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Community health worker

Also called community carer, community support worker, community first responder

Community health workers provide advice and information about various health subjects to the community. They can assist with pre- and post-natal care, give nutritional advice and help individuals stop smoking. Community health workers develop health and prevention programmes.

Will there be jobs?Yes, good prospects41 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Health associate professionalsWhat does it pay?About averageFrom about €1,500 (Bulgaria) to €8,200 (Luxembourg) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Health associate professionalsWhat do I need to study?Usually post-secondary or a short degree4 in 10 have a degree. 3 in 10 train through vocational routes.Health associate professionalsWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Community health workers · ILO

What you'd do

Community health workers · ILO
  • Providing information to families and communities on a range of health issues including nutrition, hygiene, infant and child care, immunizations, family planning, risk factors and prevention of common infectious diseases, poisoning prevention, first aid for treatment of simple and common ailments, substance abuse, domestic violence, and other topics
  • Visiting families in their homes to provide information on the health, social and other services available and support them in gaining access to these services
  • Visiting families who do not usually access medical establishments to monitor on a regular basis certain conditions, such as progress with pregnancy, child growth and development, and environmental sanitation
  • Distributing to households medical supplies for the prevention and treatment of endemic diseases such as malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoeal diseases, and instructing family and community members in the use of these products
  • Conducting outreach efforts to groups who do not usually access medical establishments with information and basic medical supplies for prevention and management of certain health conditions for which they are most at risk, such as HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases
  • Collecting data from households and communities who do not usually access medical establishments for purposes of patient monitoring and referral and reporting to meet health regulations
Build community relationsApply decision making within social workReview social service planApply knowledge of human behaviourProvide social counselling+ 7 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • A mix of sitting and standing
  • Constant contact with people, including the public
  • Some freedom to decide
  • Usually 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Community Health Workers"

Will there be jobs?

Yes, good prospects

Many jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as health associate professionals in the EU
6.04m6.64m7.71m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
921,000 new jobs 1,847,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Health associate professionals41
All jobs29
Right now
2 of 27 countries report a shortage of community health workers, 0 a surplus.
Community health workers · EURES

What does it pay?

About average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,500 a month (Bulgaria) to €8,200 (Luxembourg), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among technicians and associate professionals in the EU, women earn 16% less per hour than men. Technicians and associate professionals · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Usually post-secondary or a short degree

Post-secondary training or a short degree in nursing and midwifery is the usual route.

Highest qualification of health associate professionals (EU, 2025)
Degree 37%Vocational 49%General secondary 6%Basic schooling 8%
Fields that teach it
Nursing and midwifery · Education science
Vocational route, EU
3 in 10 trainees in this field
Health and welfare graduates in a matching job
81% in the EU

946 institutions in the EU offer health and welfare bachelor's degrees. Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.22 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 6 tasks
Providing information to families and communities on a range of health issues including nutrition, hygiene, infant and child care, immunizations, family planning, risk factors and prevention of common infectious diseases, poisoning prevention, first aid for treatment of simple and common ailments, substance abuse, domestic violence, and other topics0.31
Visiting families in their homes to provide information on the health, social and other services available and support them in gaining access to these services0.30
Collecting data from households and communities who do not usually access medical establishments for purposes of patient monitoring and referral and reporting to meet health regulations0.25
Conducting outreach efforts to groups who do not usually access medical establishments with information and basic medical supplies for prevention and management of certain health conditions for which they are most at risk, such as HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases0.22
Distributing to households medical supplies for the prevention and treatment of endemic diseases such as malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoeal diseases, and instructing family and community members in the use of these products0.14
Visiting families who do not usually access medical establishments to monitor on a regular basis certain conditions, such as progress with pregnancy, child growth and development, and environmental sanitation0.13

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for community health workers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).