How To Become A Safety Inspector: What It Is and Career Path

What is a safety inspector and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Robert Shepherd

A safety inspector, also known as occupational health and safety technician or specialist, examines and evaluates organizations, factories, machines, equipment, workplaces, and practices. This is to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. They usually work for the government both in the office and on the field. Exposure to different risks is inevitable; therefore, safety inspectors must wear protective clothing and gear to ensure their safety while conducting inspections. Moreover, they maintain necessary reports and records to ensure compliance.

Employers seek candidates with at least a high school diploma or its equivalent. Candidates must also have two to three years of experience related to safety inspection. You must be an expert in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards. Key skills for this job include problem-solving, attention to detail and communication skills. Having relevant certifications is a plus. Safety inspectors earn an average income of $62,515 per year. This varies between $33,000 and $119,000.

What general advice would you give to a safety inspector?

Robert Shepherd

NAESA International

People entering the workforce for the first time and recent grads cannot become elevator inspectors do to prerequisites required, which cannot be attained in any sort of schooling supplied in the world, there is none in existence. Th only way you get to be a certified elevator inspector is by successfully attaining a diploma from the school of hard knocks, so OJT is the only way!

ScoreSafety InspectorUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $48,765

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.9

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.23%

Asian 5.67%

Black or African American 10.06%

Hispanic or Latino 14.28%

Unknown 6.18%

White 62.59%

Gender

female 17.94%

male 82.06%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress level

7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a safety inspector

Explore safety inspector education requirements

Most common safety inspector degrees

Bachelor's

46.8 %

Associate

21.9 %

High School Diploma

16.7 %

Start to develop specific safety inspector skills

Skills	Percentages
OSHA	13.01%
Safety Procedures	7.25%
Safety Inspections	5.63%
Fire Protection	4.92%
Safety Standards	4.51%

Complete relevant safety inspector training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New safety inspectors 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 safety inspector based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real safety inspector resumes.

Research safety inspector duties and responsibilities

Assist with ergonomics assessments, assist in managing HAZMAT and chemical storage programs, and evaluate fire prevention plans.
Complete workshop and laboratory equipment safety for all university buildings for compliance with OSHA and other appropriate regulations.
Investigate and document incidents using accurate and industry relate terminology to protect against lawsuits and to provide OSHA with additional information.
Upgrade and assist with the maintenance of the facility MSDS system, in particular the raw material MSDS's.

Prepare your safety inspector resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your safety inspector resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a safety inspector resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable safety inspector resume templates

Build a professional safety inspector 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 safety inspector resume.

Apply for safety inspector jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a safety inspector 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 do safety inspectors rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Safety inspector reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2023

Pros

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.

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022

Cons

Some workers refuse to adhere to safety policies even when it is obvious that they could get hurt.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020