If you’re interested in a career in health and wellness management, you have a range of choices.
Just as there are multiple dimensions to health, such as physical, mental, and emotional health, a career in wellness management offers many options, from where you work to the type of work you do. A wellness practitioner helps people “incorporate wellness and a healthy lifestyle into their daily life” (The Global Wellness Institute (GWI)). This activity can be part of a job in a hospital, health clinic, community or nonprofit organization, government agency, school, nursing home, or company that provides wellness services, such as nutrition counseling, health coaching, weight loss management programs, personal fitness training, and more.
Promoting Healthy Choices
Wellness management falls within the spectrum of wellness careers, and includes jobs in workplace wellness, community health, health education, human resources, health advocacy, public health, and others. A health education specialist may work for a company, promoting employee wellness, or for a community health agency, advocating for better access to healthcare or developing programs to teach people about health.
Workplace Wellness
Workplace, or employee wellness professionals, administer and assess workplace health promotion programs, and may work in a variety of organizations. Whether leading nutrition or mental health-focused wellness activities in an office, or working across multiple business teams in a larger organization, like a hospital or healthcare system, workplace wellness managers understand that wellness is multidimensional. Physical, emotional, occupational, financial, social, spiritual, intellectual, and environmental health are all part of the wellness manager’s domain. Additionally, workplace wellness managers must balance employee needs with organizational expectations.
Effective workplace wellness managers:
- Advocate for affordable employee healthcare benefits
- Seek to support and improve overall employee well-being
- Understand productivity challenges exist for employees, in the workplace and at home
- Seek to increase employee retention through actively listening to employee concerns
- View employees as people who have diverse wellness needs
- Acknowledge that personal life affects work life
Workplace wellness managers may plan and promote activities that teach employees how to make healthy lifestyle changes to manage high-cost health conditions, such as diabetes or weight management programs, advocate for changes in the workplace, and administer incentive-based well-being programs.
RELATED: Health and Wellness Management Career Outlook
The workplace has changed dramatically as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which means that supporting and connecting with employees is more important than ever. While workplace wellness is still focused on employee well-being, the modes and methods have changed. With workers more likely to have remote or hybrid work schedules, there is less investment in on-site activities, such as biometric screenings, health fairs, and fitness classes, and more investment in flexible solutions like lifestyle spending accounts.
Additionally, for many navigating the post-pandemic world has meant dealing with new stressors. For example, burnout, especially in healthcare, has required the workplace wellness manager to shift focus to mental health and other activities that help workers learn ways to reduce the symptoms of stress, such as fatigue, muscle tension, anxiety, and depression.
According to Gallup, 28 percent of American workers surveyed reported feeling burned out at work very often or always. Other workplace burnout surveys report higher numbers, for example, SHRM’s Employee Mental Health in 2024 Research Series, found that “44 percent of surveyed US employees feel burned out at work, 45 percent feel ‘emotionally drained’ from their work, and 51 percent feel ‘used up’ at the end of the workday.”
RELATED: Improving Workplace Wellness in Healthcare Facilities
Health Education and Community Health
Community health is similar to workplace wellness, but with the goal of providing wellness resources and programs across a broader community. Programs may address low-income youth, adults with disabilities, or families in medically underserved areas, focusing outreach to schools, neighborhoods, and communities. A community health worker may work closely with other healthcare and social service providers, and be tasked with:
- Providing opportunities for community members to learn about healthy behaviors, such as cooking courses, fitness classes, and more
- Organizing basic health screenings and clinics
- Advocating for housing, food security, and other needs that impact health outcomes
- Providing health resources for a diverse community
- Organizing life skills training, employment services, and social and recreational programs that benefit the community
- Partnering with other agencies to offer wellness programs
While workplace wellness and community health professionals typically work with large populations, other health education and wellness management career options exist that focus on individual wellness. For example, in a hospital or healthcare facility, a wellness coordinator may help patients understand treatment options, or organize health screenings or classes. Some health educators may focus on advocacy, working closely with government agencies to shape health policy and health equity. Others may work within public health departments, developing outreach campaigns on issues that protect community health, such as immunizations. Some roles may also incorporate health coaching.
How to Start or Advance your Wellness Career
Whether you are already working as a wellness professional, or seeking to enter the field, a degree or certificate can help fill in the gaps, adding essential skills and knowledge to your resume. While most jobs typically require a bachelor’s degree, some require a master’s or doctoral degree. Some employers may also prefer or require candidates to have certifications, such as the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential offered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.
The University of Wisconsin Health and Wellness Management program offers students flexibility to earn a master’s degree or focus on developing skills in a specific area of concentration—wellness management, leadership, or health data and policy—by earning a certificate. Courses develop the skills required to apply a holistic approach to wellness program planning, whether you are leading health promotion initiatives in a workplace, community health agency, or other organization.
Get Program Guide
Learn more about our 100% online degree and certificate programs.
UW Health and Wellness Management program courses at a glance:
- Evidence-based Practices in Health and Wellness
- Strategic Management for Wellness Managers
- Research and Data Analysis for Wellness Programs
- Holistic Aspects of Health
- Health Policy and Action
- View full list of courses
Additionally, master’s degree students will complete a capstone course, which gives students an opportunity to lead a project for an organization.
Health and Wellness Management Resources
The UW Health and Wellness Management program is a Premier Provider of the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA) and a member of the Wellness Council of Wisconsin (WCWI). These partnerships allow the master’s program to stay up-to-date and connected with workplace wellness resources.
Other wellness management resources you may find helpful:
- Wellable’s employee wellness challenges and health content
- Health Enhancement Systems’ workplace wellness white papers
- National Wellness Institute’s events and courses
- National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching
- National Society of Health Coaches
For a closer look into health and wellness management careers, job titles, and salaries, check out the Health and Wellness Management Career Outlook.
What’s Next? University of Wisconsin Health and Wellness Management
Do you want to learn more about UW Health and Wellness Management? As a graduate of the 100% online UW Health and Wellness Management master’s degree or certificate in wellness management, leadership, or health data and policy, you’ll be qualified to lead wellness programs in a variety of settings across the country. The flexible, online format is an optimal choice for adult students balancing work and personal activities, and offers easy access to academic advising and student support services.
For more information, contact a helpful enrollment adviser at 608-262-2011 or learn@uwex.wisconsin.edu.