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Occupational Health & Safety Technician

$61,560
median / year
$46,280 – $100,160
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Inspect equipment and worksites, collect samples, and help document and correct workplace hazards.

You may also see this posted as: Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Construction Safety Consultant, Industrial Hygienist, Safety Specialist, Advisory Industrial Hygienist, EHS Advisor (Environmental, Health, and Safety Advisor).

Where you work

Factories, construction sites, offices, and other workplaces.

The hours

Usually full-time; travel and emergency response may occur.

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Evaluate situations or make determinations when a worker has refused to work on the grounds that danger or potential harm exists.
  • Supply, operate, or maintain personal protective equipment.
  • Train workers in safety procedures related to green jobs, such as the use of fall protection devices or maintenance of proper ventilation during wind turbine construction.
  • Test workplaces for environmental hazards, such as exposure to radiation, chemical or biological hazards, or excessive noise.
  • Maintain all required environmental records and documentation.

Good fit if you like…

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

Realistic

working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

O*NET job zone 3 of 5

Medium preparation—often vocational training, an associate degree, or substantial experience—is usually needed.

Work styles that matter most

CautiousnessDependabilityAttention to DetailIntegrity

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Access

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$61,560
per year
Hourly median
$29.59
per hour
What most earn
$46,280–$100,160
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~3,400
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+8.5%
Faster than average
Working in the U.S.
30,590
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

High school / no degree

Training path: High school plus paid on-the-job safety training.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

InspectionSamplingSafety rulesRecordkeeping

The honest take

Collects samples, tests equipment, and documents hazards under the direction of safety specialists.

Standard Occupational Classification 19-5012. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.