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Manufacturing
Toyota, 3M, GE Appliances
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
Occupational health and safety specialists look for the hazards that cause injuries, illnesses, and regulatory trouble, then push organizations to fix them before someone gets hurt. The job is distinct because it mixes site inspections, exposure testing, worker training, and compliance work across very different environments, from factories to hospitals. The main tradeoff is that the work has real impact, but it also means spending time in risky conditions and convincing people to change habits, equipment, or budgets.
Also known as Environmental Health and Safety SpecialistEHS SpecialistSafety SpecialistOccupational Safety SpecialistHealth and Safety Specialist
Median Salary
$83,910
Mean $88,660
U.S. Workforce
~128K
14.9K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+12.5%
131.9K to 148.4K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists 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 ~128K workers, with a median annual pay of $83,910 and roughly 14.9K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 131.9 K in 2024 to 148.4K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree in occupational safety, environmental health, or a science field, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around EHS Technician and can progress toward EHS Manager. High-value skills usually include OSHA Regulations, Hazard Communication & Compliance Audits, Industrial Hygiene Sampling Equipment & Exposure Monitoring, and Incident Analysis, Root Cause Review & Corrective Action Tracking, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, and Speaking.
Core Responsibilities
- Review injury reports, incident logs, and near-miss records to spot patterns and figure out what keeps going wrong.
- Walk worksites to look for unsafe equipment, poor procedures, missing guards, or other hazards that could hurt workers.
- Measure dust, fumes, gases, noise, or other exposures and send samples out for analysis when needed.
- Work with engineers, supervisors, or medical staff to choose fixes such as ventilation, machine guards, or changes to work methods.
Keep exploring: more Science careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Review injury reports, incident logs, and near-miss records to spot patterns and figure out what keeps going wrong.
02 Walk worksites to look for unsafe equipment, poor procedures, missing guards, or other hazards that could hurt workers.
03 Measure dust, fumes, gases, noise, or other exposures and send samples out for analysis when needed.
04 Work with engineers, supervisors, or medical staff to choose fixes such as ventilation, machine guards, or changes to work methods.
05 Teach employees how to use protective gear, follow safer procedures, and respond properly to hazardous materials.
06 Keep compliance records, write reports, and manage hazard communication programs and other safety documentation.
Industries That Hire
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Construction
Turner Construction, Bechtel, Skanska
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Healthcare
Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, HCA Healthcare
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Oil, Gas & Chemicals
ExxonMobil, Dow, Chevron
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Transportation & Warehousing
FedEx, UPS, Amazon
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is solid for a bachelor's-degree job, with a median annual wage of $83,910 and a mean of $88,660.
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Demand is steady, with projected employment growth of 12.5% and about 14.9 thousand annual openings.
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You can usually enter the field with a bachelor's degree and no required work experience or on-the-job training.
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The results are tangible: fewer injuries, safer equipment, and cleaner air or noise conditions are easy to see and measure.
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The skills transfer across many industries, so experience in one workplace can lead to opportunities in another.
Challenges
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A large part of the job is compliance work, documentation, and follow-up, so it is not all hands-on problem solving.
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You may spend time in dusty, noisy, or hazardous areas, and some inspections involve uncomfortable or risky conditions.
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The growth outlook is healthy but not explosive, so openings can still be competitive in popular markets.
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Many employers treat safety as a cost center, which can make it hard to get approval for equipment changes, staffing, or process fixes.
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The field can have a ceiling unless you move into management or add specialized expertise such as industrial hygiene or advanced certification.
Career Progression
EHS Technician
0-2 years
$48K-$63K
Supports inspections, takes measurements, keeps logs updated, and learns how safety programs work on real job sites.
Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
2-5 years
$72K-$96K
Leads inspections, investigates incidents, runs training, and recommends fixes that keep people and sites in compliance.
Senior Occupational Health and Safety Specialist THIS ROLE
5-9 years
$95K-$122K
Handles more complex hazards, advises managers, and may lead major investigations, audits, or multi-site safety programs.
EHS Manager
9-15 years
$118K-$155K
Oversees safety strategy, manages budgets and staff, and is accountable for compliance performance across one or more sites.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree in occupational safety, environmental health, or a science field
This is the standard entry path and the most common one, held by 73.91% of workers in the occupation.
Master's degree in occupational health, industrial hygiene, or public health
This is a smaller, more specialized path, held by 8.7% of workers, and it can help with technical or leadership roles.
Post-baccalaureate certificate in safety or industrial hygiene
This alternative route is held by 8.7% of workers and can help people add focused safety training after earning another degree.
Associate's degree or post-secondary safety certificate plus experience
A less common path, with each of these options represented by 4.35% of workers in the distribution, though most people still need strong field experience to compete.
Key Skills
Technical
OSHA Regulations, Hazard Communication & Compliance Audits 80%
Industrial Hygiene Sampling Equipment & Exposure Monitoring 80%
Incident Analysis, Root Cause Review & Corrective Action Tracking 80%
Microsoft Excel, Power BI & Safety Data Analysis 78%
Safety Management Systems (Intelex, SAP EHS & Similar Platforms) 78%
Air, Noise, Asbestos & Chemical Exposure Assessment Methods 75%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningReading ComprehensionSpeakingWritingCritical ThinkingComplex Problem Solving Job Outlook and Trends
+12.5%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
14.9K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 131.9K to 148.4 K over the next decade, representing 12.5% growth. Around 14.9 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.