Career profile · 19-5012
Occupational Health and Safety Technicians
Collect data on work environments for analysis by occupational health and safety specialists. Implement and conduct evaluation of programs designed to limit chemical, physical, biological, and ergonomic risks to workers.
What the work can involve
- 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.
- Provide consultation to organizations or agencies on the workplace application of safety principles, practices, or techniques.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves vocational training, related experience or an associate-level route. It does not mean every course in a related subject meets the requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Writing
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Law and Government
- Engineering and Technology
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Getting Information
- Documenting/Recording Information
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Contact with others most of the time | 47.6%08/2024 · sample 21 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Once a month or more but not every week | 31.6%08/2024 · sample 19 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 50.0%08/2024 · sample 18 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Once a year or more but not every month | 52.6%08/2024 · sample 19 |
| Spend Time Sitting | About half the time | 52.4%08/2024 · sample 21 |
| Spend Time Standing | About half the time | 57.9%08/2024 · sample 19 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Less than half the time | 61.9%08/2024 · sample 21 |
| Time Pressure | Once a week or more but not every day | 42.9%08/2024 · sample 21 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 57.9%08/2024 · sample 19 |
| Work Schedules | Irregular (changes with weather conditions, production demands, or contract duration) | 66.7%08/2024 · sample 21 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software, TapRooT
- Data base user interface and query software: Brady Lockout Pro, Database software, Microsoft Access, Remedy Interactive iMitigate
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint
- Electronic mail software: Email software, Microsoft Outlook
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Graphics software
- Industrial control software: Industrial Scientific iNET, QuestSuite Professional
- Internet browser software: Web browser software
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Video conferencing software: Teleconferencing software
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for occupational health and safety technicians
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 48 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $55,010 | $26.45 | 880 |
| Alaska | $80,760 | $38.83 | 140 |
| Arizona | $65,480 | $31.48 | 440 |
| Arkansas | $50,840 | $24.44 | 510 |
| California | $61,360 | $29.50 | 2,650 |
| Colorado | $73,110 | $35.15 | 400 |
| Connecticut | $68,310 | $32.84 | 130 |
| Delaware | $62,310 | $29.96 | 150 |
| Florida | $59,140 | $28.43 | 1,000 |
| Georgia | $63,290 | $30.43 | 1,210 |
| Idaho | $60,670 | $29.17 | 240 |
| Illinois | $65,960 | $31.71 | 1,790 |
| Indiana | $60,150 | $28.92 | 1,660 |
| Iowa | $58,300 | $28.03 | 290 |
| Kansas | $59,740 | $28.72 | 480 |
| Kentucky | $61,120 | $29.38 | 650 |
| Louisiana | $57,930 | $27.85 | 780 |
| Maine | $64,240 | $30.88 | 140 |
| Maryland | $64,670 | $31.09 | 280 |
| Massachusetts | $68,730 | $33.04 | 290 |
| Michigan | $67,310 | $32.36 | 450 |
| Minnesota | $74,400 | $35.77 | 270 |
| Mississippi | $61,230 | $29.44 | 360 |
| Missouri | $64,490 | $31.01 | 270 |
| Montana | $41,420 | $19.91 | 60 |
| Nebraska | $59,180 | $28.45 | 200 |
| Nevada | $61,770 | $29.70 | 440 |
| New Hampshire | $62,630 | $30.11 | 50 |
| New Jersey | $66,930 | $32.18 | 270 |
| New Mexico | $79,490 | $38.21 | 790 |
| New York | $69,640 | $33.48 | 1,410 |
| North Carolina | $61,760 | $29.69 | 720 |
| North Dakota | $56,000 | $26.93 | 150 |
| Ohio | $65,000 | $31.25 | 1,310 |
| Oklahoma | $56,470 | $27.15 | 370 |
| Oregon | $65,000 | $31.25 | 230 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,640 | $29.64 | 1,020 |
| Rhode Island | $84,640 | $40.69 | 60 |
| South Carolina | $58,490 | $28.12 | 420 |
| Tennessee | $55,090 | $26.49 | 310 |
| Texas | $57,980 | $27.87 | 4,420 |
| Utah | $57,340 | $27.57 | 280 |
| Vermont | $61,960 | $29.79 | 80 |
| Virginia | $62,380 | $29.99 | 840 |
| Washington | $104,910 | $50.44 | 570 |
| West Virginia | $81,470 | $39.17 | 320 |
| Wisconsin | $64,440 | $30.98 | 640 |
| Wyoming | $68,250 | $32.81 | 80 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 198 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
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Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 19-5012.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.