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Job outlook for safety assistants in the United States
Safety assistant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected safety assistant job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 7,500 new jobs for safety assistants are projected over the next decade.
Safety assistant salaries have increased -15% for safety assistants in the last 5 years.
There are over 7,974 safety assistants currently employed in the United States.
There are 13,994 active safety assistant job openings in the US.
The average safety assistant salary is $38,077.
Are safety assistant jobs in demand?
Safety assistant job and salary trends over time
Safety assistant jobs over time
Safety assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7,974 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 6,856 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 8,982 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 31,703 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 30,073 | 0.01% |
Average safety assistant salary over time
Safety assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $38,077 | $18.31 | +3.6% |
| 2024 | $36,755 | $17.67 | --20.3% |
| 2023 | $46,097 | $22.16 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $45,315 | $21.79 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | $44,772 | $21.52 | +1.0% |
Safety assistant jobs by state
Most common states for safety assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 49 | 7% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 31 | 4% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 260 | 3% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 189 | 3% |
| 5 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 170 | 3% |
| 6 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 159 | 3% |
| 7 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 105 | 3% |
| 8 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 94 | 3% |
| 9 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 92 | 3% |
| 10 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 47 | 3% |
| 11 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 39 | 3% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 27 | 3% |
| 13 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 22 | 3% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 269 | 2% |
| 15 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 192 | 2% |
| 16 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 180 | 2% |
| 17 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 137 | 2% |
| 18 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 66 | 2% |
| 19 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 31 | 2% |
| 20 | Delaware | 961,939 | 23 | 2% |
Most common cities for safety assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyandotte | 8 | 32% | $39,379 |
| 2 | Milton | 3 | 11% | $44,122 |
| 3 | Jackson | 3 | 9% | $38,508 |
| 4 | Amherst | 2 | 5% | $44,364 |
| 5 | Fairbanks | 1 | 3% | $58,970 |
| 6 | Goshen | 1 | 3% | $32,476 |
| 7 | Fort Wayne | 4 | 2% | $32,488 |
| 8 | Clinton | 2 | 2% | $39,739 |
| 9 | Highland | 1 | 2% | $39,347 |
| 10 | Anchorage | 2 | 1% | $57,475 |
| 11 | Irvine | 2 | 1% | $39,208 |
| 12 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $43,890 |
| 13 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $36,985 |
| 14 | Chula Vista | 1 | 0% | $38,267 |
| 15 | Des Moines | 1 | 0% | $33,065 |
| 16 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $39,816 |
Safety Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of safety assistant experts
University of Central Missouri
San Jose State University
Wesley Tinker
Assistant Professor of SafetyUniversity of Central Missouri
Safety Sciences
What Safety Assistant 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 Safety Assistants 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.
Christine Foster
Adjunct ProfessorSan Jose State University
Industrial Systems and Engineering Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Safety Assistant job market given the pandemic?
Christine Foster: I believe that the pandemic will continue to drive opportunities for occupational safety work within the greater healthcare market, and more specifically in hospitals and clinics as well as biotech/pharma. I also have seen an increased demand for safety professionals overall, as many aspects of the pandemic have driven home the need for safety in industries that have not typically had a focus in this area. Examples of this include food and beverage, where there have been significant outbreaks during the pandemic, and food service where there is great risk for exposure during eating and drinking activities. Regulatory changes will also continue to increase demand for occupational safety expertise.
What skills stand out on Safety Assistant resumes?
Christine Foster: From a skills perspective, I look for strong written and verbal communication skills. This includes making sure that the resume is grammatically solid and free from spelling errors. This is a first impression, and one that may make the difference between getting an interview or not. Specific experience that is important includes risk assessment/analysis, regulatory interpretation, data analysis, and project management. So much of what we do in occupational safety is assessing risk and then translating that into recommendations that are then managed to execution. Today's safety professional needs to be able to do all of these things well.