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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.

Cognitive and mental requirements

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

Table 1. Percentage of community health workers with cognitive and mental requirements, 2024
Requirement	Yes	No
Adaptability: Work schedule variability	25.8	74.2
Pace: Pause control	84.3	15.7
Working around crowds	<0.5	>99.5
Work review: Supervising others	6.3	93.7
Work review: Presence of supervisor	29.9	70.1
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.

In 2024, prior work experience was required for 82.6 percent of community health workers and on-the-job training was required for 83.4 percent.

A bachelor's degree was required for less than 50 percent of community health workers.

Environmental conditions

The various tangible or concrete hazards or difficulties that are in the vicinity of where jobs’ critical tasks are performed.

In 2024, a moderate noise exposure was present for 70.8 percent of community health workers. Another 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

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

In 2024, reaching at or below the shoulder was required for 28.4 percent of community health workers and was not required for 71.6 percent. For 12.3 percent of workers, reaching at or below the shoulder was occasionally performed, less than 0.5 percent frequently, and for less than 0.5 percent reaching at or below the shoulder occurred constantly.

Performing work in low postures was required for 7.3 percent of community health workers and was not required for 92.7 percent.

The choice to sit or stand when performing critical tasks was available to 65.6 percent of community health workers. On average, workers spent 68.3 percent of the workday sitting and 31.7 percent of the workday standing.

Table 2. Percentage of community health workers with physical demands, 2024
Requirement	Yes	No
Choice of sitting or standing	65.6	34.4
Driving	64.5	35.5
Climbing structure-related ramps or stairs	52.9	47.1
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey