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What is a health and safety technician and how to become one
Health and Safety Technicians test workplaces for environmental dangers such as radiation exposure, chemical or biological hazards, or excessive noise. They assess facilities for environmental risks, verify availability, and supervise the use of safety equipment such as ear protectors or respirators. In connection to the former, they keep medical supply or equipment inventory. Furthermore, they provide, operate, and maintain personal protective equipment for patients or employees. When a worker refuses to work because they believe there is a risk of injury, they must evaluate the issue or make a decision.
You must be vast at the application of technology, work smart and detailed in analysis, communicate well, and possess physical stamina. You must also be familiar with hazards communication, material handling, breathing protection, and storage procedures. You must possess an Associate's Degree in Occupational Health and Safety or complete a certificate to strengthen your employment case further. Health and Safety Technicians earn between $40,000 and $ 84,000 yearly.
What general advice would you give to a health and safety technician?
Dr. Nick Nichols Professor
Professor, Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Avg. Salary $49,470
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 6%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.23%
Asian 5.66%
Black or African American 9.66%
Hispanic or Latino 14.26%
Unknown 6.18%
White 63.01%
Genderfemale 28.50%
male 71.50%
Age - 45American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 45Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Health and safety technician career paths
Key steps to become a health and safety technician
Explore health and safety technician education requirements
Start to develop specific health and safety technician skills
Skills Percentages OSHA 8.50% Environmental Health 8.08% EHS 7.42% Hazardous Waste 4.45% EPA 3.15% Complete relevant health and safety technician training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New health and safety technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a health and safety technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real health and safety technician resumes.Research health and safety technician duties and responsibilities
- Achieve the highest score for compliance out of multiple Rohm and Haas facilities audit by the EPA.
- Develop and manage MSDS online account and respiratory protection program for employees that meet the respiratory requirements for specific job tasks.
- Coordinate deployment of environmental procedures, such as HazMat response.
- Coordinate with outside auditors to maintain OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001 certificates.
Prepare your health and safety technician resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your health and safety technician resume.
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Choose from 10+ customizable health and safety technician resume templates
Build a professional health and safety technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your health and safety technician resume.
Apply for health and safety technician jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a health and safety technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first health and safety technician job
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Average health and safety technician salary
The average health and safety technician salary in the United States is $49,470 per year or $24 per hour. Health and safety technician salaries range between $34,000 and $71,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do health and safety technicians rate their job?
Health and safety technician reviews
You have the satisfaction of keeping the employees safe and you know that higher management gives you support. If you go through an OSHA inspection you are confident that you've done your due diligence.
It takes time to implement and see the safety culture grow.
Some workers refuse to adhere to safety policies even when it is obvious that they could get hurt.
Working with leadership and taking part in creating a safer work environment through physical changes in the plant as well as a heavy focus on behavioral based safety. I enjoy training others and being tasked with difficult questions that require research and a follow up. I'm slowly becoming an expert in specific policies and standards set by our company, government agencies, and other industry standards.
I've got limited official background in OSH and find it difficult to navigate the corporate environment to find answers at times. Knowing who to include in what meetings and information sharing sessions has been somewhat of a challenge as well.
Updated January 8, 2025
