HW Career Opportunities

Here at the College of Nursing, we encourage you to dream about how you can improve the quality of healthcare and make a difference in the health and well-being of people. If you aspire to make a difference in people’s lives, a health and wellness degree might be the right fit for you.

Those who receive a Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellness (HW) degree will be prepared to support the health and wellness of people across the lifespan, in all states of health, as a health promotion professional. You will apply evidence-based practices, understand health behavior, and learn how to integrate social determinants of health to support changes that reduce health inequities.  

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the job market for health promotion is projected to experience above average growth of 16 percent by 2026. There are a variety of career paths to take with a health and wellness degree that you will be prepared for upon graduation. Whether it’s providing one-on-one services or implementing health promotion programs in communities, you will educate and inspire others to ultimately make a positive impact on their lives. Below are a few career opportunities that you can pursue:

Health and Wellness Coach

Annual Salary:

• Entry level $35K-45K
• Mid-level $45K-55K
• Seasoned professional $55K-70K
• Average pay nationally $45K

Minimum Degree Required: Associate’s degree, Bachelor’s degree preferred and Health and Wellness Coaching Certification

As a Health and Wellness Coach, you would be responsible for providing face-to-face coaching services to clients with complex, chronic or multiple medical conditions. The required skill set includes an ability to assess client needs, establish rapport with varied clients, motivational interviewing skills, identification of measurable behavior change and a clear understanding of community support resources.

A coach’s objective is to effectively asses a client’s readiness for change and address multiple goals. Then, the aim is to navigate resources and develop a stable support system for the individual to help them achieve success. Recognition and understanding of individual strengths and limitations, emotional intelligence and provision of a nonjudgmental environment are essential.

Worksite Wellness Coordinator

Annual Salary:

• Entry level $35K-42K
• Mid-level $42K-55K
• Seasoned professional $55K-80K

Minimum Degree Required: Bachelor’s degree

Worksite Wellness Coordinators collaborate with key stakeholders to ensure effective programming is available to employees. If you are passionate about developing and implementing wellness and health promotion programs, this career is for you. You will have the opportunity to provide wellness consulting support, educate, inform and provide resources to foster the well-being of others.

Population Health Engagement Specialist

Annual Salary:

• Entry level $35K-40K
• Mid-level $40K-55K
• Seasoned professional $55K-70K
• Average pay nationally $43K

Minimum Degree Required: Bachelor’s degree

Population Health Engagement Specialists plan, develop, implement and evaluate public health programs. This career path is heavily collaborative; you will conduct community outreach partnerships in order to plan community-based programs and oversee program management. Since you will serve as the source of information for community engagement and encourage civic participation, it is important that you are reliable and enthusiastic in this role.

Prevention Specialist

Annual Salary:

• Entry level $35K-40K
• Mid-level $40K-55K
• Seasoned professional $55K-70K
• Average pay nationally $44K

Minimum Degree Required: Bachelor’s degree

Another career path to consider is working as a Prevention Specialist. Your main objective would be to facilitate prevention and education services in different settings like community sites, schools, social services or youth centers. You will participate in program development and collaborate with partners to maintain a communication network of consumer education sites. This involves active participation in program promotion through community events and professional networking.

Health Data Coordinator

Annual Salary:

• Entry level $40K-50K
• Mid-level $50K-75K
• Seasoned professional $75K-88K

Minimum Degree Required: Bachelor’s degree

If you want to provide support to healthcare and quality improvement, then a Health Data Coordinator role is a good fit for you. You will serve as part of a Health Informatics team and work together to support health information exchange, total medical expense data collection, and data analytics and reporting. This role involves the coordination with healthcare policy, outreach and enrollment, public affairs, member services and leadership of data coordination services. Communication skills are essential for the presentation of webinars, reports and information sharing.

Also, in addition to these careers in the healthcare field, the HW major can prepare you for graduate school in many different disciplines.

At the center of HW is innovation, because we believe that innovation holds the key to better healthcare and well-being for all. If you are ready to take the next step in pursuing a HW degree, please reach out to us at nursing@osu.edu.