# School-Based Health Careers

> A free career exploration resource from the School-Based Health Alliance that helps students and young people discover healthcare careers in school-based health centers (SBHCs). It covers 28 careers across 9 care teams, with descriptions, education paths, salary information, and a short career-match quiz.

Website: https://schoolhealthcareers.org/
Audience: middle school, high school, and college students; school counselors; educators; parents; career changers interested in youth health.
Powered by: School-Based Health Alliance (https://www.sbh4all.org/)

## What is a school-based health center?

A school-based health center (SBHC) is a place in or near a school where students can get health care during the school day, including check-ups, sick visits, mental health support, dental and vision care, and advice on staying healthy. There are about 4,000 SBHCs across the United States, and the number is growing.

SBHCs are typically operated by healthcare organizations such as community health centers, health departments, or hospitals, which recruit and hire the SBHC staff. SBHC staff are separate from school staff. SBHCs do not replace school nurses, school counselors, school social workers, or school psychologists; they work in partnership with them.

People who do well in SBHC careers usually enjoy working with children and families, like working on a team, communicate clearly, respect different backgrounds and experiences, are flexible, and have basic computer skills.

## Careers by team (typical entry-level education)

### Welcome & Check-in Team
- Receptionist / Patient Services Representative: High school diploma or equivalent

### Care Support Team
- Nursing Assistant: State-approved training/certificate
- Medical Assistant: Postsecondary nondegree award
- Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN/LVN): Practical nursing certificate
- Registered Nurse (RN): Bachelor's degree

### Medical Care Team
- Nurse Practitioner (NP): Master's degree
- Physician Assistant (PA): Master's degree
- Physician (MD or DO): Doctoral or professional degree

### Mental Health Support Team
- Substance Abuse Counselor: High school diploma or equivalent
- Clinical Professional Counselor: Master's degree
- Clinical Social Worker: Master's degree
- Marriage and Family Therapist: Master's degree
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP): Master's degree
- Psychiatric Physician Assistant: Master's degree
- Clinical Psychologist: Doctoral degree
- Psychiatrist: Doctoral or professional degree

### Dental Care Team
- Dental Assistant: Postsecondary nondegree award
- Dental Hygienist: Associate's degree
- Dentist: Doctoral or professional degree

### Vision Care Team
- Vision Technician / Optometric Assistant: High school diploma or equivalent
- Optometrist: Doctoral or professional degree

### Healthy Eating & Living Team
- Registered Dietitian: Bachelor's degree

### Stay Healthy & Connected Team
- Care Coordinator: High school diploma or equivalent
- Community Health Worker: High school diploma or equivalent
- Health Educator: Bachelor's degree

### Managing the School-Based Health Center Team
- SBHC Program Coordinator: Bachelor's degree
- SBHC Program Manager: Master's degree
- SBHC Program Director: Master's degree

## Features

- Career explorer: search and filter all 28 careers by team and education level.
- Career details: role description, day-to-day work in an SBHC, education path, and salary data.
- Career quiz: a short quiz that suggests careers matching a student's interests.
- Degree guide: plain-language explanations of certificates, associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.

## Data sources

Salary and education information is drawn from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/), O*NET OnLine (https://www.onetonline.org/), the College Board (https://research.collegeboard.org/), and the National Center for Education Statistics (https://nces.ed.gov/).

## Important note

Requirements and pay for SBHC jobs vary by state and location. Students should confirm details with a school guidance counselor, local colleges, technical schools, employers, or state licensing boards.