Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

29-9011 Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

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. Includes environmental protection officers.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
57,950 1.2 % $32.37 $67,340 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $19.12 $24.38 $31.86 $39.69 $46.17
Annual Wage (2) $39,770 $50,710 $66,270 $82,560 $96,030


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 7,110 0.34 $36.75 $76,450
State Government (OES Designation) 6,930 0.30 $28.90 $60,110
Local Government (OES Designation) 6,600 0.12 $28.00 $58,240
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 3,300 0.31 $31.49 $65,500
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 2,390 0.05 $31.61 $65,740

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Basic Chemical Manufacturing 850 0.60 $35.16 $73,130
Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing 200 0.56 $33.09 $68,840
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 570 0.51 $37.29 $77,560
Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing 260 0.48 $29.39 $61,130
Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing 400 0.46 $35.12 $73,050

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 40 (7) $42.49 $88,390
Offices of Other Health Practitioners (8) (8) $42.12 $87,610
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil 40 0.42 $41.69 $86,720
Oil and Gas Extraction 590 0.36 $41.57 $86,470
Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers 110 0.09 $40.35 $83,920


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 7,310 0.71 1.57 $31.83 $66,200
California 6,000 0.43 0.95 $37.65 $78,310
New York 3,040 0.36 0.80 $32.59 $67,790
Pennsylvania 2,480 0.45 0.99 $30.02 $62,440
Ohio 2,410 0.48 1.07 $33.93 $70,570




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wyoming 330 1.21 2.69 $33.27 $69,190
Alaska 360 1.14 2.52 $35.08 $72,960
Delaware 400 1.00 2.21 $32.07 $66,710
Washington 1,950 0.72 1.59 $34.57 $71,910
Texas 7,310 0.71 1.57 $31.83 $66,200




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 370 0.58 1.28 $41.85 $87,050
California 6,000 0.43 0.95 $37.65 $78,310
Rhode Island 120 0.27 0.59 $36.84 $76,620
Maryland 1,030 0.42 0.92 $36.27 $75,440
Colorado 1,020 0.47 1.04 $35.88 $74,630





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 2,900 1.13 2.51 $32.70 $68,020
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 1,470 0.29 0.64 $35.09 $73,000
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 1,330 0.35 0.77 $35.22 $73,250
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 950 0.55 1.23 $31.37 $65,250
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA 940 1.17 2.59 $40.73 $84,730
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 900 0.39 0.86 $38.55 $80,190
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 890 0.43 0.96 $32.19 $66,950
Baltimore-Towson, MD 660 0.53 1.17 $35.51 $73,860
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 660 0.48 1.07 $35.70 $74,260
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 630 0.88 1.94 $30.41 $63,250




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA 450 4.54 10.06 $35.97 $74,820
Hinesville-Fort Stewart, GA 40 2.48 5.49 $23.79 $49,480
Trenton-Ewing, NJ 440 2.03 4.49 $37.72 $78,470
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 300 1.94 4.30 $32.69 $68,000
Midland, TX 120 1.79 3.97 $31.80 $66,150
Casper, WY 70 1.71 3.79 $31.33 $65,170
Longview, TX 150 1.61 3.56 $28.63 $59,560
Victoria, TX 70 1.40 3.10 $35.90 $74,680
Columbia, SC 470 1.40 3.11 $23.41 $48,690
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 110 1.37 3.03 $38.08 $79,200




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 580 0.61 1.36 $44.07 $91,670
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 150 0.27 0.59 $41.94 $87,230
Salinas, CA 30 0.20 0.44 $41.82 $86,990
Framingham, MA NECTA Division 60 0.40 0.89 $41.57 $86,470
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 220 0.26 0.57 $41.42 $86,150
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 380 0.39 0.87 $41.02 $85,320
Springfield, IL 30 0.31 0.69 $41.00 $85,280
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA 940 1.17 2.59 $40.73 $84,730
Boulder, CO 70 0.43 0.95 $40.01 $83,220
Jackson, MI 40 0.79 1.75 $39.79 $82,770

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwestern Virginia nonmetropolitan area 260 1.97 4.36 $30.69 $63,830
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 250 2.16 4.78 $33.93 $70,580
Northwestern Texas nonmetropolitan area 250 1.01 2.23 $33.21 $69,070
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 230 0.61 1.35 $26.17 $54,440
Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 180 1.36 3.01 $35.98 $74,840

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Nevada nonmetropolitan area 140 2.64 5.86 $35.40 $73,620
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 250 2.16 4.78 $33.93 $70,580
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 150 2.14 4.74 $34.34 $71,430
Southwestern Virginia nonmetropolitan area 260 1.97 4.36 $30.69 $63,830
Southwestern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 110 1.79 3.96 $36.38 $75,670

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 50 1.01 2.24 $36.62 $76,170
Southwestern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 110 1.79 3.96 $36.38 $75,670
Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 180 1.36 3.01 $35.98 $74,840
Other Nevada nonmetropolitan area 140 2.64 5.86 $35.40 $73,620
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area 50 0.31 0.70 $35.35 $73,530


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012