Occupation · SOC 21-1094.00
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.
Also called: Community Health Outreach Worker · Community Health Program Coordinator · Community Health Promoter · Community Nutrition Educator · Apprise Counselor · Community Health Program Representative (Community Health Program Rep) · Community Health Worker (CHW) · HIV CTS Specialist (Human Immunodeficiency Virus Counseling and Testing Services Specialist) · Behavioral Health Advocate · Behavioral Health Worker (BHW) · Benefits Outreach Specialist · Community Development Coordinator
Job family: Community and Social Service Occupations
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-21-1094-00/context.md directly.
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Task areas where a human was still judged necessary in a large share of observed conversations — not a safety ruling, an observed-need signal.
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
60th-percentile task overlap — yet about 7,800 openings a year (+11.3% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Moderate | 48th | 0.0 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Moderate | 47th | 0.6 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) High | 87th | 0.3 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.1), with simple added tooling (β 0.3), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.6). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Report incidences of child or elder abuse, neglect, or threats of harm to authorities, as required. | 0.4% | |
| Advise clients or community groups on issues related to improving general health, such as diet or exercise. | 0.3% | |
| Provide feedback to health service providers regarding improving service accessibility or acceptability. | 0.3% | |
| Interpret, translate, or provide cultural mediation related to health services or information for community members. | 0.3% |
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Growing fast · +11.3% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 7,800 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 65,100 → 72,500 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Community Health Workers · 3253 | 22% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
How people actually apply AI to this occupation's tasks, from Claude.ai (Free and Pro) conversations in the Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15. This is one AI assistant's consumer sample — not all AI, not the whole workforce. Autonomy and the collaboration mix are model-rated estimates; figures below the sample floor are hidden.
| Typical AI autonomy | 3.0 / 5 · higher = AI acts more independently |
The role's most common tasks in AI conversations, each tagged with how people work with the AI on it. “Usage” is the share of observed conversations, not of the job.
| Task | How | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Monitor nutrition of children, elderly, or other high-risk groups. | — | 0.3% |
Tasks where the model most often judged that a person remained necessary — a useful read on the current boundary, not a guarantee.
| Monitor nutrition of children, elderly, or other high-risk groups. | 96.9% |
Example prompts phrased from the tasks people most often delegate to AI in this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index). Each shows the underlying measured task and its share of observed AI use. They are suggested phrasings of real tasks — starting points, not endorsed instructions.
Help me monitor nutrition of children, elderly, or other high-risk groups. From: Monitor nutrition of children, elderly, or other high-risk groups. · 0.3% of measured AI use
All 29 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.5 | |
| English Language | 4.0 | |
| Education and Training | 3.8 | |
| Administration and Management | 3.7 | |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 3.6 | |
| Psychology | 3.6 | |
| Administrative | 3.4 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.3 | |
| Oral Expression | 4.1 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Written Expression | 3.8 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.8 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.8 | |
| Speech Clarity | 3.8 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.6 | |
| Near Vision | 3.6 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.5 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.3 | |
| Category Flexibility | 3.3 | |
| Originality | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.1 | |
| Speaking | 4.1 | |
| Writing | 4.0 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 | |
| Active Learning | 3.6 | |
| Learning Strategies | 3.4 | |
| Monitoring | 3.4 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.1 | |
| Service Orientation | 3.9 | |
| Coordination | 3.6 | |
| Persuasion | 3.5 | |
| Instructing | 3.5 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.5 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.4 | |
| Systems Analysis | 3.4 | |
| Time Management | 3.4 | |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.3 | |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.1 | |
| Negotiation | 3.0 |
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
| Example | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | Hot technology In demand |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | Hot technology In demand |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | Hot technology In demand |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | Hot technology In demand |
| Apple macOS | Operating system software | Hot technology |
| Google Workspace software | Office suite software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft Access | Data base user interface and query software | Hot technology |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Presentation software | Hot technology |
| Zoom | Video conferencing software | Hot technology |
| Client databases | Data base user interface and query software | |
| Electronic health record EHR software | Medical software | |
| Microsoft Publisher | Desktop publishing software | |
| SmugMug Flickr | Graphics or photo imaging software | |
| Web browser software | Internet browser software |
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
What to study: Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs , Health Professions and Related Programs . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 22.7% | |
| Master's Degree | 15.3% | |
| High School Diploma | 7.5% | |
| Some College Courses | 2.6% |
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
| Dependability | 7.0 | |
| Integrity | 6.0 | |
| Cooperation | 5.0 | |
| Social Orientation | 4.0 | |
| Empathy | 3.0 |
| Social Service | 6.7 | |
| Public Speaking | 5.0 | |
| Health Care Service | 4.9 | |
| Teaching/Education | 4.6 | |
| Professional Advising | 4.5 | |
| Personal Service | 4.0 | |
| Social Science | 3.7 |
| Social | 6.6 | |
| Enterprising | 3.5 | |
| Investigative | 3.5 | |
| Conventional | 3.4 |
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $37,930 |
| 25th percentile | $44,370 |
| Median (50th) | $51,030 |
| 75th percentile | $63,150 |
| 90th percentile | $78,560 |
| People employed | 60,730 |
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance · Sector | 34,810 | $49,550 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) · Sector | 4,180 | $50,220 |
| Educational Services · Sector | 2,380 | $46,000 |
| Finance and Insurance · Sector | 2,360 | $60,300 |
| Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers · National industry | 2,220 | $47,010 |
| Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers · National industry | 2,200 | $60,760 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 1,750 | $51,190 |
| Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities · National industry | 1,510 | $50,900 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 1,110 | $55,710 |
| Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities · National industry | 940 | $45,460 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 840 | $68,490 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 560 | $57,690 |
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers · National industry | 18.2× | 2,220 |
| Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers · National industry | 12.44× | 2,200 |
| Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities · National industry | 9.23× | 940 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance · Sector | 3.83× | 34,810 |
| Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) · National industry | 3.46× | 330 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities · National industry | 2.48× | 380 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) · Sector | 2.4× | 4,180 |
| Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities · National industry | 1.59× | 1,510 |
Part of the Healthcare & Human Services and Public Service & Safety career clusters.
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
Options the data surfaces for Community Health Workers — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
How people typically prepare for this work.
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 41st percentile of 427 international occupations.
Community Health Workers show 60th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 7,800 annual U.S. openings
Community Health Workers show 60th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 7,800 annual U.S. openings • Community Health Workers rank in the 60th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 7,800 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be growing fast (+11.3%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $51,030, across about 60,730 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Community Health Workers". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-21-1094-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Singulariki. "Community Health Workers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-21-1094-00
Singulariki. (2026). Community Health Workers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-21-1094-00
@misc{singulariki-role-21-1094-00,
title = {Community Health Workers},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-21-1094-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.