Occupational Health and Safety Specialists: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $69,560–$111,690. 140,610 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 17,100 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $111,530 |
| Massachusetts | $103,970 |
| Washington | $102,920 |
| California | $102,840 |
| Rhode Island | $101,740 |
| Colorado | $101,400 |
| New Hampshire | $101,260 |
| Alaska | $99,270 |
| Illinois | $98,270 |
| Maine | $97,640 |
| Minnesota | $96,990 |
| Connecticut | $96,110 |
| New York | $95,720 |
| Oregon | $95,240 |
| Hawaii | $94,840 |
| Nevada | $94,360 |
| Wyoming | $94,030 |
| North Dakota | $93,250 |
| Maryland | $91,820 |
| Ohio | $91,460 |
| Virginia | $90,800 |
| New Jersey | $90,610 |
| Utah | $90,200 |
| Louisiana | $89,560 |
| Arizona | $89,480 |
| Florida | $88,820 |
| South Dakota | $88,610 |
| South Carolina | $88,080 |
| Iowa | $87,830 |
| Vermont | $87,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,050 |
| Idaho | $86,920 |
| North Carolina | $86,650 |
| West Virginia | $86,560 |
| Kansas | $86,300 |
| Georgia | $85,450 |
| Wisconsin | $84,750 |
| New Mexico | $84,510 |
| Mississippi | $84,490 |
| Michigan | $84,080 |
| Nebraska | $83,990 |
| Kentucky | $83,730 |
| Indiana | $83,470 |
| Missouri | $83,090 |
| Alabama | $82,260 |
| Montana | $81,330 |
| Tennessee | $81,190 |
| Delaware | $81,120 |
| Oklahoma | $79,890 |
| Texas | $79,660 |
| Arkansas | $73,130 |
| GU | $68,030 |
| PR | $45,630 |
Largest metro areas for this job
- New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ$96,320
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands TX$82,910
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA$102,610
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX$81,000
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA-NH$105,960
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA$126,860
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler AZ$89,480
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN$101,630
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington PA-NJ-DE-MD$88,090
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV$109,170
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial CO$102,120
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA$109,500
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge used
- English Language
- Chemistry
- Education and Training
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
Work styles
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Intellectual Curiosity
People in this job tend to have Investigative (analytical), Conventional (organizing), Realistic (hands-on) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists: questions
How much do occupational Health and Safety Specialists make?
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists earn a U.S. median $90,150 a year; the middle half earn $69,560 to $111,690 (BLS, May 2025).
Is occupational Health and Safety Specialists a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 18.5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 17,100 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be an occupational Health and Safety Specialist?
BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. In O*NET's survey, 91% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required.
How much do occupational Health and Safety Specialists make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $88,820 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $90,150 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 19-5011. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Occupational Health and Safety Specialists: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/occupational-health-and-safety-specialists.