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Alamo Colleges DistrictCareer Explorer

Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

Part of Government & Public Administration, in the Regulation pathway.

Bright outlookJob zone 4: considerable preparationO*NET 19-5011.00

What the work is

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.

On a typical day

  • Order suspension of activities that pose threats to workers' health or safety.
  • Recommend measures to help protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes, or materials.
  • Investigate accidents to identify causes or to determine how such accidents might be prevented in the future.
  • Investigate the adequacy of ventilation, exhaust equipment, lighting, or other conditions that could affect employee health, comfort, or performance.
  • Develop or maintain hygiene programs, such as noise surveys, continuous atmosphere monitoring, ventilation surveys, or asbestos management plans.
  • Inspect or evaluate workplace environments, equipment, or practices to ensure compliance with safety standards and government regulations.

What it pays

$77,690
Median pay per year, San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro
New workers start near $44,830
Experienced workers reach $114,560
  1. $45k10th
  2. $61k25th
  3. $78kMedian
  4. $99k75th
  5. $115k90th
Wage percentiles: 10th $44,830, 25th $61,240, Median $77,690, 75th $98,690, 90th $114,560

About 1,230 people do this job in the San Antonio area.

Job outlook

Alamo region (Bexar and 12 surrounding counties), Texas Workforce Commission projection 2024 to 2034. U.S. figures from the BLS for comparison.

+24.3%

employment change in the Alamo region, 1,182 to 1,469 jobs · U.S. +13%

154

openings a year in the Alamo region, from growth and people leaving · U.S. 14,900

1,182

employed in the Alamo region in 2024 · U.S. 131,900

Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree

Skills this career uses

The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.

  1. Reading Comprehension4.0
  2. Active Listening4.0
  3. Writing4.0
  4. Speaking4.0
  5. Critical Thinking4.0
  6. Social Perceptiveness3.8
  7. Judgment and Decision Making3.8
  8. Systems Evaluation3.8

Education people in this job have

Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.

  1. Certificate4%
  2. Associate degree4%
  3. Bachelor's degree83%
  4. Master's degree9%

Job zone 4, considerable preparation: Usually a bachelor's degree, sometimes a strong associate plus experience.

Alamo programs that lead here

No Alamo program is mapped to this career yet. Many careers start from a transfer pre-major or a related program.

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Does this fit you?

Six questions rank every career here by how closely its interest profile follows yours.

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