SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 19-5011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $55,000 | $4,583 | $1,058 | $26.44 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $69,560 | $5,797 | $1,338 | $33.44 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $90,150 | $7,512 | $1,734 | $43.34 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $111,690 | $9,308 | $2,148 | $53.70 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $134,950 | $11,246 | $2,595 | $64.88 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Occupational Health and Safety Specialists is $90,150, which is 77% higher. Among the 48 occupations of the field Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks number 23 by median pay. With 140,610 jobs, it makes up about 9.0 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($111,530), Massachusetts ($103,970) and Washington ($102,920). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($45,630), Guam ($68,030) and Arkansas ($73,130). The most jobs were in Texas (17,920), California (16,230) and New York (6,840). The occupation is most concentrated in Wyoming, where its share of all jobs is 2.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 280 | $111,530 | $115,070 | $53.62 |
| Massachusetts | 3,390 | $103,970 | $106,540 | $49.99 |
| Washington | 3,570 | $102,920 | $106,620 | $49.48 |
| California | 16,230 | $102,840 | $106,470 | $49.44 |
| Rhode Island | 200 | $101,740 | $105,940 | $48.91 |
| Colorado | 3,080 | $101,400 | $105,830 | $48.75 |
| New Hampshire | 610 | $101,260 | $104,610 | $48.68 |
| Alaska | 370 | $99,270 | $102,330 | $47.73 |
| Illinois | 2,900 | $98,270 | $99,170 | $47.25 |
| Maine | 600 | $97,640 | $92,890 | $46.94 |
| Minnesota | 2,460 | $96,990 | $97,640 | $46.63 |
| Connecticut | 1,090 | $96,110 | $101,630 | $46.21 |
| New York | 6,840 | $95,720 | $98,740 | $46.02 |
| Oregon | 1,820 | $95,240 | $94,130 | $45.79 |
| Hawaii | 640 | $94,840 | $93,740 | $45.60 |
| Nevada | 1,150 | $94,360 | $94,920 | $45.36 |
| Wyoming | 580 | $94,030 | $95,520 | $45.21 |
| North Dakota | 540 | $93,250 | $97,050 | $44.83 |
| Maryland | 2,160 | $91,820 | $95,580 | $44.14 |
| Ohio | 6,820 | $91,460 | $96,350 | $43.97 |
| Virginia | 3,910 | $90,800 | $95,070 | $43.66 |
| New Jersey | 3,830 | $90,610 | $92,160 | $43.56 |
| Utah | 1,230 | $90,200 | $90,870 | $43.36 |
| Louisiana | 2,380 | $89,560 | $93,390 | $43.06 |
| Arizona | 3,220 | $89,480 | $91,810 | $43.02 |
| Florida | 6,760 | $88,820 | $90,680 | $42.70 |
| South Dakota | 250 | $88,610 | $87,900 | $42.60 |
| South Carolina | 2,170 | $88,080 | $93,740 | $42.35 |
| Iowa | 1,310 | $87,830 | $90,390 | $42.23 |
| Vermont | 170 | $87,210 | $93,260 | $41.93 |
| Pennsylvania | 4,890 | $87,050 | $93,480 | $41.85 |
| Idaho | 730 | $86,920 | $93,840 | $41.79 |
| North Carolina | 4,670 | $86,650 | $91,730 | $41.66 |
| West Virginia | 1,020 | $86,560 | $85,180 | $41.62 |
| Kansas | 1,350 | $86,300 | $91,640 | $41.49 |
| Georgia | 3,220 | $85,450 | $90,390 | $41.08 |
| Wisconsin | 2,250 | $84,750 | $90,210 | $40.74 |
| New Mexico | 840 | $84,510 | $88,980 | $40.63 |
| Mississippi | 1,140 | $84,490 | $86,760 | $40.62 |
| Michigan | 3,350 | $84,080 | $87,530 | $40.42 |
| Nebraska | 630 | $83,990 | $85,160 | $40.38 |
| Kentucky | 2,480 | $83,730 | $87,530 | $40.25 |
| Indiana | 3,870 | $83,470 | $87,930 | $40.13 |
| Missouri | 2,660 | $83,090 | $88,140 | $39.95 |
| Alabama | 2,510 | $82,260 | $86,060 | $39.55 |
| Montana | 720 | $81,330 | $85,070 | $39.10 |
| Tennessee | 2,690 | $81,190 | $82,020 | $39.03 |
| Delaware | 600 | $81,120 | $89,400 | $39.00 |
| Oklahoma | 1,690 | $79,890 | $82,560 | $38.41 |
| Texas | 17,920 | $79,660 | $84,410 | $38.30 |
| Arkansas | 850 | $73,130 | $77,580 | $35.16 |
| Guam | 100 | $68,030 | $73,010 | $32.71 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,430 | $45,630 | $52,300 | $21.94 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- School Psychologists$95,990 a year
- Life Scientists, All Other$93,750 a year
- Chemists$91,240 a year
- Urban and Regional Planners$89,320 a year
- Food Scientists and Technologists$88,720 a year
- Microbiologists$87,990 a year
Common questions
How much do Occupational Health and Safety Specialists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $90,150 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $55,000 and the highest-paid 10% more than $134,950.
How many people work as Occupational Health and Safety Specialists?
About 140,610 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.