How to hire an environmental health specialist

How to hire an environmental health specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step environmental health specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an environmental health specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new environmental health specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an environmental health specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The environmental health specialist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect environmental health specialist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of environmental health specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Environmental Health Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Environmental Health Specialist	Occupational health and safety specialists analyze many types of work environments and work procedures. Specialists inspect workplaces for adherence to regulations on safety, health, and the environment... Show more	$18-37
   Safety Officer	A safety officer specializes in maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for employees in a building or establishment. Aside from adhering to the safety standards and regulations within a company, a safety officer also has to craft and improve policies that prioritize the physical and mental health of workers... Show more	$13-35
   Safety Trainer	The Safety Trainer ensures that all employees are safe from dangers and are educated well on handling threats and problems. Alongside this, the Safety Trainer properly educates and informs all company employees on the company's safety protocols and procedures... Show more	$14-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Environmental Health
   • EHS
   • OSHA
   • Hazardous Waste
   • Public Health
   • Risk Assessments
   • Corrective Action
   • Safety Training
   • Regulatory Agencies
   • Air Quality
   • Safety Regulations
   • Emergency Response
   • Ehs Management
   • Hazardous Materials

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Help in managing the implementation of management systems meeting OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001 standards.
   • Manage organization's injury/illness recordkeeping and handle worker's compensation claims.
   • Provide strategic leadership and work with management on identify EHS issues/recommendations/opportunities to foster continuous improvement of EHS programs and culture.
   • Maintain SDS and GHS programs.
   • Serve as an in-house expert for GHS - SDS and labeling issues.
   • Help integrate EHSMS internal audits with QMS internal audits for ISO 13485 and reviewing QSR.

   More environmental health specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your environmental health specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An environmental health specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an environmental health specialist in Alabama may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level environmental health specialist usually earns less than a senior-level environmental health specialist. Additionally, an environmental health specialist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average environmental health specialist salary

   $54,789yearly

   $26.34 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level environmental health specialist salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average environmental health specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$71,142	$34
   2	Washington	$70,047	$34
   3	Nevada	$69,194	$33
   4	Oregon	$63,860	$31
   5	District of Columbia	$61,566	$30
   6	Pennsylvania	$60,539	$29
   7	Massachusetts	$60,433	$29
   8	Colorado	$57,227	$28
   9	Illinois	$53,222	$26
   10	Idaho	$52,661	$25
   11	Wisconsin	$52,337	$25
   12	Hawaii	$52,327	$25
   13	Ohio	$50,024	$24
   14	Arizona	$49,916	$24
   15	Texas	$49,384	$24
   16	North Carolina	$47,761	$23
   17	Missouri	$47,664	$23
   18	Arkansas	$46,888	$23
   19	Florida	$42,926	$21

   Average environmental health specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	ICU Medical	$102,683	$49.37
   2	Nike	$87,994	$42.30
   3	Nikola Motor	$86,401	$41.54
   4	The Dow Chemical Company	$86,074	$41.38
   5	Bayer	$85,417	$41.07	8
   6	Tesla	$84,801	$40.77	11
   7	Medtronic	$84,712	$40.73	1
   8	SMUD	$81,161	$39.02
   9	Santa Clara Valley Water District	$81,133	$39.01
   10	Sensata	$79,946	$38.44
   11	Abbott	$79,638	$38.29	13
   12	Plug Power	$79,367	$38.16	2
   13	City of Detroit	$78,427	$37.71	2
   14	Meggitt PLC	$77,883	$37.44
   15	Bio-Rad Laboratories	$76,014	$36.55
   16	Siemens Enterprise Communications Inc	$72,999	$35.10
   17	ONE Gas	$72,765	$34.98
   18	Praxair	$72,096	$34.66
   19	Bunge	$71,129	$34.20
   20	Medline	$70,670	$33.98	4

4. Writing an environmental health specialist job description

   A good environmental health specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an environmental health specialist job description:

   Environmental health specialist job description example

   SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:
   
   Under direction, plans, develops, organizes, and implements the MCPS Asbestos Abatement Program, including management of contractor work, the development and implementation of training programs, and preparing reports, often of a technical nature. Assists in the development/revision of other health and safety programs, provides environmental health consultant services (i.e. diagnoses, evaluates, identifies, and controls physical, chemical, biological, and other occupational health hazard). Investigates compliance with environmental health regulations and implements best practices. Meets and coordinates with a variety of internal and external personnel. Ensures compliance with all applicable policies, procedures, laws and regulations. Performs other related work as assigned.
   
   CERTIFICATE LICENSE:
   
   Possession of a valid Maryland driver's license. Current AHERA Building Inspector, Management Planner, Project Designer and Supervisor certification required. 40-hr HAZWOPER and NIOSH 582 certification preferred.
   
   KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES:
   
   Knowledge of the basic principles of biology, chemistry, mathematics and other scientific disciplines applicable to recognizing, evaluating, preventing, controlling, and eliminating environmental health hazards. Working knowledge of the major technical standards, inspection techniques and analytical methods applicable to the investigation of environmental health hazards and the use of sampling and instrumentation/testing equipment. Thorough knowledge of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). Ability to understand and interpret complex technical standards; identify, diagnose, and evaluate environmental health hazards; prepare detailed reports and analyses; and maintain effective environmental health practices and programs. Excellent oral and written communications skills. Skill in using state-of-the-art environmental testing equipment. Knowledge of and the ability to meet the seven core competencies of the Supporting Services Professional Growth System (SSPGS).
   
   EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE:
   
   Bachelors degree required. College major in industrial hygiene, engineering, or a physical science. Professional level experience in industrial hygiene or environmental health; and extensive responsible experience in asbestos identification, inspection and abatement programs, including working with asbestos abatement contractors, reading blueprints, and managing and developing staff. Other combinations of applicable education, training, and experience which provide the knowledge, abilities, and skills necessary to perform effectively in the position may be considered.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find environmental health specialists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any environmental health specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level environmental health specialists with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your environmental health specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit environmental health specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting environmental health specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new environmental health specialist

   Once you've selected the best environmental health specialist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new environmental health specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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