Safety Specialist Career Guide

Safety Specialist

I-30

I Other Semiconductor fab jobs · Skilled level · O*NET 19-5011.00

Texas median whole occupation, 2025: $79,660
work over 40 h a week: 48%
load index from O*NET data: 2.4/5
Texas jobs 2024 to 2034: +23.0%

Pay

This level's pay

No published pay record names this level: no public record found in sources S1-S7 that names this rung. The occupation-wide figure below is for all experience levels.

All pay records and context (2)

DOL prevailing-wage levels I-IV for the whole occupation (wage tiers set by DOL, not job titles or seniority): Level I $81,120 · Level II $89,850 · Level III $150,017 · Level IV $136,640 (12 filings, TX) Base wages offered on H-1B/E-3 Labor Condition Applications (TX and AZ, FY2026 Q1-Q3); covers only employers who filed. source
State of Texas class salary ranges for this occupation (which class equals this rung is not published here): Health Specialist I $42,976 to $64,469 · Health Specialist II $45,521 to $71,055 · Health Specialist III $48,244 to $76,028 · Health Specialist IV $51,158 to $81,351 · Health Specialist V $54,278 to $87,046 · Health Specialist VI $61,184 to $99,658 · Health Specialist VII $69,572 to $114,099 Fiscal 2026-27 (Sept 1, 2025 - Aug 31, 2027) source

Whole occupation: all Occupational Health and Safety Specialists, Texas
BLS OEWS May 2025
Series OEUS480000000000019501113 (median), Texas, May 2025, read 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Base pay (straight-time, excludes overtime).
Based on an estimated 17,920 jobs in Texas (series OEUS480000000000019501101).

Half of all Occupational Health and Safety Specialists in Texas earn more than $79,660; the bottom 10% earned less than $46,380 and the top 10% more than $126,500 (May 2025, base pay, about 17,920 jobs). U.S. median $90,150.

Outlook 2024 to 2034, all Occupational Health and Safety Specialists, not level-specific
TWC, BLS
Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03

Texas: +23.0% jobs · about 2,140 openings a year (16,690 jobs in 2024)
United States: +12.5% jobs · about 14,900 openings a year (131,900 jobs in 2024)

Openings include people retiring or changing jobs, not only growth.

Hours
ONET 31.0
Duration of Typical Work Week (4.C.3.d.8), ONET Work Context, data 08/2024, n = 23 respondents, O*NET OnLine

About 1 in 2 work more than 40 hours a week (48%).

Schedule: regular 39% · irregular 61% · seasonal 0%

Physical load 2.4 of 5, our index from ONET
Method
Engineer Tsai index (et_physical_v1): mean of a body index (2.15, 6 measures) and an exposure index (2.61, 7 measures), built from ONET Work Context means, 1 to 5: Spend Time Standing; Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles; Spend Time Walking or Running; Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling; Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance; Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body; Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions; Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures; Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions; Exposed to High Places; Exposed to Hazardous Conditions; Exposed to Hazardous Equipment; Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection.
O*NET OnLine

Body

Standing2.78
Walking or running2.3
Bending or twisting2.14
Climbing ladders2
Kneeling or crawling2
Keeping balance1.68

Exposure

Outdoors, all weather3.35
Hazardous conditions2.77
Very hot or cold2.65
Protective gear2.57
Hazardous equipment2.48
Cramped space2.22
High places2.22

Body 2.15 · exposure 2.61. O*NET Work Context means, 1 = never, 5 = continually or every day.

Getting in

License: No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).
Degree: 91% hold a bachelor's or higher; most common: Bachelor's Degree
Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years of related experience is the most common answer (30% of workers).
O*NET
O*NET Related Work Experience, Occupational Health and Safety Specialists, O*NET OnLine
Preparation: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Why this level: Skilled: O*NET Job Zone 4 (1-2 start, 3-4 skilled, 5 senior).

Moves to the side 6

M Safety Engineer O*NET lists Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.92. License: depends on the work.
I Safety Technician O*NET lists Occupational Health and Safety Technicians as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.92.
M Environmental Inspector O*NET lists Environmental Compliance Inspectors as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.88.
I Environmental Technician O*NET lists Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.87.

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What the work is 6 core tasks

Review, evaluate, and analyze work environments and design programs and procedures to control, eliminate, and prevent disease or injury caused by chemical, physical, and biological agents or ergonomic factors. May conduct inspections and enforce adherence to laws and regulations governing the health and safety of individuals. May be employed in the public or private sector.

Recommend measures to help protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes, or materials.
Order suspension of activities that pose threats to workers' health or safety.
Develop or maintain hygiene programs, such as noise surveys, continuous atmosphere monitoring, ventilation surveys, or asbestos management plans.
Investigate accidents to identify causes or to determine how such accidents might be prevented in the future.
Inspect or evaluate workplace environments, equipment, or practices to ensure compliance with safety standards and government regulations.
Collaborate with engineers or physicians to institute control or remedial measures for hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions or equipment.

Core tasks ranked by O*NET task Importance (IM, 1-5), top 6.

Top skills

Active Listening
Reading Comprehension
Speaking
Writing
Complex Problem Solving
Critical Thinking
Judgment and Decision Making
Social Perceptiveness

Sources (4)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, Texas, series OEUS480000000000019501113, read 2026-10-03
Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections (via Projections Central) 2024-2034, Texas, read 2026-10-03
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, United States, read 2026-10-03
O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), 19-5011.00 Occupational Health and Safety Specialists, read 2026-10-03

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 the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Engineer Tsai has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 · O*NET license

Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Base pay; excludes overtime. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (United States) and Texas Workforce Commission long-term projections 2024-2034, read through Projections Central.

Safety Specialist