Community Health Workers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 21-1094 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$51,854
$24.93/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Community Health Workers is $51,854 per year ($24.93/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $45,635 and $62,546 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $77,189 per year. There are approximately 61,660 community health workers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Promote health within a community by assisting individuals to adopt healthy behaviors. Serve as an advocate for the health needs of individuals by assisting community residents in effectively communicating with healthcare providers or social service agencies. Act as liaison or advocate and implement programs that promote, maintain, and improve individual and overall community health. May deliver health-related preventive services such as blood pressure, glaucoma, and hearing screenings. May collect data to help identify community health needs.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+11.3%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
8K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
65K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
9% from new growth91% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
12K
$56,390
Individual and Family Services
NAICS 624100
10K
$51,130
Outpatient Care Centers
NAICS 621400
7K
$48,910
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
6K
$58,080
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
5K
$48,170
Wage range across top 5 industries: $48,170 to $58,080 (21% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$18.66
$38,813
P25
$21.94
$45,635
P50MEDIAN
$24.93
$51,854
P75
$30.07
$62,546
P90
$37.11
$77,189
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average community health workers salary?
The national median salary for Community Health Workers is $51,854 per year ($24.93/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $45,635 and $62,546 annually.
How much do top-earning community health workers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Community Health Workers is $77,189 per year ($37.11/hr). The 75th percentile is $62,546 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for community health workers?
Entry-level Community Health Workers (10th percentile) earn approximately $38,813 per year ($18.66/hr). The 25th percentile is $45,635 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
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