their compensation. A total of 1,377 usable surveys were completed for a response rate of 20%. The mean salary of all respondents was $49,895. Full time supervisors had the highest mean salary of $56,663. Annual salary was influenced by level of employment (full time, part-time), supervisory role, sex and highest degree earned. A baseline now exists for monitoring compensation of CHES professionals over time. In the future, both CHES and non-CHES individuals should be sought to determine whether certification status influences compensation.