Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors
Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors (SOC 17-2111) earn a median $115,160 a year ($55.36 an hour) in the United States, with 21,450 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors do
Health and safety engineers work to keep workplaces and products from causing injury or illness. They combine knowledge of industrial processes, mechanics, chemistry, human behavior, and occupational health and safety law to find hazards and design controls for them. Typical tasks include investigating industrial accidents, injuries, and occupational diseases to establish their causes and recommend ways to prevent a repeat, reviewing product designs for safety, and carrying out research to rate the safety level of a product. They also run or coordinate worker training on safety laws and hazardous conditions. They also recommend procedures to detect, prevent, and eliminate physical and chemical hazards, and they evaluate the health hazards that could result from misuse of a product. The category excludes mining safety engineers and inspectors, who have their own classification, and it differs from occupational health and safety specialists, who evaluate workplaces and programs without necessarily applying engineering design to remove the hazard.
Also called: Fire Protection Engineer, Chemical Detection Expert, Engineer, Environmental Health and Safety Manager, Fire Prevention Engineer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $32.89 | $43.72 | $55.36 | $68.74 | $82.33 | $57.58 | 21,450 |
| Annual | $68,420 | $90,930 | $115,160 | $142,980 | $171,250 | $119,770 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $40.01 | $49.74 | $63.24 | $77.48 | $84.59 | $64.96 | 2,470 | 0.14 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $83,210 | $103,460 | $131,540 | $161,160 | $175,940 | $135,120 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $45.36 | $49.49 | $63.08 | $84.33 | $103.57 | $69.10 | 750 | 0.21 | 1.50 |
| Annual | $94,340 | $102,940 | $131,210 | $175,410 | $215,430 | $143,720 | ||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | $30.29 | $40.80 | $62.74 | $73.25 | $73.43 | $56.09 | 80 | 0.11 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $63,010 | $84,870 | $130,500 | $152,360 | $152,720 | $116,670 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $44.19 | $52.31 | $62.29 | $69.33 | $76.72 | $61.84 | 650 | 0.12 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $91,920 | $108,800 | $129,560 | $144,210 | $159,580 | $128,630 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $44.02 | $51.15 | $60.86 | $78.20 | $86.22 | $64.55 | 420 | 0.12 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $91,560 | $106,390 | $126,590 | $162,660 | $179,340 | $134,250 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $39.59 | $47.61 | $59.34 | $74.33 | $86.77 | $61.94 | 4,320 | 0.31 | 2.23 |
| Annual | $82,340 | $99,020 | $123,440 | $154,600 | $180,480 | $128,830 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $40.01 | $49.74 | $63.24 | $77.48 | $84.59 | $64.96 | 2,470 | 0.14 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $83,210 | $103,460 | $131,540 | $161,160 | $175,940 | $135,120 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $27.35 | $33.21 | $48.70 | $64.45 | $80.35 | $51.47 | 1,570 | 0.16 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $56,880 | $69,070 | $101,300 | $134,060 | $167,130 | $107,050 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $29.24 | $38.22 | $48.94 | $60.04 | $71.65 | $49.44 | 770 | 0.08 | 0.56 |
| Annual | $60,820 | $79,490 | $101,790 | $124,880 | $149,030 | $102,830 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $45.36 | $49.49 | $63.08 | $84.33 | $103.57 | $69.10 | 750 | 0.21 | 1.50 |
| Annual | $94,340 | $102,940 | $131,210 | $175,410 | $215,430 | $143,720 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | Hourly | $45.90 | $62.78 | $73.25 | $73.43 | $91.54 | $68.94 | 40 | 0.20 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $95,470 | $130,570 | $152,360 | $152,720 | $190,400 | $143,390 | ||||
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | Hourly | $44.02 | $53.10 | $71.99 | $83.85 | $95.43 | $71.37 | 100 | 0.80 | 5.83 |
| Annual | $91,560 | $110,440 | $149,740 | $174,410 | $198,500 | $148,450 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $45.81 | $58.79 | $70.78 | $83.51 | $98.74 | $72.36 | 350 | 0.15 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $95,270 | $122,290 | $147,220 | $173,710 | $205,390 | $150,520 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $49.54 | $60.23 | $68.77 | $100.77 | $135.89 | $81.32 | 160 | 0.14 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $103,040 | $125,270 | $143,050 | $209,600 | $282,650 | $169,140 | ||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | $37.48 | $49.76 | $66.13 | $73.78 | $81.44 | $62.90 | 240 | 0.22 | 1.62 |
| Annual | $77,950 | $103,490 | $137,540 | $153,460 | $169,390 | $130,840 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $39.93 | $50.12 | $62.64 | $80.43 | $102.78 | $67.74 | 1,400 | 0.42 | 3.07 |
| Annual | $83,050 | $104,260 | $130,280 | $167,290 | $213,790 | $140,900 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $27.35 | $38.19 | $53.55 | $69.46 | $80.47 | $54.53 | 1,240 | 0.13 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $56,880 | $79,430 | $111,380 | $144,480 | $167,380 | $113,410 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $39.79 | $47.51 | $61.32 | $64.31 | $78.77 | $58.72 | 1,190 | 0.30 | 2.14 |
| Annual | $82,750 | $98,830 | $127,540 | $133,750 | $163,840 | $122,140 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $41.95 | $52.24 | $63.24 | $77.84 | $83.29 | $64.39 | 850 | 0.14 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $87,260 | $108,660 | $131,540 | $161,900 | $173,240 | $133,920 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $47.35 | $48.36 | $61.83 | $81.05 | $91.24 | $65.62 | 490 | 0.18 | 1.31 |
| Annual | $98,480 | $100,600 | $128,600 | $168,590 | $189,770 | $136,480 | ||||
Top industries employing health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services employ 12.2% of health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors nationally (2,610 jobs) at a median $110,440 a year ($53.10 an hour), followed by Management of Companies and Enterprises (4.9%) and Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (4.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 2,610 | 12.2% | $110,440 | $53.10 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 1,050 | 4.9% | $129,560 | $62.29 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 1,020 | 4.8% | $83,240 | $40.02 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services NAICS 541700 | 990 | 4.6% | $134,820 | $64.82 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 900 | 4.2% | $138,080 | $66.39 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (21,450). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $99,040 for health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors in May 2021 and $115,160 in May 2025, with employment of 22,870 and 21,450.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $99,040 | $47.62 | 22,870 |
| May 2022 | $100,660 | $48.40 | 21,520 |
| May 2023 | $103,690 | $49.85 | 22,510 |
| May 2024 | $109,660 | $52.72 | 23,220 |
| May 2025 | $115,160 | $55.36 | 21,450 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
47 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | $63.24 | $131,540 | $83,210 | $175,940 | 2,470 | 0.14 | 0.98 |
| 2 | Massachusetts profile | $63.08 | $131,210 | $94,340 | $215,430 | 750 | 0.21 | 1.50 |
| 3 | New Hampshire profile | $62.74 | $130,500 | $63,010 | $152,720 | 80 | 0.11 | 0.81 |
| 4 | Ohio profile | $62.29 | $129,560 | $91,920 | $159,580 | 650 | 0.12 | 0.84 |
| 5 | Washington profile | $60.86 | $126,590 | $91,560 | $179,340 | 420 | 0.12 | 0.85 |
| 6 | Texas profile | $59.34 | $123,440 | $82,340 | $180,480 | 4,320 | 0.31 | 2.23 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania profile | $58.52 | $121,730 | $70,560 | $173,320 | 490 | 0.08 | 0.59 |
| 8 | Nevada profile | $58.49 | $121,660 | $80,390 | $181,260 | 80 | 0.05 | 0.37 |
| 9 | Colorado profile | $58.15 | $120,950 | $84,400 | $178,200 | 210 | 0.08 | 0.54 |
| 10 | Minnesota profile | $57.72 | $120,050 | $82,100 | $165,480 | 220 | 0.07 | 0.53 |
| 11 | New Jersey profile | $57.39 | $119,370 | $80,230 | $170,460 | 430 | 0.10 | 0.73 |
| 12 | Louisiana profile | $56.97 | $118,490 | $62,060 | $177,890 | 370 | 0.19 | 1.39 |
| 13 | Delaware profile | $56.94 | $118,440 | $85,640 | $146,950 | 50 | 0.11 | 0.80 |
| 14 | Oregon profile | $55.78 | $116,020 | $87,460 | $172,440 | 180 | 0.09 | 0.65 |
| 15 | Connecticut profile | $55.60 | $115,640 | $76,580 | $166,230 | 270 | 0.16 | 1.16 |
| 16 | Illinois profile | $53.54 | $111,370 | $63,170 | $158,220 | 230 | 0.04 | 0.27 |
| 17 | Maryland profile | $53.34 | $110,950 | $78,990 | $181,640 | 520 | 0.19 | 1.37 |
| 18 | Michigan profile | $51.82 | $107,780 | $71,590 | $165,030 | 720 | 0.16 | 1.18 |
| 19 | Kentucky profile | $51.81 | $107,760 | $72,780 | $173,470 | 300 | 0.15 | 1.07 |
| 20 | Utah profile | $51.44 | $106,980 | $62,400 | $172,390 | 260 | 0.15 | 1.07 |
| 21 | North Carolina profile | $51.34 | $106,800 | $46,280 | $164,560 | 480 | 0.10 | 0.70 |
| 22 | Arizona profile | $51.14 | $106,370 | $79,950 | $161,580 | 180 | 0.06 | 0.41 |
| 23 | Iowa profile | $51.13 | $106,350 | $76,830 | $152,830 | 230 | 0.15 | 1.05 |
| 24 | Georgia profile | $50.91 | $105,880 | $64,000 | $163,090 | 350 | 0.07 | 0.52 |
| 25 | Alabama profile | $50.71 | $105,490 | $68,420 | $165,440 | 570 | 0.27 | 1.94 |
| 26 | Virginia profile | $50.44 | $104,920 | $63,760 | $162,630 | 380 | 0.09 | 0.66 |
| 27 | South Carolina profile | $50.06 | $104,120 | $37,170 | $177,940 | 280 | 0.12 | 0.89 |
| 28 | Nebraska profile | $49.63 | $103,230 | $53,050 | $138,360 | 90 | 0.09 | 0.64 |
| 29 | Oklahoma profile | $49.47 | $102,890 | $66,650 | $167,910 | 620 | 0.37 | 2.65 |
| 30 | Alaska profile | $49.37 | $102,690 | $96,610 | $163,970 | 110 | 0.33 | 2.41 |
| 31 | Kansas profile | $49.37 | $102,690 | $81,440 | $137,320 | 120 | 0.09 | 0.62 |
| 32 | Florida profile | $48.94 | $101,790 | $60,820 | $149,030 | 770 | 0.08 | 0.56 |
| 33 | Arkansas profile | $48.84 | $101,590 | $51,670 | $151,010 | 130 | 0.10 | 0.71 |
| 34 | New York profile | $48.70 | $101,300 | $56,880 | $167,130 | 1,570 | 0.16 | 1.18 |
| 35 | Idaho profile | $47.53 | $98,860 | $86,700 | $163,050 | 250 | 0.29 | 2.10 |
| 36 | Montana profile | $46.96 | $97,670 | $66,920 | $134,080 | 60 | 0.12 | 0.86 |
| 37 | New Mexico profile | $45.50 | $94,640 | $47,410 | $167,810 | 340 | 0.39 | 2.83 |
| 38 | Rhode Island profile | $45.49 | $94,620 | $84,410 | $159,480 | 40 | 0.08 | 0.55 |
| 39 | Wisconsin profile | $44.57 | $92,700 | $58,660 | $151,170 | 250 | 0.09 | 0.62 |
| 40 | Missouri profile | $43.18 | $89,820 | $70,900 | $157,260 | 250 | 0.08 | 0.61 |
| 41 | Mississippi profile | $41.91 | $87,180 | $58,100 | $131,690 | 120 | 0.10 | 0.74 |
| 42 | Indiana profile | $40.02 | $83,240 | $63,970 | $127,390 | 440 | 0.14 | 1.00 |
| 43 | Hawaii profile | $39.57 | $82,300 | $49,490 | $184,920 | 70 | 0.11 | 0.81 |
| 44 | Maine profile | $39.49 | $82,140 | $58,350 | $115,920 | 70 | 0.10 | 0.74 |
| 45 | West Virginia profile | $36.87 | $76,700 | $32,400 | $137,710 | 210 | 0.30 | 2.15 |
| – | District of Columbia profile | * | * | * | * | 180 | 0.25 | 1.82 |
| – | Tennessee profile | * | * | * | * | 240 | 0.07 | 0.54 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (17-2110), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Architecture and Engineering Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 17-2111 Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 17-2111, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 17-2111.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.