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Occupational health and safety specialist salary
Average occupational health and safety specialist salary
$59,335
Understanding the Occupational Health and Safety Specialist Salary
As of October 2025, the occupational health and safety specialist earns an average salary of $59,335 per year, translating to about $29 per hour. This salary can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and specific industry sectors.
Salary Variations by State
For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to the increased cost of living and demand for safety professionals. In contrast, regions with lower living costs may present lower average salaries.
Job Opportunities
Occupational health and safety specialists are employed in various sectors, including manufacturing, healthcare, and government agencies. They play a vital role in creating safe work environments by identifying hazards, conducting inspections, and ensuring compliance with safety regulations. Job seekers can enhance their prospects by gaining relevant certifications and experience.
Career Advancement
As you progress in your career, opportunities for advancement typically lead to higher salaries. Roles such as safety manager or director of safety can significantly increase earning potential. Explore job listings on Zippia to find positions that align with your career goals.
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Where can an Occupational Health And Safety Specialist earn more?
Average occupational health and safety specialist salary by state
The highest-paying states for occupational health and safety specialists are Maryland, Connecticut, and West Virginia. The lowest average occupational health and safety specialist salary states are Tennessee, Alabama, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for occupational health and safety specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | $68,667 | $33.01 |
| 2 | Michigan | $68,179 | $32.78 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $70,878 | $34.08 |
| 4 | Maryland | $77,844 | $37.42 |
| 5 | Delaware | $71,764 | $34.50 |
| 6 | South Dakota | $65,704 | $31.59 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $70,437 | $33.86 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $71,965 | $34.60 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $74,158 | $35.65 |
| 10 | Virginia | $70,400 | $33.85 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $63,812 | $30.68 |
| 12 | Washington | $64,962 | $31.23 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $63,696 | $30.62 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $75,473 | $36.29 |
| 15 | Nevada | $66,246 | $31.85 |
| 16 | Vermont | $64,915 | $31.21 |
| 17 | Ohio | $61,052 | $29.35 |
| 18 | Oregon | $66,092 | $31.77 |
| 19 | Indiana | $58,074 | $27.92 |
| 20 | Iowa | $58,126 | $27.95 |
| 21 | Alaska | $67,909 | $32.65 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $64,401 | $30.96 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $63,508 | $30.53 |
| 24 | Utah | $63,598 | $30.58 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $56,058 | $26.95 |
| 26 | New York | $67,022 | $32.22 |
| 27 | Minnesota | $61,544 | $29.59 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $61,591 | $29.61 |
| 29 | California | $63,563 | $30.56 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $57,763 | $27.77 |
| 31 | Montana | $63,920 | $30.73 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $51,283 | $24.66 |
| 33 | Maine | $62,236 | $29.92 |
| 34 | Arizona | $57,116 | $27.46 |
| 35 | Colorado | $62,347 | $29.97 |
| 36 | New Jersey | $64,953 | $31.23 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $56,943 | $27.38 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $52,782 | $25.38 |
| 39 | Illinois | $61,197 | $29.42 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $50,768 | $24.41 |
| 41 | Massachusetts | $61,352 | $29.50 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $54,719 | $26.31 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $52,308 | $25.15 |
| 44 | Alabama | $50,080 | $24.08 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $48,876 | $23.50 |
| 46 | Missouri | $47,493 | $22.83 |
| 47 | Texas | $50,929 | $24.49 |
| 48 | Kansas | $45,633 | $21.94 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $50,410 | $24.24 |
| 50 | Florida | $50,661 | $24.36 |
| 51 | Georgia | $47,661 | $22.91 |
Highest paying cities for occupational health and safety specialists
The highest-paying cities for occupational health and safety specialists are Silver Spring, MD, Washington, DC, and Fredericksburg, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silver Spring, MD | $77,749 | $37.38 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $75,517 | $36.31 |
| 3 | Fredericksburg, VA | $71,263 | $34.26 |
| 4 | Berkeley, CA | $69,486 | $33.41 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $67,240 | $32.33 |
| 6 | Everett, WA | $65,189 | $31.34 |
| 7 | Henderson, NV | $64,974 | $31.24 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | $64,482 | $31.00 |
| 9 | Albuquerque, NM | $63,768 | $30.66 |
| 10 | Cleveland, OH | $63,034 | $30.30 |
| 11 | Denver, CO | $62,323 | $29.96 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $61,666 | $29.65 |
| 13 | Saint Paul, MN | $61,657 | $29.64 |
| 14 | Phoenix, AZ | $57,259 | $27.53 |
| 15 | Oklahoma City, OK | $57,036 | $27.42 |
| 16 | Columbus, IN | $56,853 | $27.33 |
| 17 | Fort Worth, TX | $51,197 | $24.61 |
| 18 | Chattanooga, TN | $50,337 | $24.20 |
| 19 | Miami, FL | $50,147 | $24.11 |
| 20 | Rogers, AR | $48,756 | $23.44 |
Occupational health and safety specialist salary details
An occupational health and safety specialist's salary ranges from $40,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $87,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an occupational health and safety specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| 75th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| Average | $59,335 | $4,945 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
| 10th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
Highest paying occupational health and safety specialist jobs
The highest paying types of occupational health and safety specialists are radiation safety officer, plant safety leader, and ehs specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safety And Training Coordinator | $43,367 | $3,614 | $20.85 | 43,362 |
| Safety Officer | $46,336 | $3,861 | $22.28 | 68,487 |
| Safety Trainer | $45,097 | $3,758 | $21.68 | 35,032 |
| Safety Instructor | $29,977 | $2,498 | $14.41 | 38,602 |
| Safety Representative | $50,717 | $4,226 | $24.38 | 15,531 |
| Safety Advisor | $55,939 | $4,662 | $26.89 | 53,425 |
Top companies hiring occupational health and safety specialists now:
Which companies pay occupational health and safety specialists the most?
Occupational health and safety specialist salaries at Genentech and Holtec International are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average occupational health and safety specialist salary at companies like Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genentech | $110,730 | $53.24 |
| 2 | Holtec International | $94,503 | $45.43 |
| 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 | 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 |
| 12 | United States Mint | $69,419 | $33.37 |
| 13 | SUNY New Paltz | $68,325 | $32.85 |
| 14 | Buckeye Partners | $65,408 | $31.45 |
| 15 | Boeing | $64,955 | $31.23 |
| 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 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Occupational health and safety specialist salary trends
The average occupational health and safety specialist salary has fallen by $-5,858 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average occupational health and safety specialist earned $65,193 annually, but today, they earn $59,335 a year. That works out to a -15% change in pay for occupational health and safety specialists over the last decade.
Compare occupational health and safety specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average occupational health and safety specialist salary over time
Compare occupational health and safety specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Occupational health and safety specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $59,300 | $28.53 | +3.5% |
| 2025 | $57,300 | $27.54 | -25.4% |
| 2024 | $71,800 | $34.54 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $70,600 | $33.95 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $69,800 | $33.54 | +1.0% |
Recently added occupational health and safety specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeppesen | Mid-Level Occupational Health and Safety Specialist | El Segundo, CA | 06/30/2025 | $95,200 |
| Subsidium, Inc. | Occupational Safety and Health Specialist | Washington, DC | 06/27/2025 | $70,000 |
| Aston Carter | Occupational Health, Safety, and Risk Specialist | Maryville, TN | 06/26/2025 | $60,210 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | Safety & Occupational Health Specialist | Tampa, FL | 06/26/2025 | $73,939 |
| State of Washington | L&I Dosh Bilingual Spanish Occupational Safety & Health Professional-Primarily Agriculture | Ione, WA | 06/25/2025 | $72,924 |
| Us Government Other Agencies and Independent Organizations | Safety & Occupational Health Specialist | Washington, DC | 06/22/2025 | $84,601 |
| Boeing | Mid-Level Occupational Health and Safety Specialist | North Charleston, SC | 06/21/2025 | $89,250 |
| Boeing | Mid-Level Occupational Health and Safety Specialist | Los Angeles, CA | 06/20/2025 | $95,200 |
| Xanterra Parks & Resorts | Occupational Health & Safety Specialist-Grand Canyon South Rim | Grand Canyon Village, AZ | 06/18/2025 | $37,253 |
| CSU Careers | Occupational Health and Safety Specialist (Administrative Analyst/Specialist, Exempt II) | Ione, CA | 06/18/2025 | $66,444 |
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