Executive Summary

About 23,220 health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors work nationally, and $109,660 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 35% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 0.5% annual growth.

Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors: what the data shows

Common questions about health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors?

Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 17-2111.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 23,220 workers.

What does a health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Documenting/Recording Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors make?

BLS national median annual wage: $109,660 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $127,278 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.

Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).

Wage percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$49,921
25th percentile$99,831
Median (50th)$128,818
75th percentile$152,854
90th percentile$179,468

What skills do you need?

O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Writing, Speaking, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, and knowledge areas including English Language, Engineering and Technology, Administration and Management, Public Safety and Security. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.5% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: 2.4%.

Ten-year projected employment change: 4.8%.

Current U.S. headcount: 23,220.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectorss work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry23,22019.4%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only20,50017.1%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services5,6304.7%
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services5,6304.7%
Manufacturing5,4704.6%
Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)2,7202.3%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

What careers are related?

Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian wage
Civil Engineers355,410$99,590
Sound Engineering Technicians13,050$66,430
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health84,930$80,060
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers99,300$226,600
Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers6,770$101,020
Soil and Plant Scientists16,600$71,410
Biochemists and Biophysicists34,520$103,650

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors workforce.

Employment Over Time

23,220 U.S. workforce (OEWS)

California employment for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors grew from 10,520 in 2009 to 11,340 in 2025 (7.8%).

Historical employment for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$109,660 Median pay (BLS national)

Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors earn $109,660 as the BLS national median annual wage.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Salary distribution for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Employment Growth Projections

0.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

11,609 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: 2.4%

11,884 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: 4.8%

This occupation is projected to grow at 0.5% annually, indicating strong future demand.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Wage Trends by Industry

1.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • TX: 3,180 employees, $125,620 avg wage
  • CA: 3,010 employees, $123,910 avg wage
  • NY: 1,600 employees, $121,340 avg wage
  • PA: 1,390 employees, $112,080 avg wage
  • MI: 1,300 employees, $95,980 avg wage
  • FL: 1,080 employees, $98,020 avg wage
  • OK: 800 employees, $106,580 avg wage
  • WA: 590 employees, $135,030 avg wage
  • MA: 580 employees, $131,820 avg wage
  • NC: 570 employees, $96,880 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,440 employees, $134,630 avg wage
  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 1,260 employees, $126,740 avg wage
  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 900 employees, $123,440 avg wage
  • Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 680 employees, $101,010 avg wage
  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 600 employees, $120,820 avg wage
  • San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 570 employees, $130,020 avg wage
  • Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 440 employees, $133,950 avg wage
  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 350 employees, $128,480 avg wage
  • Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 340 employees, $129,530 avg wage
  • Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 290 employees, $124,870 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Diversity

Demographic information on Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors in the US.

Gender and Age

The U.S. workforce for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors is about 23,220 people in our OEWS extract.

Gender and age distribution for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Mathematics.

Common majors for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors workers.

Education level distribution for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Skills

Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Writing, Speaking, Active Listening.

Required skills for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors include English Language, Engineering and Technology, Administration and Management, Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service.

Knowledge areas required for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors include Problem Sensitivity, Written Comprehension, Written Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Deductive Reasoning.

Required abilities for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

Daily Activities

Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors spend their time on activities such as Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.

Most important work activities for Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors.

About

Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors

Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors earn $109,660 as the BLS national median annual wage.

SOC Code

17-2111 - Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors

Insights and Analysis

High earnings profile: Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors reports an average salary of $127,278, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 23,220 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.5%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.