What Does an Environmental Health and Safety Specialist Do?
Any employer can say it puts safety first. To prove it, a company or campus needs people who inspect work areas, train staff and fix hazards before anyone gets hurt, then keep the records that show an inspector the work was done. Environmental health and safety specialists do that work, along with the chemical and waste paperwork, in factories, warehouses, labs and hospitals.
Also known as: Health and Safety Officer, Safety Coordinator, Health and Safety Specialist, Environmental Safety Coordinator, Environmental Safety Specialist
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Chemical Hygiene Officer, EHS Officer (Environmental Health and Safety Officer), Health and Safety Analyst, Industrial Hygiene Consultant, Industrial Hygienist, Industrial Hygienist Consultant, OHS Consultant (Occupational Health and Safety Consultant), Risk Control Consultant.
Environmental Health and Safety Specialist Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of an environmental health and safety specialist include:
- Inspect shops, labs and warehouses for unguarded machines, blocked exits and chemical storage problems.
- Teach lockout/tagout, confined space, forklift and fall protection classes to new and returning staff.
- Investigate injuries and near misses, interview witnesses and recommend fixes that stop repeats.
- Keep the OSHA injury and illness log and prepare the yearly summary for posting.
- Manage the hazardous waste program, from lab pickups to the manifests signed at shipment.
- Check fire extinguishers monthly and flush eyewash stations and safety showers on schedule.
- Evaluate workstations and lifting tasks for ergonomic strain and suggest practical changes.
- Update written safety programs as rules change and walk supervisors through what is new.
- Maintain the chemical inventory and safety data sheet library for each building.
- Coordinate fire drills and emergency plans with building managers and local responders.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as an environmental health and safety specialist, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- OSHA general industry standards
- EPA and state hazardous waste rules
- OSHA outreach training or equivalent
- Associate Safety Professional (ASP) or CSP as a goal
- Incident investigation and root cause methods
- Training delivery that holds a room's attention
- EHS software and Excel for records
- A firm but friendly approach on the shop floor
Education and Training
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for occupational health and safety specialists, usually in occupational safety, environmental science or a related field. Experience as a safety coordinator in a plant could lead to a specialist post. Certifications may also help.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $69,560 - $111,690 per year, with a median of $90,150.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Occupational Health and Safety Specialists.
According to BLS, growth for occupational health and safety specialists is projected at nearly 19 percent for the period from 2025 to 2035. Roughly 17,100 jobs a year are expected to open up across the group. Specialists who can cover both safety and environmental rules tend to have the widest choice of jobs, especially in manufacturing and on campuses.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Occupational health and safety specialists.
Environmental Health and Safety Specialist Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $55,000 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $69,560 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $90,150 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $111,690 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $134,950 |
Highest-Paying States for Environmental Health and Safety Specialists
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are District of Columbia ($111,530), Massachusetts ($103,970), Washington ($102,920), California ($102,840), Rhode Island ($101,740). Pay is lowest in Oklahoma ($79,890), Texas ($79,660), Arkansas ($73,130).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $82,260 |
| Alaska | $99,270 |
| Arizona | $89,480 |
| Arkansas | $73,130 |
| California | $102,840 |
| Colorado | $101,400 |
| Connecticut | $96,110 |
| Delaware | $81,120 |
| District of Columbia | $111,530 |
| Florida | $88,820 |
| Georgia | $85,450 |
| Hawaii | $94,840 |
| Idaho | $86,920 |
| Illinois | $98,270 |
| Indiana | $83,470 |
| Iowa | $87,830 |
| Kansas | $86,300 |
| Kentucky | $83,730 |
| Louisiana | $89,560 |
| Maine | $97,640 |
| Maryland | $91,820 |
| Massachusetts | $103,970 |
| Michigan | $84,080 |
| Minnesota | $96,990 |
| Mississippi | $84,490 |
| Missouri | $83,090 |
| Montana | $81,330 |
| Nebraska | $83,990 |
| Nevada | $94,360 |
| New Hampshire | $101,260 |
| New Jersey | $90,610 |
| New Mexico | $84,510 |
| New York | $95,720 |
| North Carolina | $86,650 |
| North Dakota | $93,250 |
| Ohio | $91,460 |
| Oklahoma | $79,890 |
| Oregon | $95,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,050 |
| Rhode Island | $101,740 |
| South Carolina | $88,080 |
| South Dakota | $88,610 |
| Tennessee | $81,190 |
| Texas | $79,660 |
| Utah | $90,200 |
| Vermont | $87,210 |
| Virginia | $90,800 |
| Washington | $102,920 |
| West Virginia | $86,560 |
| Wisconsin | $84,750 |
| Wyoming | $94,030 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as occupational health and safety specialists about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 96% use email every day
- 83% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 78% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 74% are on the phone every day
- 57% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 48% usually work more than 40 hours a week
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 74% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 9% |
| Master's degree | 9% |
Tools and Software Environmental Health and Safety Specialists Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy analyzing problems and working with ideas as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness.
Knowledge areas used most: English Language, Chemistry, Education and Training, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 4 of 5, which means considerable preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 19-5011.00 (Occupational Health and Safety Specialists). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.