Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
Also called: Analysis Safety Inspector, Cause Analyst, Certified Indoor Environmentalist, Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Chemical Hygiene Officer, Construction Safety Manager, Consumer Safety Inspector, Dining Service Inspector
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.
What occupational health and safety specialists do
Typical 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.
- 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.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists salary
The median annual wage for occupational health and safety specialists is $90,150 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $55,000 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $134,950. The mean annual wage is $93,860.
The mean hourly wage of $45.00 is 6.2× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Occupational Health and Safety Specialists (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $90,150 → in 3 years $99,700 → in 5 years $106,700 → in 10 years $126,200 (10-year range $108,600–$146,600). The model assumes pay growth of +3.4% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Occupational Health and Safety Specialists? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Occupational Health and Safety Specialists United States | 衛生管理者 Japan | 作業環境測定士 Japan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $90,150 | ¥4.54M ≈ $28,881 | ¥6.12M ≈ $38,915 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $126,200 | ¥5.85M | ¥7.16M |
| Outlook score | 73 | 46 | 66 |
| AI replacement risk | 60% Moderate | 47% Moderate | 20% Very low |
| Workers | 141K | — | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 4 — considerable preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become occupational health and safety specialists
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as occupational health and safety specialists
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.