Health and Safety Engineering Careers

Health and safety engineering careers involve planning, managing, and preventing workplace-associated risks by implementing health, safety, and engineering measures.

Health and safety engineers develop strategies and systems to help secure the lives and properties of people.

Experts in health and safety engineering fields mostly work in manufacturing plants, construction sites, and offices.

Why Choose Health and Safety Engineering?

Here are some reasons why you should consider a career in health and safety engineering:

• Health and safety engineers earn an annual median salary of $99,040 according to a BLS report. The top 10% of professionals in this field makeover $150,720.
• Averagely, 1,500 health and safety engineering jobs are available yearly
• Health and safety engineers enjoy the freedom to work in multiple locations like offices or onsite.

How to Start your Health and Safety Engineering Journey

You only require a bachelor’s degree in engineering-related disciplines or environmental health and safety to start a career in health and safety engineering.

However, having practical work experience is an added advantage in the employment market.

You can also explore hundreds of professional online health and safety engineering courses that provide certificates to enhance your career.

Educational Requirements

Associate Degree

Completing an associate degree in any health and safety engineering field typically takes two years. This degree prepares you for more advanced university programs.

A blended learning approach can be an ideal way to combine studying with gaining hands-on experience in health and safety engineering.

Bachelor’s Degree

A bachelor’s degree is often the minimum requirement for most health and safety engineering jobs.

You need four years to complete a bachelor’s degree to become a health and safety engineer and require an extra two years as an intern in engineering firms.

Here you’ll gain field-based knowledge and relevant skills required in this industry.

Master’s Degree

If you plan to access better career opportunities and higher remuneration, pursuing a master’s in health and safety engineering is the way to go.

An MSc in health and safety engineering generally spans 2 to 3 years and can be undertaken full-time or part-time.

Doctorate in Health and Safety Engineering

A doctorate in health and safety engineering provides in-depth research-based knowledge.

Among other mouth-watering opportunities, a doctorate qualifies you to work as a professor.

Academic modules during a doctorate program sharpen your risk assessment skills and enhance your ability to design innovative safety systems.

Employment Prospects

Many organizations seek health and safety engineers to monitor and implement workplace safety regulations creating a steady demand for health and safety professionals.

BLS projects a 4% employment growth between 2021 and 2031 for health and safety engineering careers.

Also, 1,500 jobs are available yearly for health and safety engineers within that decade.

Health and Safety Engineering Career Forecast

Health and safety engineers will continue to be sought after for their expertise because of increased awareness of their roles and new government regulations on health, safety, and the environment.

Hence, more opportunities will emerge as organizations realize the need for a health and safety professional on their team.

Lucrative Health and Safety Engineering Career Paths

Safety Engineer

Safety engineers establish safety procedures and design systems in the workplace to ensure the security of lives and properties.

Average Salary

The total pay of safety engineers ranges from $62,000 to $162,000 annually. A safety engineer may enjoy an additional income of up to $16,416 from cash bonuses, tips, or commissions.

Roles and Responsibilities

Safety engineers are primarily responsible for the following:

• Design systems and measures to protect employer’s staff and properties from harm
• Implement industry safety policies and regulations
• Provide workers training on safety
• Identify and manage potential hazards

Industries Employing Safety Engineers

Some industries that hire safety engineers are:

• Manufacturing
• Construction
• Airlines
• Government

Environmental Health and Safety Officer

Environmental health and safety (EH&S) officers specialize in enforcing environmental safety compliance and protecting the environment from harmful human activities.

Average Salary

Environmental health and safety experts earn an average annual salary of $98,587. Although, some EH&S officers may make more depending on location, experience, and level of education.

Roles and Responsibilities

The duties of environmental health and safety officers include:

• Inspect and assess business premises for potential hazards
• Implement environmental laws
• Conduct research and report findings on an organization’s environmental impact

Industries Employing Environmental Health and Safety Officers

• Manufacturing companies
• Public sector
• Armed forces
• Retail businesses

Safety Manager

Safety managers ensure that workers abide by important health and safety rules.

Average Salary

Safety managers earn an average base salary of $77,264 annually.

Roles and Responsibilities

The safety manager is responsible for the following:

• Develop and implement workplace safety regulations
• Organize and deliver safety and accident prevention training to workers
• Process compensation claims of workplace accident victims
• Ensure compliance with safety rules
• Propose innovative safety procedures and systems
• Conduct risk assessment

Industries Employing Safety Managers

• Government agencies
• Health sector
• Manufacturing plants
• Construction plants

Fire Protection Engineer

Fire protection engineers combine scientific and engineering principles to develop systems and procedures to prevent fire-related hazards.

Average Salary

The average annual salary range for fire protection engineers falls between $70,344 and $104,127. The earnings of a fire protection engineer depend on educational qualification, certification, location, and experience level.

Roles and Responsibilities

A fire protection engineer is responsible for the following:

• Identify and analyze fire risks
• Design, install and maintain fire prevention systems
• Investigate fire accidents
• Ensure compliance with standard anti-fire regulations

Industries Employing Safety Managers

Some industries that employ fire protection engineers are:

• Construction
• Government agencies
• manufacturing

Safety Analyst

A safety analyst assesses the safety compliance procedures of an organization.

Average Salary

Data analysts make an average annual salary of $52,020. The top 10th percentile of safety analysts earns up to $80,000 yearly.

Roles and Responsibilities

The duties of a safety analyst include the following:

• Collaborate with other safety specialists to ensure workplace safety compliance
• Design special safety training programs
• Evaluate safety systems and suggests improvements
• Develop and submit scheduled hazard reports to appropriate departments
• Inspect facilities periodically

Industries Employing Safety Analysts

Industries that employ safety analysts include:

• Construction
• Government
• Manufacturing

Safety Inspection Coordinator

Safety inspection coordinators monitor and ensure the safety of workers and the work environment.

Average Salary

Safety inspection coordinators earn an average base salary of £34,816 annually. At the lowest, a safety inspection coordinator makes £22,000 yearly, while the top percentile can make up to £53,000.

Roles and Responsibilities

The safety inspection coordinator is responsible for the following:

• Inspect workplace facilities
• Implement federal and state government safety regulations
• Oversees the clearing of all hazardous materials from work premises

Industries Employing Safety Inspection Coordinators

Industries that employ safety inspection coordinators include:

• Factories
• Construction
• Government

Industrial Safety Consultant

Industrial safety consultants provide advisory safety support and solution services to wide-ranging industries.

Average Salary

The salary range of industrial safety consultants falls between $69,000 and $197,00. However, the average annual pay of an industrial safety consultant is $116,809.

Roles and Responsibilities

The duties of an industrial safety consultant include the following:

• Develop systems and implement risk management solutions for industries
• Offer advice on best industry-specific safety measures
• Provide safety compliance auditory services
• Deliver safety training to workers

Industries Employing industrial safety consultants

Industries that employ industrial safety consultants include:

• Oil and gas
• Pharmaceuticals
• Manufacturing
• Government agencies

Director of Environmental Health and Safety

The Director of environmental health and safety is an executive role tasked with supervising an organization’s compliance with government environmental health and safety laws.

Average Salary

The median salary of a director of environmental health and safety is $227,577 annually.

Roles and Responsibilities

Some of the duties of directors of environmental health and safety are:

• Monitor and supervise the implementation of safety regulations
• Update employees on new health and safety laws
• Represent an organization at relevant health and safety events

Industries Employing Directors of Environmental Health and Safety

Industries that employ directors of environmental health and safety include:

• Manufacturing
• construction

Process Safety Engineer

Process safety engineers design, monitor and manage safety procedures and systems.

Average Salary

Averagely, a process safety engineer earns $96,391 annually. But, the 90th percentile makes up to $128,942 while the bottom 10% earn $68,135 yearly.

Roles and Responsibilities

The process and safety engineer is responsible for the following:

• Suggest safety measures to management
• Identify and report risks in an organization’s business process
• Offer health and safety training
• Monitor standard safety compliance

Industries Employing Process Safety Engineers

Industries that employ process safety engineers include:

• Manufacturing
• Biomedical
• construction

Industrial Engineer

An industrial engineer designs structures and processes that maximize available human and material resources to produce organizational benefits.

Average Salary

Industrial engineers earn an average annual income of $76,075. Apart from a basic salary, an industrial engineer makes up to $10,836 extra pay from bonuses, commissions, and tips.

Roles and Responsibilities

An industrial engineer is responsible for the following:

• Quality control and assurance
• Develop cost-effective systems and manufacturing processes
• Analyze engineering data and process flows to minimize manufacturing cost

Industries Employing Industrial Engineers

Industries that employ industrial engineers include:

• Manufacturing and assembling plants
• Science laboratories
• Oil and gas
• IT

Occupational Health and Safety Specialist

An occupational health and safety professional develops regulations and processes to protect people from workplace-associated hazards.

Average Salary

The average annual salary of an occupational health and safety specialist is $79,274. The typical range for this role is between $73,777 and $83, 664 depending on skills or education.

Roles and Responsibilities

The responsibilities of an occupational health and safety specialist include:

• Encourage compliance with health and safety regulations
• Guarantee standard and safe working conditions
• Investigate workplace accidents and implement prevention strategies
• Provide employees with scheduled safety training

Industries Employing Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

Industries that employ occupational health and safety specialists include:

• Energy
• Manufacturing
• construction

Environmental Compliance Specialist

The environmental compliance specialists ensure that their employer’s business adheres to government environmental regulations and laws.

Average Salary

The average annual base salary of an environmental compliance specialist is $59,335. The bottom 10% earn $42,000 while the top percentile makes $82,000 annually.

Roles and Responsibilities

The responsibilities of an environmental compliance specialist include:

• Provide scheduled environmental reports
• Inspect potential pollution sources
• Investigate the environmental impact of an industry in a location
• Develop environmental processes and policies to ensure the safety of lives and properties

Industries Employing Environmental Compliance Specialists

Industries that employ environmental compliance specialists include:

• Government
• Manufacturing
• energy

Product Safety Engineer

Product safety engineers design and test products to ensure they are safe for consumers.

Average Salary

A product safety engineer typically earns between $76,953 and $104,396 annually. However, the average annual salary of product safety engineering professionals is $88,671

Roles and Responsibilities

The responsibilities of a product safety engineer include:

• Analyze the safety degree of a product
• Conduct research on how to improve a product
• Evaluate the potential risks associated with the use or misuse of a new product

Industries Employing Product Safety Engineers

Industries that employ product safety engineers include:

• Construction
• Manufacturing
• Oil and gas

Aviation Safety Engineer

Aviation safety engineers design systems and procedures to ensure the safety of lives and aviation resources.

Average Salary

An aviation safety engineer earns an average annual salary of $88,119. Aviation safety engineers enjoy bonuses, commissions, and other additional income of about $14,881 annually.

Roles and Responsibilities

The responsibilities of aviation safety engineers include:

• Work with other departments to investigate causes of accidents
• Ensure compliance with safety regulations
• Inspect aviation facilities
• Conduct risk assessment and design safety systems

Industries Employing Aviation Safety Engineers

Industries that employ aviation safety engineers include:

• Aviation
• Armed forces
• Manufacturing plants

Construction Safety Engineer

A construction safety engineer monitors and ensures the safety of all on-site workers.

Average Salary

The annual salary range for construction safety engineers is $68,617 to $99,621 in New York. Averagely, construction safety officers earn $82, 971.

Roles and Responsibilities

The duties of a construction safety engineer include the following:

• Ensure compliance with onsite safety and health regulations
• Plan and develop safety procedures for the construction site
• Offer safety training and induction to workers
• Identify risks and potential workplace hazards
• Facilitate compensation of accident victims

Industries Employing Construction Safety Engineers

Industries that employ construction safety engineers include:

• Construction
• Assembling and manufacturing

How to Boost Your Health and Safety Engineering Career

To enhance your health and safety engineering career, you must first determine which area you’d like to specialize in. Any of the careers above is a great choice.

Gain relevant skills and knowledge by completing a bachelor’s degree program in engineering-related fields or any health and safety course.

You can equally maximize available online health and safety engineering resources to earn certifications or acquire new in-demand skills.

Build your resume by gaining practical experience in the health and safety engineering industry. Take internship roles, volunteer, or apply for entry-level positions to scale your career.

Pros and Cons of Health and Safety Engineering Careers

The following are some pros and cons to consider before you choose a career in any health and safety engineering:

Pros

• Competitive salary and remuneration
• Health and life insurance packages
• Opportunities for career growth
• Job flexibility and mobility
• Sense of purpose in protecting lives and properties
• Access to membership privileges from industry governing bodies and unions

Cons

• Most health and safety engineering careers are risky (exposure to harsh chemicals, heavy materials, and onsite hazards)
• Health and safety engineers work full-time for long hours
• Available opportunities may require relocation
• Some employers require licenses before hiring
• Minimum health and safety engineer jobs requirements include a degree and internship experience

Skills You’ll Develop While Studying Health and Safety Engineering

Studying health and safety engineering will expose you to some relevant in-demand skills like:

Critical Thinking and Analysis

Health and safety engineers require critical thinking and analysis to develop safety procedures and draw logical findings from accident investigations.

You’re expected to work with precision as a health and safety engineer to avoid compounding workplace risks.

Oversights and poor risk assessment can lead to casualties.

Software Skills

Health and safety engineering professionals must be technology savvy and have good knowledge of computers.

You’ll encounter simple and sophisticated computer programs and software daily in the health and safety engineering industry.

Mastering every new tool that’s designed will facilitate your job delivery as a health and safety specialist.

Management Skills

A good health and safety engineer is an excellent manager. You require the ability to successfully control emergencies and make logical decisions.

A health and safety engineer supervises other members of staff and ensures compliance with safety regulations.

Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal communication is important in health and safety engineering. You must be able to pass information clearly and concisely to other employees.

Health and safety engineers are in contact with people daily. Develop empathy, great social skills, and high emotional intelligence to avoid conflicts in the workplace.

Attention to Detail

The job of a health and safety engineer demands keen observation and attention to detail. You must monitor safety systems and procedures closely to avoid loopholes.

Be constantly conscious that the safety of lives and properties depends on your flawless task execution.

How to Prepare for a Health and Safety Engineering Career

Preparing for a career in health and safety engineering will help you avoid potential pitfalls and frustration in the industry.

Here are some ways you can plan for a fulfilling health and safety engineering profession:

1. Take Basic Science Subjects in High School

Having the right science subjects combination from high school sets you on the right path toward a rewarding health and safety engineering career.

Develop your analytical skills with mathematics. Also, get acquainted with the environmental and health sector by offering subjects like Biology, Chemistry, and Geography.

2. Complete a Bachelor's Degree in Health and Safety Engineering

A bachelor’s degree is the most basic health and safety engineering job requirement. Hence, completing your BSc in health and safety engineering is usually the first, and perhaps most important, step.

Research the best universities offering health and safety engineering courses and apply.

3. Obtain Post Graduate Degrees in Health and Safety Engineering

Postgraduate degrees are bold statements of your preparedness for a career in health and safety engineering.

In addition, post-graduate degrees open greater opportunity doors and allow you to negotiate your pay in the labor market.

4. Gain Field Experience

Most employers require proof of internship alongside your bachelor’s degree qualification before hiring.

Build your knowledge and resume by taking entry-level health and safety engineering jobs or internship positions.

Practical work experience increases your chances of higher remuneration as a health and safety engineer.

5. Get Industry Certifications and State Licensure

As you grow in the health and safety engineering profession, you’ll need to obtain government-approved licenses and certifications.

Industry-recognized certifications and licenses are proof of authority. Also, they provide legitimacy.

Health and Safety Engineering Resources to Help Your Career

Apart from belonging to unions and associations, the following resources will enhance your health and safety engineering career:

• Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certification: this professional course is offered by the board of certified safety professionals.
• Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH): enhance your portfolio with a certification from the American Board of industrial hygiene.

How to Switch to a Health and Safety Engineering Career

Once you possess the foundational science subjects like math, chemistry, and physics; proceed to apply for the engineering bachelor’s degree of your choice.

You can also study for an environmental, health, or safety degree. Gain as much experience as you can in the health and safety engineering field.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Health and Safety Engineering?

Health and safety engineering is the design, maintenance, and implementation of workplace health and safety laws, regulations, or systems to protect lives and properties.

What certification do I need for a Health and Safety Engineering career?

Entry-level health and safety engineering roles require no licensure. But you’ll need PE and FE licenses as you grow.

Certifications like CSP, ASP, and CIH come in handy in your health and safety engineering career.

Can I get a Health and Safety Engineering degree online?

Yes. Most health and safety engineering degrees can be obtained online or through a blended learning approach. Enjoy flexible lecture schedules and cooperative education curricula.

What fields can Health and Safety Engineering professionals work in?

Health and safety engineering professionals are employed to work in a variety of industries like manufacturing, construction, medical, government agencies, and aviation.

Is there a high demand for Health and Safety Engineering majors?

Health and safety engineering majors are in high demand, especially with new safety laws and awareness.

BLS projects a 4% employment growth between 2021 and 2031. Also, about 1,500 job vacancies will open within that decade.

Final Thoughts

Health and safety engineering careers have a positive job outlook and promise immense satisfaction.

So decide which of the exciting career options above is ideal for you and prepare for it.

You’ll need to dedicate time and resources to your chosen health and safety engineering career to achieve desired results.