Occupation salary profile

Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

SOC 19-5011 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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.

National median · BLS
$90,150
▲ +7.44% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$83,000
▲ +10.67% YoY · 105 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$93,860
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
140,610
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 105 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$55,000$59,864
25th$69,560$66,560
Median (50th)$90,150$83,000
75th$111,690$106,700
90th — top pay$134,950$144,932
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $83,000 for Occupational Health and Safety Specialists — 7.9% below the BLS national median of $90,150.

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

BLS projects employment of occupational health and safety specialists to grow 18.5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 17,100 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
143,100 → 169,600
+26,400 jobs
Projected change
+18.5%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
17,100
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
No related experience required
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $83,000
Change vs prior year +10.67%
After inflation (CPI-U) +7.31%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 29 27.6% $60,000 $62,400 $70,000
Level II 33 31.4% $66,560 $77,120 $88,000
Level III 20 19% $83,290 $93,420 $114,272
Level IV 20 19% $114,842 $141,408 $193,959
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Writing4.0
  • Complex Problem Solving3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.8
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.8
  • Social Perceptiveness3.8
  • Systems Analysis3.8
  • Systems Evaluation3.8
Top knowledge areas
  • English Language4.0
  • Chemistry3.9
  • Education and Training3.8
  • Mathematics3.8
  • Customer and Personal Service3.7
  • Engineering and Technology3.6
  • Biology3.6
  • Law and Government3.5
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Active Server Pages ASPMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft WindowsSAP softwareCurtis Management Resources Training Management SystemDatabase softwareEcoLogic ADAM Indoor Air Quality and Analytical Data ManagementESS Compliance SuiteImageWave MSDSFinderMannus Compliance: EHSMedgate Enterprise EHS

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What occupational health and safety specialists do

  • 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.
Also called
Industrial Hygiene ConsultantIndustrial HygienistSafety ConsultantSafety SpecialistChemical Hygiene OfficerEHS Officer (Environmental Health and Safety Officer)Health and Safety AnalystIndustrial Hygienist ConsultantOHS Consultant (Occupational Health and Safety Consultant)Risk Control Consultant
More job titles for this occupation (62)
Analysis Safety InspectorCause AnalystCertified Indoor EnvironmentalistCertified Industrial Hygienist (CIH)Construction Safety ManagerConsumer Safety InspectorDining Service InspectorEHS Specialist (Environmental Health and Safety Specialist)Environmental Health InspectorEnvironmental Health SanitarianEnvironmental Health TechnologistEnvironmental Protection InspectorEnvironmental Protection OfficerField Health OfficerFood and Drug InspectorFood InspectorHazardous Waste Management SpecialistHealth and Safety InspectorHealth Care Facilities InspectorHealth InspectorHealth SanitarianHealth SpecialistIndustrial Safety and Health SpecialistIndustrial Waste InspectorMine Safety and Health InspectorMortician InvestigatorOccupational Safety and Health InspectorOHS Specialist (Occupational Health and Safety Specialist)OSHA Inspector (Occupational Safety and Health Administration Inspector)Public Health InspectorPublic Health Service OfficerQuarantine InspectorRabies InspectorRadiation Protection SpecialistRadiological Health SpecialistRegional Safety ManagerResearch Safety InspectorRestaurant InspectorRisk AnalystSafety AdministratorSafety AdvisorSafety and Compliance ManagerSafety and Occupational Health SpecialistSafety InspectorSafety InstructorSafety InvestigatorSafety OfficerSafety PersonSafety Project Manager (Safety PM)Safety TrainerSanitarianSanitarian InspectorSanitary InspectorSanitation InspectorSanitation OfficerSanitation SpecialistSite Safety and Health OfficerSite Safety ManagerTick InspectorVenereal Disease InvestigatorWater InspectorWork Environment Safety Inspector

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.