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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Occupational Requirements Survey > Publications > Factsheets

Community health workers

Medical professional performing ear exam on a child. 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.

For terms and definitions in this profile, see definitions of major terms.

Cognitive and mental requirements

The qualifications that workers need to use judgment, make decisions, interact with others, and adapt to changes in jobs.

In 2025, external verbal interactions were required constantly (every few minutes) for 45.7 percent of community health workers. External verbal interactions were required more than once per hour (but not constantly) for 36.1 percent.

Table 1. Percentage of community health workers with cognitive and mental requirements, 2025
Requirement	Yes	No
Work schedule varies	46.5	53.5
Ability to pause work (and take brief unscheduled breaks)	88.8	11.2
Working around crowds	<0.5	>99.5
Telework routinely allowed	45.9	54.1
Supervising others	6.1	93.9
Supervisor present in immediate work area	38.8	61.2
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey

Education, training, and experience requirements

The minimum level of formal education required, credentials necessary, on-the-job training, and prior work experience necessary for average performance in jobs. The time associated with these requirements is combined to calculate the specific vocational preparation level needed for the job.

In 2025, prior work experience was required for 73.2 percent of community health workers and on-the-job training was required for 86.1 percent.

A high school diploma was required for 52.4 percent of community health workers.

Environmental conditions

The various hazards or difficulties that are in the area where workers perform their critical tasks.

In 2025, a quiet noise exposure was present for 22.9 percent of community health workers. Another 77.1 percent were exposed to moderate noise, less than 0.5 percent were exposed to loud noise, and less than 0.5 percent to very loud noise. Personal protective equipment (PPE) was used by less than 0.5 percent of workers to mitigate noise exposure and was not used by greater than 99.5 percent.

Physical demands

The physical activities required to perform tasks in jobs. The presence and, in some cases, duration of these activities are published.

In 2025, speaking was required for greater than 99.5 percent of community health workers and was not required for less than 0.5 percent. For less than 0.5 percent of workers, speaking was seldom required, for 20.3 percent speaking was occasionally required, for 79.7 percent speaking was frequently required, and for less than 0.5 percent speaking was required constantly.

Performing work in low postures was required for 23.0 percent of community health workers and was not required for 77.0 percent.

The choice to sit or stand when performing critical tasks was available to 52.5 percent of community health workers. On average, workers spent 71.5 percent of the workday sitting and 28.5 percent of the workday standing.

Table 2. Percentage of community health workers with physical demands, 2025
Requirement	Yes	No
Ability to choose to sit or stand for tasks	52.5	47.5
Driving	72.4	27.6
Climbing structure-related ramps or stairs	36.9	63.1
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey