Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

What do they do?

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.

Also known as:

Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Chemical Hygiene Officer, EHS Officer (Environmental Health and Safety Officer), Health and Safety Analyst, Industrial Hygiene Consultant, Industrial Hygienist, Industrial Hygienist Consultant, OHS Consultant (Occupational Health and Safety Consultant), Risk Control Consultant, Safety Consultant, Safety Officer, Safety Specialist

Typical Wages

Wages$0$28K$56K$84K$112K$140KPercentiles10th25thMedian75th90th$50k$64k$83k$105k$130k

Projected Growth Rate

Faster than average

Employment of Occupational Health and Safety Specialists (SOC 2018) is projected to grow 12 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than average compared to all occupations.

Projected Employment in OH

No Data Available
Employment202220325,1105,760
  • 12.7%

    Change

    Ranks #45 in job growth rate
    630

    Job Openings

    Ranks #6 in net job growth

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Bachelor's degree  (34%)
  • Some college, no degree  (19%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (16%)
  • Master's degree  (15%)
  • Associate's degree  (10%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (3%)
  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (2%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

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People in this career often have these skills:

  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
  • Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  • Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Advise communities or institutions regarding health or safety issues.
  • 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 safe or healthy equipment or facilities.
  • Conduct health or safety training programs.
  • Test facilities for environmental hazards.
  • Write reports or evaluations.
  • Write operational reports.
  • Prepare healthcare training materials.
  • Investigate safety of work environment.
  • Analyze data to identify trends or relationships among variables.
  • Analyze operational data to evaluate operations, processes or products.
  • Develop emergency procedures.
  • Monitor the handling of hazardous materials or medical wastes.
  • Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
  • Analyze laboratory specimens to detect abnormalities or other problems.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 29.3 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

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

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