How to hire an occupational health and safety specialist

How to hire an occupational health and safety specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step occupational health and safety 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 occupational health and safety specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new occupational health and safety specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an occupational health and safety specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your occupational health and safety specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an occupational health and safety specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An occupational health and safety specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, occupational health and safety specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of occupational health and safety specialists.

   Type of Occupational Health And Safety Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Occupational Health And Safety 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	$19-41
   Safety And Training Coordinator	A safety and training coordinator helps ensure that all employees, subcontractors, and vendors adhere to the safety protocols and safety behaviors. They oversee safety instructor's safety teachings, procedures, and implementation.	$14-29
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Occupational Safety
   • Safety Issues
   • Trend Analysis
   • CFR
   • Occupational Health
   • Identify Hazards
   • Respirators
   • Safety Program
   • Safety Procedures
   • Fire Prevention
   • Fall Protection
   • Property Damage
   • Occupational Illnesses
   • Hazardous Materials

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the facility respirator protection program, including proper selection and use, respiratory fit testing and regulatory compliance
   • Conduct training classes for MSHA personnel and for various mine operators in Oregon.
   • Maintain thorough working knowledge of OSHA, NFPA, ANSI standards and special policy changes from AFRC.
   • Verse and complies with OSHA, NFPA, CFR, ANSI, EPA, civilian and military safety regulatory requirements.
   • Attend MSHA training as needed and maintain current knowledge on policy and procedures.
   • Communicate with OSHA and EPA regulatory officials with regard to contractor safety and HW/HM compliance.

   More occupational health and safety specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your occupational health and safety specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An occupational health and safety 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 occupational health and safety specialist in Tennessee may be lower than in Maryland, and an entry-level occupational health and safety specialist usually earns less than a senior-level occupational health and safety specialist. Additionally, an occupational health and safety 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 occupational health and safety specialist salary

   $59,335yearly

   $28.53 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level occupational health and safety specialist salary

   $40,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 11, 2026

   Average occupational health and safety specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$77,749	$37
   2	District of Columbia	$75,517	$36
   3	Virginia	$71,263	$34
   4	California	$69,486	$33
   5	New York	$67,240	$32
   6	Washington	$65,189	$31
   7	Nevada	$64,974	$31
   8	Pennsylvania	$64,482	$31
   9	New Mexico	$63,768	$31
   10	Ohio	$63,034	$30
   11	Colorado	$62,323	$30
   12	Illinois	$61,666	$30
   13	Minnesota	$61,657	$30
   14	Arizona	$57,259	$28
   15	Oklahoma	$57,036	$27
   16	Indiana	$56,853	$27
   17	Texas	$51,197	$25
   18	Tennessee	$50,337	$24
   19	Florida	$50,147	$24
   20	Arkansas	$48,756	$23

   Average occupational health and safety specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Genentech	$110,730	$53.24
   2	Holtec International	$94,503	$45.43	2
   3	Department of Homeland Security	$90,403	$43.46
   4	U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board	$79,716	$38.33
   5	HRL Laboratories	$77,897	$37.45
   6	Chevron	$77,070	$37.05
   7	Gilead Sciences	$76,557	$36.81	8
   8	VF	$73,213	$35.20
   9	QED Group	$71,741	$34.49
   10	Q.E.D. Systems	$69,862	$33.59
   11	U.S. Department of Transportation	$69,692	$33.51	39
   12	United States Mint	$69,419	$33.37
   13	SUNY New Paltz	$68,325	$32.85
   14	Buckeye Partners	$65,408	$31.45	1
   15	Boeing	$64,955	$31.23	44
   16	Internal Revenue Service	$62,632	$30.11
   17	US Meat Animal Research Center	$62,475	$30.04
   18	National Park Foundation	$61,915	$29.77
   19	U.S. Census Bureau	$59,976	$28.83
   20	Leidos	$59,504	$28.61	29

4. Writing an occupational health and safety specialist job description

   An occupational health and safety specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an occupational health and safety specialist job description:

   Occupational health and safety specialist job description example

   What you'd be responsible for

   • Serve as the onsite health & safety representative and resource for daily operations and activities.
   • Assist in identifying potential health & safety hazards, and make appropriate recommendations.
   • Inspect and audit work sites, offices, vehicles, equipment, and work practices to monitor internal and external (OSHA) compliance, safe work practices and unsafe working conditions.
   • Oversee the investigation and corrective action process of incidents, and inform management of compliance issues, safety risks, and improvement opportunities.
   • Monitor industrial hygiene, PPE, JHA, Lockout, hazard prevention & control, and other safety programs
   • Plan and deliver safety training on a variety of health & safety topics
   • Stay current on federal, state, and local OSHA and other applicable safety regulations.

   What's required to be successful

   • Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Safety or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience in lieu of degree.
   • 2-5 years of experience in health and safety, including experience conducting safety audits, Job Hazard Assessments, injury & incident investigations. Large construction project experience is an asset.
   • Knowledgeable in health & safety principles, procedures, practices and techniques. Working knowledge of OSHA regulations.
   • Strong organizational, communication (verbal and written) and problem resolution skills. Ability to present information or respond to inquiries from management and employees of all levels.

   Other important facts about this job

   As an EPCOR employee, you will enjoy a variety of benefits such as a competitive salary, an incentive award program, an excellent benefit package including medical, dental, vision and other insurance coverage, retirement plan with substantial company contribution, generous time-off schedules, training opportunities, tuition reimbursement, and certification support. We've been voted as a Best Places to Work employer and we value the safety of each of our team members through our robust safety training and celebration of safety milestones.

   Headquartered in Phoenix, EPCOR USA owns, operates and builds water, wastewater and natural gas infrastructure and is among the largest private water utilities in the Southwest. EPCOR USA is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of EPCOR Utilities Inc. We invest in and look after our communities and the environment. We're proud of the work we do and the people we hire to do it.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right occupational health and safety specialist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with occupational health and safety specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit occupational health and safety specialists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your occupational health and safety specialist job on Zippia to find and attract quality occupational health and safety specialist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit occupational health and safety specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 occupational health and safety specialist

   Once you've found the occupational health and safety specialist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new occupational health and safety specialist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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