Career Overview
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.
Also Known As
- Industrial Hygiene Consultant
- Industrial Hygienist
- Safety Consultant
- Safety Specialist
Alternate Job Titles
- Analysis Safety Inspector
- Cause Analyst
- Certified Indoor Environmentalist
- Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH)
- Chemical Hygiene Officer
- Construction Safety Manager
- Consumer Safety Inspector
- Dining Service Inspector
- EHS Officer (Environmental Health and Safety Officer)
- EHS Specialist (Environmental Health and Safety Specialist)
- Environmental Health Inspector
- Environmental Health Sanitarian
- Environmental Health Technologist
- Environmental Protection Inspector
- Environmental Protection Officer
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Recommend measures to help protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes, or materials.
- Develop or maintain hygiene programs, such as noise surveys, continuous atmosphere monitoring, ventilation surveys, or asbestos management plans.
- Order suspension of activities that pose threats to workers' health or safety.
- 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.
- Collect samples of dust, gases, vapors, or other potentially toxic materials for analysis.
- Collaborate with engineers or physicians to institute control or remedial measures for hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions or equipment.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- English Language
- Chemistry
- Education and Training
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Engineering and Technology
- Biology
- Law and Government
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Systems Analysis
- Systems Evaluation
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Near Vision
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Flexibility of Closure
- Written Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Speech Recognition
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Intellectual Curiosity
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Support
- Working Conditions
- Achievement
- Independence
- Recognition
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Education Details: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Experience Required: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Project
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Aerosol monitoring instruments
- Air flow monitors
- Air sampling impingers
- Air sampling pumps
- Anemometers
- Audiometers
- Barometers
- Benzene detector tubes
- Cascade impactors
- Charcoal absorption tubes
- Chemical detection tubes
- Chlorine monitors
- Colorimeters
- Combustible gas meters
- Compressed air guns
Work Environment
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Health and Safety of Other Workers
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $50,610 |
| Median | $83,910 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $130,460 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 128,430
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: $109,660
Occupational Health and Safety Technicians
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $58,440
Environmental Compliance Inspectors
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $78,420
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $49,490
Construction and Building Inspectors
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $72,120
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.