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Job outlook for ehs specialists in the United States
Ehs specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected ehs specialist job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 7,500 new jobs for ehs specialists are projected over the next decade.
Ehs specialist salaries have increased -15% for ehs specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 6,438 ehs specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 7,580 active ehs specialist job openings in the US.
The average ehs specialist salary is $58,112.
Are ehs specialist jobs in demand?
Ehs specialist job and salary trends over time
Ehs specialist jobs over time
Ehs specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,438 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 6,731 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 7,230 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 16,256 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 15,041 | 0.00% |
Average ehs specialist salary over time
Ehs specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $58,112 | $27.94 | +3.6% |
| 2025 | $56,094 | $26.97 | --20.3% |
| 2024 | $70,352 | $33.82 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $69,157 | $33.25 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $68,329 | $32.85 | +1.0% |
Ehs specialist jobs by state
Most common states for ehs specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 102 | 15% |
| 2 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 270 | 9% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 75 | 8% |
| 4 | Alaska | 739,795 | 53 | 7% |
| 5 | Vermont | 623,657 | 43 | 7% |
| 6 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 42 | 7% |
| 7 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 593 | 6% |
| 8 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 525 | 6% |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 402 | 6% |
| 10 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 280 | 6% |
| 11 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 114 | 6% |
| 12 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 98 | 6% |
| 13 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 46 | 6% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 586 | 5% |
| 15 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 189 | 5% |
| 16 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 149 | 5% |
| 17 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 87 | 5% |
| 18 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 70 | 5% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 49 | 5% |
| 20 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 43 | 5% |
Most common cities for ehs specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elkhart | 3 | 6% | $54,560 |
| 2 | Elk Grove Village | 2 | 6% | $56,190 |
| 3 | Salisbury | 2 | 6% | $57,796 |
| 4 | Muskegon | 2 | 5% | $56,932 |
| 5 | Addison | 1 | 3% | $56,112 |
| 6 | Alpharetta | 1 | 2% | $43,629 |
| 7 | Boulder | 1 | 1% | $60,745 |
| 8 | Chicago | 2 | 0% | $56,180 |
| 9 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $43,582 |
| 10 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $68,847 |
EHS Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of ehs specialist experts
Bellarmine University
University of Central Missouri
What general advice would you give to an EHS Specialist?
Martha Carlson Mazur PhD: Be a contributing member of the communities you occupy. Forming authentic relationships builds the network that will lead to opportunities for advancement.
What EHS Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Martha Carlson Mazur PhD: The art of paying attention is the top emerging skill that students need to acquire before entering the workforce in Environmental Science. We have so many distractions vying for our attention in today’s high-tech world that we need to be mindful of where we choose to direct our thoughts to optimize our productivity. Likewise, paying attention to changes in the environment is of utmost importance in the work that we do, and paying attention to our own needs will keep us going in the hard but rewarding work of changing the world.
What will help EHS Specialists increase their earning potential?
Martha Carlson Mazur PhD: Be clear to yourself on what you value and how you want to use your unique skills and knowledge to change your piece of the world. Then, connect with people to find shared values and build relationships to enact your vision while being open to opportunities you might not have considered.
Wesley Tinker
Assistant Professor of SafetyUniversity of Central Missouri
Safety Sciences
What general advice would you give to an EHS Specialist?
Wesley Tinker: - The day-to-day duties of a Safety Professional depend on the industry they currently work in but also the level of tenure they have in the organization. There is a long list of duties but the following allow for a broad sweep across an average day. The schedule of a typical workday could start with a toolbox talk which allows for a brief 'heads-up' to a vast array of safety-related topics or issues that workers have the possibility of seeing on-site. Field audits would be another crucial duty to examine the site for new safety-related issues and to monitor controls set on previously identified hazards. Conducting pieces of training for new workers and/or updates on safety-related issues on their site. Accident investigations are one of the random unexpected duties a Safety Professional might conduct, which is important in the prevention of future injuries and illnesses. Providing good customer service toward the workers and management but also the organization's vendors is critical for nearly all aspects of that company. Customer service is closely connected to the culture of the company as the majority of industry leaders provide a 'Safety First' environment. Overall, the Safety Professional provides many attributes to the day-to-day functions of many organizations. These attributes directly impact that company's stance in the overall global marketplace.
What EHS Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Wesley Tinker: - In today's marketplace, the need for Safety Professionals is at an all-time high. With the ever-evolving methods and equipment across all industries, safety-related positions are being instituted to keep up with the introduction of the risks associated with the evolvement. Safety professionals impact the four quadrants of risk management involving finances, strategy, operations, and of course hazards. In previous years, the persona of duties associated with the Safety professional only impacted the hazards element but nowadays we can see how impactful they are on all four of those quadrants. With this level of involvement in the organization, the justification for a higher salary is made. Safety Professionals typically enter the field because they want to prevent people from becoming injured and/or ill but also the volume of positions along with the higher payscale than most 'fresh out of college' professions, allows for more opportunities.
What will help EHS Specialists increase their earning potential?
Wesley Tinker: - Most dislikes are typically initial as they are mostly during the time needed to adapt to the organizational structure and procedures. Desensitization to certain aspects such as public speaking and conflict resolution is needed, as those skills will assist them heavily in their future in safety. Another dislike could be the individual not enjoying the development of safety loss control programs, but these documents are the backbone to which they enforce compliance and explain all elements related to worker and infrastructure safety. - There are many more 'likes' associated with being in safety than 'dislikes'. Safety Professionals can expect a very rewarding career personally, financially, and professionally as they typically enjoy a great work/life balance, maintaining a lucrative career which the majority of organizations start them at salaries ranging from $70,000 to $95,000, and several developmental aspects associated with being an active Safety Professional.