State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Occupational Health and Safety Specialist Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists earn a median of $90,150 per year ($43.34/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 12.5% through 2034, with about 14,900 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 19-5011Life, Physical, and Social ScienceLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $90,150
- Projected growth
- +12.5%
- Openings a year
- 14,900
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Chemical Hygiene Officer, EHS Officer (Environmental Health and Safety Officer), Health and Safety Analyst, Industrial Hygiene Consultant, Industrial Hygienist, Industrial Hygienist Consultant.
How much do Occupational Health and Safety Specialists make?
10th percentile$55,000
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$69,560
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$90,150
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$111,690
Upper quartile
90th percentile$134,950
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $90,150 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $43.34/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $93,860 |
| People employed | 140,610 |
Versus all US occupations
At $90,150, Occupational Health and Safety Specialists earn 77% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $39,170 a year.
Versus life, physical, and social science occupations
The median is typical for the Life, Physical, and Social Science group, where the middle occupation pays $88,355.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $134,950 or more while the bottom 10% earn $55,000, a gap of 2.5×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 72% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($111,530), but once local prices are taken into account North Dakota leads at $104,824 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Occupational Health and Safety Specialists the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $111,530 | $101,482 | 280 |
| Massachusetts | $103,970 | $98,310 | 3,390 |
| Washington | $102,920 | $96,175 | 3,570 |
| California | $102,840 | $92,883 | 16,230 |
| Rhode Island | $101,740 | $99,472 | 200 |
| Colorado | $101,400 | $98,397 | 3,080 |
| New Hampshire | $101,260 | $97,211 | 610 |
| Alaska | $99,270 | $96,982 | 370 |
| Illinois | $98,270 | $98,311 | 2,900 |
| Maine | $97,640 | $100,608 | 600 |
Is Occupational Health and Safety Specialist a growing career?
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists12.5%
All US occupations3.1%
+12.5% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Occupational Health and Safety Specialists to change 12.5% over 2024–2034, roughly 4.0× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 16,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 14,900 openings are projected each year, 11.3% of the 131,900 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of occupational health and safety specialists and technicians is projected to grow 12 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians will be needed in a variety of industries and government agencies to ensure safe working conditions that comply with regulations.
In recent years, employers have emphasized worker health, safety, and wellness. This trend is expected to continue, which should contribute to increased demand for occupational health and safety specialists and technicians.
How to become an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
Occupational health and safety specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree in occupational health and safety or a related field. Technicians typically need at least a high school diploma to enter the occupation, and they receive training on the job. Some pursue professional certification.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as occupational health and safety specialists.
- Bachelor's Degree73.9%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate8.7%
- Master's Degree8.7%
- Post-Secondary Certificate4.4%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)4.4%
What does an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist do?
Review, evaluate, and analyze work environments and design programs and procedures to control, eliminate, and prevent disease or injury caused by chemical, physical, and biological agents or ergonomic factors. May conduct inspections and enforce adherence to laws and regulations governing the health and safety of individuals. May be employed in the public or private sector.
Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians collect data on, analyze, and design improvements to many types of work environments and procedures. Specialists inspect workplaces and enforce adherence to regulations on safety, health, and the environment. Technicians work with specialists to implement and evaluate programs aimed at mitigating risks to workers, property, the environment, and the public.
Day-to-day tasks
- Recommend measures to help protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes, or materials.
- Develop or maintain hygiene programs, such as noise surveys, continuous atmosphere monitoring, ventilation surveys, or asbestos management plans.
- Order suspension of activities that pose threats to workers' health or safety.
- Inspect or evaluate workplace environments, equipment, or practices to ensure compliance with safety standards and government regulations.
- Collaborate with engineers or physicians to institute control or remedial measures for hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions or equipment.
- Investigate the adequacy of ventilation, exhaust equipment, lighting, or other conditions that could affect employee health, comfort, or performance.
- Conduct safety training or education programs and demonstrate the use of safety equipment.
- Write reports.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where occupational health and safety specialists work
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 18% |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 17% |
| Construction | 15% |
| Management, scientific, and technical consulting services | 6% |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 3% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Writing4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Critical Thinking3.8/5
- Monitoring3.6/5
- Active Learning3.4/5
- Mathematics3.0/5
Transferable skills
- Social Perceptiveness3.8/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.8/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8/5
- Systems Analysis3.8/5
- Systems Evaluation3.8/5
- Instructing3.3/5
- Persuasion3.1/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.1/5
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Compliance software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary4.5
Investigativeprimary5.0
Artistic1.3
Social3.5
Enterprising3.2
Conventionalprimary4.7
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Occupational Health and Safety Specialist: frequently asked questions
How much do Occupational Health and Safety Specialists make?
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists earn a median of $90,150 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 77% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $43.34/hr. The middle half earn between $69,560 and $111,690. The top 10% earn $134,950 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Occupational Health and Safety Specialists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 73.9% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Occupational Health and Safety Specialist a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 12.5% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 14,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist do?
Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians collect data on, analyze, and design improvements to many types of work environments and procedures. A core O*NET task: recommend measures to help protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes, or materials. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Document management software, Electronic mail software.
Which states pay Occupational Health and Safety Specialists the most?
The highest state medians for Occupational Health and Safety Specialists are District of Columbia ($111,530), Massachusetts ($103,970), Washington ($102,920) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, North Dakota moves to the top at $104,824.
What personality type suits an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist?
O*NET scores Occupational Health and Safety Specialists highest on the Investigative, Conventional and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.