Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Occupational Health and Safety Technicians
Occupation · SOC 19-5012.00
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.
Also called: Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) · Construction Safety Consultant · Industrial Hygienist · Safety Specialist · Advisory Industrial Hygienist · EHS Advisor (Environmental, Health, and Safety Advisor) · Health and Safety Technician (Health and Safety Tech) · Industrial Hygiene Consultant · Safety Technician (Safety Tech) · Safety Trainer · Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) · Consumer Safety Technician (Consumer Safety Tech)
Job family: Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-19-5012-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Growing fast employment outlook (+8.5% by 2034)
- 3,400 openings/yr
- Low AI exposure
- Median pay $58,440/yr
40th-percentile task overlap — yet about 3,400 openings a year (+8.5% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Moderate | 54th | 0.7 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low | 30th | 0.1 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.1), with simple added tooling (β 0.4), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.7). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
How AI is actually used in this job
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Prepare documents to be used in legal proceedings, testifying in such proceedings when necessary. | 0.6% | |
| Prepare or calibrate equipment used to collect or analyze samples. | 0.3% |
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Growing fast · +8.5% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 3,400 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 31,900 → 34,600 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Tasks
All 26 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Evaluate situations or make determinations when a worker has refused to work on the grounds that danger or potential harm exists. Core · importance 4.2
- Supply, operate, or maintain personal protective equipment. Core · importance 4.0
- Maintain all required environmental records and documentation. Core · importance 4.0
- Provide consultation to organizations or agencies on the workplace application of safety principles, practices, or techniques. Core · importance 4.0
- Test workplaces for environmental hazards, such as exposure to radiation, chemical or biological hazards, or excessive noise. Core · importance 4.0
- 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 · importance 4.0
- Inspect fire suppression systems or portable fire systems to ensure proper working order. Core · importance 3.9
- Verify availability or monitor use of safety equipment, such as hearing protection or respirators. Core · importance 3.8
- Prepare or review specifications or orders for the purchase of safety equipment, ensuring that proper features are present and that items conform to health and safety standards. Core · importance 3.8
- Recommend corrective measures to be applied based on results of environmental contaminant analyses. Core · importance 3.8
- Prepare or calibrate equipment used to collect or analyze samples. Core · importance 3.8
- Help direct rescue or firefighting operations in the event of a fire or an explosion. Core · importance 3.7
- Conduct worker studies to determine whether specific instances of disease or illness are job-related. Core · importance 3.6
- Plan emergency response drills. Core · importance 3.6
- Examine credentials, licenses, or permits to ensure compliance with licensing requirements. Core · importance 3.5
- Review records or reports concerning laboratory results, staffing, floor plans, fire inspections, or sanitation to gather information for the development or enforcement of safety activities. Core · importance 3.4
- Educate the public about health issues or enforce health legislation to prevent disease, to promote health, or to help people understand health protection procedures and regulations. Core · importance 3.4
- Prepare documents to be used in legal proceedings, testifying in such proceedings when necessary. Core · importance 3.4
- Collect data regarding potential hazards from new equipment or products linked to green practices. Core · importance 3.3
- Maintain logbooks of daily activities, including areas visited or activities performed. Core · importance 3.3
- Test or balance newly installed HVAC systems to determine whether indoor air quality standards are met. Core · importance 3.3
- Confer with schools, state authorities, or community groups to develop health standards or programs. Core · importance 3.1
- Collect data related to ecological or human health risks at brownfield sites. Supplemental · importance 3.1
- Conduct interviews to obtain information or evidence regarding communicable diseases or violations of health or sanitation regulations. Supplemental · importance 3.1
- Perform tests to identify any potential hazards related to recycled products used at green building sites. Supplemental · importance 2.8
- Examine practices at green building sites to determine whether adherence to green building standards alters risks to workers. Supplemental · importance 2.6
Work activities
- Prepare official health documents or records.
- Protect patients or staff members using safety equipment.
- Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.
- Maintain medical laboratory equipment.
- Test facilities for environmental hazards.
- Verify that medical activities or operations meet standards.
- Monitor medical facility activities to ensure adherence to standards or regulations.
- Communicate health and wellness information to the public.
- Interview employees, customers, or others to collect information.
- Assess compliance with environmental laws.
- Develop emergency procedures.
- Maintain medical facility records.
- Assist others during emergencies.
- Direct emergency management activities.
- Direct fire fighting or prevention activities.
- Design public or employee health programs.
- Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
- Conduct health or safety training programs.
- Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
- Inspect work environments to ensure safety.
- Advise communities or institutions regarding health or safety issues.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
Essential skills
| Active Listening | 4.0 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Speaking | 3.9 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 | |
| Writing | 3.8 | |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
Abilities
| Oral Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.9 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.9 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.9 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.9 | |
| Written Expression | 3.8 | |
| Near Vision | 3.6 | |
| Speech Clarity | 3.5 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.4 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.4 | |
| Category Flexibility | 3.3 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.3 | |
| Far Vision | 3.3 |
Transferable skills
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 | |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 | |
| Persuasion | 3.1 | |
| Negotiation | 3.1 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Showing the top 40 of 42.
Tools & technology
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Previous 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.
- Preparation level
- SVP (6.0 to < 7.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
What to study: Biological and Biomedical Sciences , Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians , Health Professions and Related Programs . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| Bachelor's Degree | 47.6% | |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 19.1% | |
| High School Diploma | 9.5% | |
| Some College Courses | 9.5% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 4.8% | |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 4.8% | |
| Master's Degree | 4.8% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Conventional | 5.6 | |
| Realistic | 5.3 | |
| Investigative | 4.9 | |
| Social | 2.9 |
Work styles
| Dependability | 4.0 | |
| Attention to Detail | 3.0 |
Interest areas
| Professional Advising | 3.5 | |
| Medical Science | 3.1 | |
| Engineering | 3.0 | |
| Public Speaking | 2.8 | |
| Mechanics/Electronics | 2.8 | |
| Protective Service | 2.8 | |
| Physical Science | 2.8 | |
| Law | 2.8 | |
| Teaching/Education | 2.7 | |
| Construction/Woodwork | 2.7 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $40,550 |
| 25th percentile | $49,510 |
| Median (50th) | $58,440 |
| 75th percentile | $74,810 |
| 90th percentile | $94,670 |
| People employed | 31,450 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing · Sector | 9,010 | $57,400 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 5,400 | $65,000 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 4,580 | $49,140 |
| Construction · Sector | 2,580 | $72,110 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance · Sector | 1,710 | $50,900 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 970 | $58,690 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 920 | $64,780 |
| Educational Services · Sector | 880 | $62,160 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 770 | $59,790 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction · Sector | 740 | $72,800 |
| Engineering Services · National industry | 480 | $99,890 |
| Retail Trade · Sector | 390 | $52,140 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Testing Laboratories and Services · National industry | 6.91× | 240 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction · National industry | 6.7× | 320 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction · Sector | 6.33× | 740 |
| Transportation and Warehousing · Sector | 5.98× | 9,010 |
| Utilities · Sector | 2.54× | 300 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 2.08× | 4,580 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 2.07× | 5,400 |
| Engineering Services · National industry | 2.04× | 480 |
Related occupations
Part of the Advanced Manufacturing and Management & Entrepreneurship career clusters.
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors · 17-2111.00 Compare →
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists · 19-5011.00 Compare →
- Environmental Compliance Inspectors · 13-1041.01 Compare →
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health · 19-2041.00 Compare →
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health · 19-4042.00 Compare →
- Environmental Engineers · 17-2081.00 Compare →
- Construction and Building Inspectors · 47-4011.00 Compare →
- Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians · 17-3025.00 Compare →
- Government Property Inspectors and Investigators · 13-1041.04 Compare →
- Paramedics · 29-2043.00 Compare →
- Preventive Medicine Physicians · 29-1229.05 Compare →
- Emergency Medical Technicians · 29-2042.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Occupational Health and Safety Technicians — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors Compare →
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists Compare →
- Environmental Compliance Inspectors Compare →
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health Compare →
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health Compare →
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- High school diploma or equivalent · typical entry level
- Job zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed · preparation tier
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences · field of study
- Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians · field of study
Zoom out
See where this work sits in the bigger picture.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Occupational Health and Safety Technicians show 40th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 3,400 annual U.S. openings
- Occupational Health and Safety Technicians rank in the 40th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 3,400 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be growing fast (+8.5%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $58,440, across about 31,450 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Occupational Health and Safety Technicians show 40th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 3,400 annual U.S. openings • Occupational Health and Safety Technicians rank in the 40th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 3,400 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be growing fast (+8.5%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $58,440, across about 31,450 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Occupational Health and Safety Technicians". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-5012-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Occupational Health and Safety Technicians." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-5012-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Occupational Health and Safety Technicians. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-5012-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-19-5012-00,
title = {Occupational Health and Safety Technicians},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-19-5012-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.