Employment

Growing Job Market

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment growth of 8 percent for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) professionals from 2016 to 2026. A 2011 study commissioned by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) concluded employer demand for qualified OSH professionals will exceed supply in the next five years.

More information about the NIOSH study

For more employment information on Occupational Health and Safety professionals visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Federally Mandated Need

The demand for competent, qualified OSH professionals extends across the U.S. nationwide. Employers need OSH professionals to stay in compliance with federally mandated occupational safety and health standards.

OSH professionals also contribute to business sustainability by creating and maintaining workplaces that foster productivity and efficiency. The absence of workplace injuries and illnesses allows valuable human resources to remain on-the-job. It avoids costs and inefficiencies associated with increased overtime, hiring of temporary employees, reduced product/service quality, and increased physical and mental demand on uninjured employees, among other negative outcomes, that erode business sustainability.

Wide Variety of Job Opportunities

The skills and expertise of OSH professionals, who help prevent harm to workers, property, the environment, and the general public, are needed in a wide array of employment sectors. Largest employers include insurance companies, health care facilities, service industries, construction, manufacturing, chemical/petroleum industries, municipalities, school systems, and transportation industries. Other employers include local, state, and federal agencies, and consulting companies among numerous others.

Possible Job Titles

  • EHS Coordinator
  • Environmental, Health and Safety Officer
  • Ergonomist
  • Industrial Hygienist
  • Loss Control Specialist
  • Loss Prevention Specialist
  • Occupational Health Specialist
  • Occupational Safety and Health Technician
  • Safety and Health Compliance Officer
  • Safety Coordinator
  • Safety Engineer/Specialist
  • Safety Inspector

Salary Information

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2012 median pay - the wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less – for Occupational Health and Safety Technicians is $47,440 per year or $22.81 per hour. For Occupational Health and Safety Specialists, the median salary is $66,790 per year or $32.11 per hour.

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