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3M, Toyota, General Electric
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Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors
Health and safety engineers look for ways to prevent fires, injuries, and equipment failures before they happen. The work mixes code compliance, site inspections, and technical design, so the challenge is balancing safety requirements with the realities of construction schedules, plant operations, and budgets.
Also known as Safety EngineerOccupational Safety EngineerFire Protection EngineerEHS EngineerSafety and Health Engineer
Median Salary
$109,660
Mean $113,770
U.S. Workforce
~23K
1.5K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+4.4%
23.8K to 24.9K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors sits in the Science category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~23K workers, with a median annual pay of $109,660 and roughly 1.5K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 23.8 K in 2024 to 24.9K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree in engineering, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Safety Technician and can progress toward Safety Engineering Manager. High-value skills usually include NFPA Codes & Fire Protection Standards, OSHA Regulations & Workplace Compliance, and Fire Suppression, Alarm & Detection Systems, paired with soft skills such as Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, and Active Listening.
Core Responsibilities
- Review building plans, equipment, and work sites to spot fire and safety hazards and check whether they meet code.
- Advise architects, contractors, and plant staff on alarms, sprinklers, exits, and other fire-prevention systems.
- Look into fires or safety incidents to determine what caused them and what changes would reduce the chance of another one.
- Research how materials and products react to heat and flame, then use that information to improve designs or procedures.
Keep exploring: more Science careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Review building plans, equipment, and work sites to spot fire and safety hazards and check whether they meet code.
02 Advise architects, contractors, and plant staff on alarms, sprinklers, exits, and other fire-prevention systems.
03 Look into fires or safety incidents to determine what caused them and what changes would reduce the chance of another one.
04 Research how materials and products react to heat and flame, then use that information to improve designs or procedures.
05 Talk with inspectors, regulators, and company leaders about current rules, compliance gaps, and needed fixes.
06 Create safety training materials and lead sessions that teach workers how to prevent accidents and respond to emergencies.
Industries That Hire
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Construction & Engineering
Bechtel, AECOM, Jacobs
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Aerospace & Defense
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
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Chemicals & Materials
Dow, DuPont, BASF
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Energy & Utilities
Duke Energy, Exelon, Chevron
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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Pay is strong for a role that typically starts with a bachelor's degree, with median annual earnings of $109,660 and mean pay of $113,770.
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The field does not require prior work experience or on-the-job training, so new graduates can move into it without a long apprenticeship.
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The work has obvious real-world impact because better designs and procedures can prevent fires, injuries, and expensive shutdowns.
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The skills transfer across many settings, including factories, construction sites, labs, and utilities, so you are not locked into one industry.
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Demand looks steady rather than speculative, with projected growth of 4.4% and about 1.5 thousand annual openings.
Challenges
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Remote work is limited because the job depends on walking sites, checking equipment, and seeing real conditions in person.
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Growth is only 4.4%, so this is not a fast-expanding career path even though the pay is solid.
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The occupation is relatively small, with about 23,220 workers today and 24.9 thousand projected by 2034, which can mean fewer promotion slots and fewer openings in some regions.
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The job carries serious responsibility: a missed hazard or weak recommendation can put people, property, and production at risk.
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A lot of the work is compliance-driven, so you often have to persuade managers to spend money on changes they may see as overhead while staying current with changing rules and codes.
Career Progression
Safety Technician
0-2 years
$55K-$72K
Supports inspections, records findings, and helps with basic compliance tasks while learning codes and site procedures.
Junior Safety Engineer
2-4 years
$73K-$92K
Handles routine hazard reviews, site walks, and documentation under supervision, often with one facility or project area.
Health and Safety Engineer THIS ROLE
4-8 years
$93K-$123K
Leads compliance reviews, investigates incidents, and recommends design or process changes to reduce risk.
Senior Safety Engineer
8-12 years
$124K-$155K
Owns more complex projects, advises leadership, and mentors junior staff on technical standards and practical fixes.
Safety Engineering Manager
12+ years
$156K-$190K
Sets safety strategy across sites, balances risk against production goals, and signs off on major policy and system changes.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree in engineering
The most common entry point, held by 84.62% of workers in this role.
Master's degree in safety engineering or occupational safety
A smaller path, held by 3.85% of workers in this role, often used to move into more specialized or leadership-heavy work.
Post-baccalaureate certificate in fire protection or safety management
A niche path, held by 3.85% of workers in this role, and most useful for engineers who want to specialize after earning a bachelor's degree.
Associate degree plus experience in a related technical field
An uncommon path, held by 3.85% of workers in this role, usually paired with a related job history rather than serving as a direct entry route.
Key Skills
Technical
NFPA Codes & Fire Protection Standards 82%
OSHA Regulations & Workplace Compliance 80%
Fire Suppression, Alarm & Detection Systems 78%
Hazard Assessment, JSA & FMEA 77%
Incident Investigation & Root Cause Analysis 76%
AutoCAD, Revit & Bluebeam 74%
Material Fire Testing & Laboratory Methods 72%
Excel, Technical Reporting & Data Tracking 70%
Soft Skills
Critical ThinkingReading ComprehensionActive ListeningComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision MakingSpeaking Job Outlook and Trends
+4.4%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
1.5K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 23.8K to 24.9 K over the next decade, representing 4.4% growth. Around 1.5 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.