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Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)	Projected Growth (2023-2033)
National Statistics	$83,910	15100	14.9%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$83,910

Median Wage (USD, 2023)

15100

Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)

14.9%

Projected Growth (2023-2033)

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.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: Bachelor's Degree

Related Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months

On-the-Job Training: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

Detailed Work Activities

Maintain safety.
Advise communities or institutions regarding health or safety issues.
Investigate accidents to determine causes.
Inspect work environments to ensure safety.
Design public or employee health programs.
Inspect work environments to ensure safety.
Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
Consult with others regarding safety or health equipment or facilities.
Conduct health or safety training programs.
Prepare healthcare training materials.
Conduct health or safety training programs.
Collect samples for analysis or testing.
Collect samples of raw materials or finished products.
Test facilities for environmental hazards.
Conduct health or safety training programs.
Develop emergency procedures.
Design public or employee health programs.
Inspect work environments to ensure safety.
Monitor the handling of hazardous materials or medical wastes.
Test facilities for environmental hazards.
Test facilities for environmental hazards.
Monitor the handling of hazardous materials or medical wastes.
Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
Prepare hazardous waste for processing or disposal.
Package products for storage or shipment.
Package materials for transport.
Analyze laboratory specimens to detect abnormalities or other problems.
Investigate safety of work environment.
Analyze data to identify trends or relationships among variables.
Analyze operational data to evaluate operations, processes or products.
Write reports or evaluations.
Write operational reports.

Work Values

Independence

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Achievement

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

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.
Provide new-employee health and safety orientations and develop materials for these presentations.
Analyze incident data to identify trends in injuries, illnesses, accidents, or other hazards.
Maintain or update emergency response plans or procedures.
Coordinate "right-to-know" programs regarding hazardous chemicals or other substances.
Conduct audits at hazardous waste sites or industrial sites or participate in hazardous waste site investigations.
Develop or maintain medical monitoring programs for employees.
Collect samples of hazardous materials or arrange for sample collection.
Maintain inventories of hazardous materials or hazardous wastes, using waste tracking systems to ensure that materials are handled properly.
Prepare hazardous, radioactive, or mixed waste samples for transportation or storage by treating, compacting, packaging, and labeling them.
Perform laboratory analyses or physical inspections of samples to detect disease or to assess purity or cleanliness.

Work Styles

Achievement/Effort

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self-Control

Stress Tolerance

Adaptability/Flexibility

Dependability

Attention to Detail

Integrity

Independence

Innovation

Analytical Thinking

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 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. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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