Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Architecture and Engineering · SOC 17-2111 · O*NET 17-2111.00
Promote worksite or product safety by applying knowledge of industrial processes, mechanics, chemistry, psychology, and industrial health and safety laws. Includes industrial product safety engineers.
Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors fall under the Architecture and Engineering category in the U.S. occupational classification. Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors earn a median salary of $109,660 per year, ranking in the top 8% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +4.4% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors earn?
The median annual wage for health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors is $109,660. That puts health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors at #67 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. Pay at this level is well above the U.S. median household income, signaling sustained demand and meaningful credential requirements. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $62,050 |
| 25th percentile | $85,400 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $109,660 |
| 75th percentile | $136,150 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $166,670 |
| Median hourly wage | $52.72/hr |
Is health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors is +4.4%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 23K positions in 2024 to 24K in 2034, a net change of 1K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Evaluate product designs for safety.
- 2.Maintain and apply knowledge of current policies, regulations, and industrial processes.
- 3.Evaluate potential health hazards or damage that could occur from product misuse.
- 4.Review plans and specifications for construction of new machinery or equipment to determine whether all safety requirements have been met.
- 5.Interview employers and employees to obtain information about work environments and workplace incidents.
- 6.Conduct or direct testing of air quality, noise, temperature, or radiation levels to verify compliance with health and safety regulations.
- 7.Provide technical advice and guidance to organizations on how to handle health-related problems and make needed changes.
- 8.Develop industry standards of product safety.
Top skills for health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspector?
The standard path into health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Licensing requirements for health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors are regulated at the state level in the United States. Practicing without a current license is not legal in most jurisdictions.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
What is the median salary for health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors?
The median annual salary for health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors is $109,660 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors a growing career?
BLS projects +4.4% growth for health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspector?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors?
Related occupations within the Architecture and Engineering category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.