Occupations · Life, Physical, and Social Science
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 19-5011.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 13% between 2019 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $98,720 | 5,600 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $79,680 | 5,160 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $91,360 | 4,300 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $77,220 | 3,780 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $97,860 | 2,680 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $99,680 | 2,240 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $80,480 | 2,230 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $85,820 | 2,150 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $99,820 | 1,900 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $98,680 | 1,870 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $125,600 | 1,850 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $98,780 | 1,810 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Bachelor's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Investigate accidents to identify causes or to determine how such accidents might be prevented in the future.
- Inspect or evaluate workplace environments, equipment, or practices to ensure compliance with safety standards and government regulations.
- Collect samples of dust, gases, vapors, or other potentially toxic materials for analysis.
- 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.
- Investigate health-related complaints and inspect facilities to ensure that they comply with public health legislation and regulations.
- Write reports.
- Inspect specified areas to ensure the presence of fire prevention equipment, safety equipment, or first-aid supplies.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2024-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2024-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Write reports.
O*NET 28.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2020
Comparing O*NET release 25.1 (2020-11-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 2 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
No longer listed 1
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| occupational health and safety inspector | 3257.5 | exact |
| health and safety engineer | 2149.8 | close |
| construction safety inspector | 3112.2 | broader |
| health and safety officer | 2263.3 | broader |
| construction safety manager | 3112.3 | broader |
| mine health and safety engineer | 2146.7 | broader |
| transport health and safety inspector | 3257.6 | broader |
| mine safety officer | 3117.4 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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