Updated for 2026

Occupational Health and Safety Technician Salary in 2026

This Occupational Health and Safety Technician salary guide for 2026 centers on Careerclev's modeled national salary benchmark, built from the latest official BLS wage baseline and extended with wage trend history, employment outlook, and tech-market signals where available. It covers average salary, hourly pay, experience bands, salary by city, salary by state, industry premiums, in-demand skills, and long-term job outlook so readers can compare what drives higher compensation.

Last updated: 202631,450 employment estimateFull salary breakdown12 min read
Average Salary
$68.7K
per year (USA)
Entry Level
$47.8K
starting range
Senior Level
$88.0K
upper percentile
Top Earners
$125K+
lead / principal
Hourly Rate
$33
avg. equivalent
Salary figures projected to 2026  from May 2024BLS OEWS baseline·  Projections use wage history, employment outlook, and tech-market signals where available
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What Does a Occupational Health and Safety Technician Earn?

Careerclev's modeled 2026 benchmark places Occupational Health and Safety Technician pay at $68,738.0 per year in the United States. On the latest official 2024 BLS wage baseline, the lower end of the Occupational Health and Safety Technician salary range starts around $40,550.0, while experienced professionals and top earners can reach $94,670.0 or more.

That national figure is only the starting point. In practice, pay for this role changes quickly once location, industry, experience level, and specialization enter the picture. A Occupational Health and Safety Technician working in Anchorage, AK or a stronger salary industry like Utilities may see a very different salary path than someone in a lower-cost market, especially when skills like role-specific skills and advanced tools define the role.

Key 2026 BenchmarkThe national median Occupational Health and Safety Technician salary is $68,738.0, with an estimated hourly equivalent of $33.

What Occupational Health and Safety Technician Professionals Do

Collect data on work environments for analysis by occupational health and safety specialists. Implement and conduct evaluation of programs designed to limit chemical, physical, biological, and ergonomic risks to workers.

Typical Responsibilities

Evaluate situations or make determinations when a worker has refused to work on the grounds that danger or potential harm exists.
Core
Supply, operate, or maintain personal protective equipment.
Core
Train workers in safety procedures related to green jobs, such as the use of fall protection devices or maintenance of proper ventilation during wind turbine construction.
Core
Test workplaces for environmental hazards, such as exposure to radiation, chemical or biological hazards, or excessive noise.
Core
Maintain all required environmental records and documentation.
Core
Provide consultation to organizations or agencies on the workplace application of safety principles, practices, or techniques.
Core
Related job titlesAdvisory Industrial Hygienist, Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Construction Safety Consultant, EHS Advisor (Environmental, Health, and Safety Advisor), Health and Safety Technician (Health and Safety Tech), Industrial Hygiene Consultant

Occupational Health and Safety Technician Salary by Experience Level

Experience is one of the strongest salary drivers for Occupational Health and Safety Technician roles. Entry-level workers usually sit closer to the lower salary band while senior, lead, and principal-level professionals move into higher ranges as they take on ownership, decision-making, mentoring, and more specialized work.

That progression matters because the headline median can hide how wide the real pay ladder is. For some roles, early-career pay stays close to the middle; for others, the gap between first-job pay and senior pay is large enough to change how attractive the path looks over time.

LevelExperienceAvg. Base SalaryEstimated Total PayGrowth vs Previous
Entry Level Occupational Health and Safety Technician0-2 years$47,754.0$50.1K - $61.1KN/A
Mid Level Occupational Health and Safety Technician3-5 years$68,691.0$63.5K - $95.9K+43.8%
Senior Level Occupational Health and Safety Technician6-10 years$87,981.0$77.6K - $126K+28.1%
Lead / Principal Occupational Health and Safety Technician10+ years$111,388$103K - $146K+26.6%
How to read the experience tableThe cards show the quick salary story, while the table gives a more detailed view of how Occupational Health and Safety Technicianpay can move from entry-level work into senior and lead responsibility.

Occupational Health and Safety Technician Salary by City

City salary differences matter because Occupational Health and Safety Technician jobs are tied to local employer demand, cost of living, and industry concentration. Markets like Anchorage, AK and San Jose, CA can pay very differently even when the job title looks the same on paper.

That is why city pages are often more useful than national averages once you are actively job searching. They show whether a stronger nominal salary comes from a genuinely better market, a more specialized employer mix, or simply a more expensive metro.

United States — City Comparison

CityProjected SalaryVs. National BenchmarkCost of Living Signal
Anchorage, AK$89,490.0+30%High salary market
San Jose, CA$86,190.0+25%High salary market
Omaha, NE$82,930.0+21%High salary market
Baton Rouge, LA$80,810.0+18%Competitive
Washington$80,270.0+17%Competitive
Rhode Island$79,530.0+16%Competitive
Albuquerque, NM$77,130.0+12%Competitive
Madison, WI$76,720.0+12%Competitive
Alaska$76,290.0+11%Competitive
New Mexico$75,920.0+10%Competitive
City salary pictureA higher Occupational Health and Safety Technician salary in a major metro does not always mean higher take-home value. Housing, taxes, commuting, and remote-work flexibility can change the real outcome.
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Occupational Health and Safety Technician Salary by Industry

Industry can change a Occupational Health and Safety Technician salary as much as geography. Employers in Utilities may pay more when the role sits close to revenue, regulated operations, complex infrastructure, or scarce technical expertise.

IndustryProjected SalaryBonus PotentialJob SecurityGrowth Pace
Utilities$96,780.0HighStrongFast
Information$73,060.0HighStrongFast
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction$72,800.0HighStrongFast
Construction$72,110.0ModerateStrongFast
Accommodation and Food Services$65,110.0ModerateStrongModerate
Manufacturing$65,000.0ModerateModerateModerate
Management of Companies and Enterprises$64,780.0ModerateModerateModerate
Government Excluding Schools, Hospitals, and Postal Service$62,800.0LowerModerateModerate
Educational Services$62,160.0LowerVariableSlow
Government, Schools, Hospitals, and Postal Service$62,110.0LowerVariableSlow

The strongest-paying industries for Occupational Health and Safety Technician roles usually combine higher budgets with urgent business needs. Use this table to compare not only salary, but also the tradeoff between upside, stability, and long-term growth.

Occupational Health and Safety Technician Salary by Skill Specialization

Skills shape salary because they tell employers what kind of problems a Occupational Health and Safety Technician can solve. Strong signals around role-specific skills, advanced tools, tools, platforms, analysis, communication, and domain knowledge can help candidates move from average pay into stronger compensation bands.

Common tool stackO*NET maps Occupational Health and Safety Technician work to tools such as Brady Lockout Pro, Microsoft PowerPoint, Email software, and Statistical analysis software.
role-specific skills can raise the ceilingThe most valuable Occupational Health and Safety Technician skills are the ones connected to business-critical work, scarce tools, and hard-to-fill responsibilities. Pairing role-specific skills with advanced tools can make a candidate easier to price at the top of the salary range.

Remote vs Onsite vs Hybrid — Salary Comparison

Remote, onsite, and hybrid pay can shift the salary story for Occupational Health and Safety Technician jobs. Remote roles often widen the hiring market, while onsite roles may pay more in expensive metros when employers need local availability, team coverage, or specialized workplace access.

Work TypeAvg. BaseExperienceBenefitsFlexibility
Remote Occupational Health and Safety Technician$68,738.0Market dependentVariableHigh
Hybrid Occupational Health and Safety Technician$70,800.1Metro dependentStrongMedium
Onsite Occupational Health and Safety Technician$69,425.4Location dependentStrongLower

Hybrid roles can carry a small premium in high-cost cities, while fully remote roles can be especially powerful for workers outside the most expensive labor markets. The best comparison is total pay after location, taxes, commuting, and lifestyle costs.

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How to Become an Occupational Health and Safety Technician

The most common path into Occupational Health and Safety Technician work is to pair the expected baseline education with early hands-on practice and proof that you can handle the core responsibilities of the role. Candidates move faster when they can connect training, projects, internships, or prior adjacent work to the exact kinds of tasks employers hire occupational health and safety technician professionals to do.

If you want the fuller step-by-step version, open the full How to Become an Occupational Health and Safety Technician guide.

Practical shortcutThe strongest early candidates for Occupational Health and Safety Technician jobs usually show job-relevant work samples, clear fundamentals, and evidence that they can contribute with limited supervision.
Knowledge areas employers associate with this roleEducation and Training, English Language, Public Safety and Security, and Engineering and Technology.

Occupational Health and Safety Technician Work Environment

Work environment can shape job fit just as much as salary. For Occupational Health and Safety Technician, the day-to-day experience may vary based on employer type, digital vs on-site workflows, collaboration intensity, schedule predictability, and how much independent judgment the role requires.

Common work-style signalsO*NET highlights Cautiousness, Attention to Detail, Dependability, and Integrity for Occupational Health and Safety Technician work.
E-Mail
How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?
Telephone Conversations
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How often does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats or life-jackets?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Duration of Typical Work Week
Number of hours typically worked in one week.

Entry-Level Occupational Health and Safety Technician Salary Expectations

Entry-level Occupational Health and Safety Technician salary expectations should be viewed as a starting range, not a ceiling. New workers in this role often earn around $47,754.0, with pay rising as they build practical experience, stronger judgment, better tools, and a clearer track record of delivering work without close supervision.

Internship / Trainee
$23/hr
$35.8K - $54.9K annualized
Early practical exposure, supervised assignments, portfolio building, and conversion into a first full-time role.
New Grad / Junior
$47.8K
$47.8K - $58.2K base
First full-time Occupational Health and Safety Technician roles reward candidates who can show useful work, reliable fundamentals, and coachability.

Typical Promotion Timeline

Promotions usually follow the move from supervised work to independent delivery, then to broader ownership. Switching employers can sometimes accelerate salary growth when the current role has a narrow pay band.

StageTypical TimelineSalary JumpKey Milestone
Intern → JuniorInternship → first role$8.6K - $15.3KFirst full-time offer
Junior → Mid18-30 months$8.2K - $15.1KDeliver work independently
Mid → Senior2-4 years$10.6K - $19.4KOwn larger outcomes
Senior → Lead3-6 years$13.4K - $27.8KInfluence teams or strategy

Occupational Health and Safety Technician Career Progression & Salary Path

This step is useful because experience level and career progression are related, but not identical. The pay path below shows how compensation tends to widen as the work moves from narrower execution into broader ownership and leadership scope.

1
Intern / Trainee
$33.9K$45.6K
Occupational Health and Safety Technician compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.
2
Junior
$42.1K$55.5K
Occupational Health and Safety Technician compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.
3
Mid Level
$52.6K$65.5K
Occupational Health and Safety Technician compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.
4
Senior
$63.1K$81.8K
Occupational Health and Safety Technician compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.
5
Lead
$74.8K$94.7K
Occupational Health and Safety Technician compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.
6
Principal / Architect
$87.7K$120K
Occupational Health and Safety Technician compensation at this stage usually reflects broader responsibility, stronger judgment, and more independent ownership of outcomes.

Factors That Affect a Occupational Health and Safety Technician's Salary

A Occupational Health and Safety Technician salary is rarely determined by job title alone. Employers also price the role based on education, certifications, tools used, industry setting, workplace responsibility, and how difficult it is to find qualified candidates with the same mix of skills.

Years of Experience
Salary usually rises as the role moves from entry-level execution to independent ownership, mentoring, and broader decision-making.
Location and Cost of Living
Local salary ranges vary by labor market, employer density, and household-income context.
Industry
Industry pay can vary when employers in higher-margin or harder-to-staff sectors compete for the same occupation.
Specialized Skills
O*NET marks high-demand role-specific skills as relevant skills for this role, making them useful anchors for specialization and salary-growth content.

Occupational Health and Safety Technician Job Demand & Market Outlook

The Occupational Health and Safety Technician job outlook matters because demand affects hiring, salary growth, and how much leverage qualified workers have. The current projection points to 8.5% employment change from 2024 to 2034, which helps explain whether employers are likely to keep competing for qualified talent.

Salary is easier to interpret when it sits next to a demand signal. Strong wages in a shrinking field can tell a very different story from strong wages in a role where openings, replacement demand, and market expansion are all still active.

BLS Employment ProjectionEmployment is projected to change by 8.5% from 2024 to 2034.
Much faster than averageAnnual openings: 3.4 thousand.
Metric2026 Status
Projected employment31.9k → 34.6k
Typical educationMost occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Related experiencePrevious work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Remote job availabilityMeaningful for roles with portable work and digital workflows
Salary market signalMedian pay of $68,738.0 suggests a solid compensation track.

How to Increase Your Occupational Health and Safety Technician Salary

The most reliable way to increase a Occupational Health and Safety Technician salary is to make your value easier for employers to measure. That usually means building stronger evidence around outcomes, expanding into higher-value skills, moving toward better-paying industries, and negotiating with current market salary data in hand.

StrategyAvg. Salary ImpactTimelineEffort Level
Benchmark against stronger markets+15-30%1-3 monthsHigh ROI
Build a visible specialization$8.2K - $19.2K3-9 monthsMedium
Target higher-paying industries$5.5K - $12.4K2-6 monthsMedium
The fastest salary liftFor many Occupational Health and Safety Technician professionals, the fastest path is a focused mix of stronger proof, higher-value skills, and better market selection. Salary gains usually come faster when candidates combine a clear portfolio with targeted applications and negotiation.

Occupational Health and Safety Technician vs Similar Career Salaries

Comparing Occupational Health and Safety Technician salary with Physicist and other nearby careers helps show whether this job title is underpaid, fairly priced, or part of a stronger salary path. These comparisons are useful when choosing between roles, planning a career move, or deciding which skills to build next.

Physicist
$166K
Related role
Above baseline
Political Scientist
$139K
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Above baseline
Astronomer
$132K
Related role
Above baseline
Neuropsychologist
$118K
Related role
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Economist
$115K
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Industrial-organizational Psychologist
$110K
Related role
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Nuclear Technician
$104K
Related role
Above baseline
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Frequently Asked Questions

These questions usually come up after readers compare the national salary, experience bands, and city differences. Together they clarify how to read the salary data and what to pay attention to when you compare this role with nearby careers.

What is the average Occupational Health & Safety Technicians salary?
The latest national baseline for Occupational Health & Safety Technicians is about $58,400 per year, based on the current BLS-derived salary facts in CareerClev.
What is the entry-level Occupational Health & Safety Technicians salary?
Entry-level estimates for Occupational Health & Safety Technicians are modeled around the lower BLS percentile range, currently about $40,600 per year nationally.
How much can senior Occupational Health & Safety Technicians professionals earn?
Senior Occupational Health & Safety Technicians estimates are modeled from upper percentile wage bands and currently sit around $74,800 per year nationally.
Does location affect Occupational Health & Safety Technicians salary?
Yes. CareerClev stores salary facts by national, state, and metro locations, so location-specific pages should use the closest available geography instead of a single national number.
Which skills matter for Occupational Health & Safety Technicians salary growth?
CareerClev uses O*NET skill importance and level scores to identify role-relevant skills. These are useful for recommendations, but should not be presented as measured salary premiums unless enriched compensation data exists.
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Data Sources & Methodology
Updated using 2024 BLS OEWS salary facts, O*NET occupation-skill data, Census location context where available, ILOSTAT country benchmarks where mapped, BLS Employment Projections where imported, and Stack Overflow Developer Survey enrichment for mapped tech roles.
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