Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 19-5012

Occupational Health and Safety Technicians

Median pay sits 48% below the mid peer in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations (neighbors include Biochemists and Biophysicists, Geographers, Physical Scientists, All Other, Sociologists).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Occupational Health and Safety Technicians: Biochemists and Biophysicists ($127K) , Geographers ($102K) , Physical Scientists, All Other ($123K) , Sociologists ($106K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Occupational Health and Safety Technicians publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 19-5012 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Evaluate situations or make determinations when a worker has refused to work on the grounds that danger or potential harm exists
  2. 2. Supply, operate, or maintain personal protective equipment
  3. 3. Train workers in safety procedures related to green jobs, such as the use of fall protection devices or maintenance of proper ventilation…
  4. 4. Test workplaces for environmental hazards, such as exposure to radiation, chemical or biological hazards, or excessive noise
  5. 5. Maintain all required environmental records and documentation
  6. 6. Provide consultation to organizations or agencies on the workplace application of safety principles, practices, or techniques
  7. 7. Inspect fire suppression systems or portable fire systems to ensure proper working order
  8. 8. Verify availability or monitor use of safety equipment, such as hearing protection or respirators
  9. 9. Recommend corrective measures to be applied based on results of environmental contaminant analyses
  10. 10. Prepare or review specifications or orders for the purchase of safety equipment, ensuring that proper features are present and that items…
  11. 11. Prepare or calibrate equipment used to collect or analyze samples
  12. 12. Help direct rescue or firefighting operations in the event of a fire or an explosion

Occupational Health and Safety Technicians: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 19-5012 - lead skill Active Listening at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Education and Training. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 4.0
  2. 2. Reading Comprehension 3.9
  3. 3. Speaking 3.9
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.9
  5. 5. Writing 3.8
  6. 6. Monitoring 3.3
  7. 7. Complex Problem Solving 3.3
  8. 8. Judgment and Decision Making 3.3

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Education and Training 4.1
  2. 2. English Language 4.1
  3. 3. Public Safety and Security 3.8
  4. 4. Law and Government 3.7
  5. 5. Engineering and Technology 3.7
  6. 6. Mathematics 3.7
Pay vs Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations peers
-48%
vs mid peer median $117,790
This role $61,560/yr
$62K
National median
↑ +9%
Growth 2024-2034
3,400
Annual openings
30,590
Estimated US jobs
Biochemists and Biophysicists
Highest-pay peer · $127K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Occupational Health and Safety Technicians

1. Massachusetts $68,730
2. Minnesota $74,400
3. Connecticut $68,310
4. West Virginia $81,470
5. Rhode Island $84,640
6. New Mexico $79,490
7. New York $69,640
8. Washington $104,910
9. Colorado $73,110
10. Alaska $80,760

Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles

  1. 1. Physical Scientists, All Other $122,570
  2. 2. Geographers $102,040
  3. 3. Sociologists $106,030
  4. 4. Psychologists, All Other $110,840
  5. 5. Biochemists and Biophysicists $127,410
  6. 6. Economists $124,720

Among Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations peers on this card, Occupational Health and Safety Technicians sits 48% below the mid peer median ($117,790). Its own median is $61,560.

Employment Projections expect +9% change between 2024 and 2034 (much faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 3,400 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Massachusetts at $68,730. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Biochemists and Biophysicists at $127,410. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Occupational Health and Safety Technicians pay-rank #41 in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

On the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table (48 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Occupational Health and Safety Technicians lands at #41, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Occupational Health and Safety Technicians pays 48% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Occupational Health and Safety Technicians salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 19-5012

Massachusetts · top state for Occupational Health and Safety Technicians

$69K published median

Minnesota · #2 state pay

$74K · behind Massachusetts

Biochemists and Biophysicists

Highest-pay peer vs Occupational Health and Safety Technicians · $127K

Geographers

Lower-pay peer beside Occupational Health and Safety Technicians · $102K

Compare Occupational Health and Safety Technicians

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Occupational Health and Safety Technicians with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Occupational Health and Safety Technicians

Against another occupation

Biochemists and Biophysicists card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Occupational Health and Safety Technicians land on the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table? ▼
Occupational Health and Safety Technicians is pay-rank #41 of 48 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Social Science Research Assistants ($62K), Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other ($62K), Chemical Technicians ($60K), Hydrologic Technicians ($65K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do occupational health and safety technicians do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Occupational Health and Safety Technicians. Leading ones include: 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…; Test workplaces for environmental hazards, such as exposure to radiation, chemical or biological hazards, or excessive noise. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for occupational health and safety technicians? ▼
For SOC 19-5012, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (4.0), Reading Comprehension (3.9), Speaking (3.9), Critical Thinking (3.9). Knowledge areas emphasize Education and Training, English Language, Public Safety and Security. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Occupational Health and Safety Technicians? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $61,560 as the national median for Occupational Health and Safety Technicians. The published 10th-90th range is $46,280 to $100,160. Beside Biochemists and Biophysicists ($127,410), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Occupational Health and Safety Technicians? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Occupational Health and Safety Technicians is +9%. Projected annual openings: about 3,400. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: much faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Occupational Health and Safety Technicians? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Occupational Health and Safety Technicians. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Occupational Health and Safety Technicians? ▼
Massachusetts ($68,730), Minnesota ($74,400), Connecticut ($68,310) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Occupational Health and Safety Technicians card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 19-5012. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Occupational Health and Safety Technicians. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics