Health Professions Education graduates earn $87,441 four years out. Related careers are growing at up to 24.2%, one of the stronger demand signals across all fields. Medical & Health Services Manager is among the highest-growth roles in the field.
This page covers Health Professions Education as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Health and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Health Professions Education is a focused area of study within Health. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $87,441 four years out, a strong return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 338 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 5,056 students complete it each year, most walking away with a master's. Training is clinical and hands-on, often leading to licensure or certification.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$106,754
Median Earnings · 4yr
$87,441
Colleges Offering
338
Graduates / Year
5,056
Avg Net Price / yr
$22,713
How Much Do Health Professions Education Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Health Professions Education, a typical graduate earns $87,441, well above average for college graduates. Half of earners land somewhere between $57,252 and $130,237, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Source: College Scorecard.
Earnings in this field tend to be stable early on. Expect the four-year median to closely reflect your long-term starting point.
$87,441
4-Year National Median
Well above average for college graduates.
$123,202
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Health Professions Education graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out widely, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Specialization and credential level drive most of the gap. Advanced practice roles (nurse practitioners, CRNAs, physician assistants) anchor the top; entry-level clinical and support roles sit at the bottom.
$57,25225th pct.
$87,441Median
$130,23775th pct.
Why This Program Pays Off Fast
Strong ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $87,441 against an estimated $90,852 four-year net cost, most graduates break even against baseline wages in under two years.
Based on outcomes from 36 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 5,056 students who complete Health Professions Education programs each year, the majority (79%) earn a master's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
79%
Master's79%
Bachelor's8%
Post-Bacc Cert.5%
What Can You Do With a Health Professions Education Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Health Professions Education graduates show up in 8 different occupations, and Medical & Health Services Manager pays the most at $123,860/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
Plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.
Direct, supervise and evaluate work activities of medical, nursing, technical, clerical, service, maintenance, and other personnel.
Develop and maintain computerized record management systems to store and process data, such as personnel activities and information, and to produce reports.
Plan, implement, and administer programs and services in a health care or medical facility, including personnel administration, training, and coordination of medical, nursing and physical plant staff.
Teach courses in health specialties, in fields such as dentistry, laboratory technology, medicine, pharmacy, public health, therapy, and veterinary medicine.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Plan, direct, or coordinate student instruction, administration, and services, as well as other research and educational activities, at postsecondary institutions, including universities, colleges, and junior and community colleges.
Design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes.
Recruit, hire, train, and terminate departmental personnel.
Direct, coordinate, and evaluate the activities of personnel, including support staff engaged in administering academic institutions, departments, or alumni organizations.
Teach courses in human history and historiography. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as ancient history, postwar civilizations, and the history of third-world countries.
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Teach courses in philosophy, religion, and theology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students and the community on topics such as ethics, logic, and contemporary religious thought.
Demonstrate and teach patient care in classroom and clinical units to nursing students. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory and clinic work, assignments, and papers.
Supervise students' laboratory and clinical work.
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Teach courses pertaining to education, such as counseling, curriculum, guidance, instruction, teacher education, and teaching English as a second language. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Study the origin, development, and behavior of human beings. May study the way of life, language, or physical characteristics of people in various parts of the world. May engage in systematic recovery and examination of material evidence, such as tools or pottery remaining from past human cultures, in order to determine the history, customs, and living habits of earlier civilizations.
Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents.
Teach or mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology or archeology.
Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences.
Top Colleges for Health Professions Education
Not sure where to study Health Professions Education? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Health Professions Education graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Health Programs
Health Professions Education is not the only path through Health: 30 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Health Professions Education program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
Strong earnings and positive career growth make Health Professions Education a solid option. The 4 strengths and 2 trade-offs below are data-sourced from College Scorecard, BLS, and IPEDS.
PROS
Strong median salaryGraduates earn $87,441 nationally four years out, placing this field above most degree programs in the country.
Fast-growing fieldRelated careers are projected to grow up to +24.2% over the next decade, with Medical & Health Services Manager among the fastest-growing roles.
Strong hiring volumeRelated occupations generate more than 119,600 job openings per year combined, creating consistent demand for graduates.
High upside potentialTop earners (75th percentile) in this program reach $130,237, a strong ceiling for high performers.
CONS
Licensure often requiredMost roles in this field require state licensure or certification before you can practice. Budget time and costs for board exams alongside your degree.
Advanced degree often expectedTop roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
Health Professions Education Degree: Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Health Professions Education graduates earn?
$87,441 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $57,252 and $130,237, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Health Professions Education degree?
$106,754 in the first year out. That grows to $87,441 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Health Professions Education degree?
Medical & Health Services Manager is one path, and it pays a median of $123,860 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Health Professions Education program take?
Four years for the bachelor's, plus one to two more if you continue on to a master's, which many Health Professions Education students do. Some schools shorten that with an accelerated 5-year combined program.
How many colleges offer Health Professions Education?
338 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Health Professions Education degree worth it?
$87,441 median earnings four years out against $22,713 a year in average net price. That is a fast payback, and it holds up especially well at lower-cost schools. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Health Professions Education and Health?
Health Professions Education is the narrower of the two: Health covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Health Professions Education-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Health Professions Education graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Health Professions Education graduates consistently look for clinical judgment, patient communication, and evidence-based decision-making. Licensure, certifications, and supervised clinical hours are typically required or strongly preferred in most roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
Is graduate school worth it for Health Professions Education graduates?
Often, yes. Advanced degrees in this field (nurse practitioner, physician assistant, doctor of physical therapy) typically come with significantly higher pay and a wider scope of practice, which is why most students in health fields eventually go back for one. Weigh that against your own career goals, the program's cost, and whether your target role actually rewards the advanced credential.
What is the job outlook for Health Professions Education graduates?
Outlook is strong overall: related occupations average +8.9% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Medical & Health Services Manager is among the strongest-growth roles at +24.2%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.
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