Occupational Health and Safety Technicians

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.

Most important skills

Active Listening
Reading Comprehension
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Writing
Monitoring
Complex Problem Solving
Judgment and Decision Making

Key knowledge

Education and Training
English Language
Public Safety and Security
Law and Government
Engineering and Technology
Mathematics
Administration and Management
Customer and Personal Service

What the work involves

Maintain all required environmental records and documentation.
Supply, operate, or maintain personal protective equipment.
Prepare or calibrate equipment used to collect or analyze samples.
Test workplaces for environmental hazards, such as exposure to radiation, chemical or biological hazards, or excessive noise.
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.
Examine credentials, licenses, or permits to ensure compliance with licensing requirements.
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.
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.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Conventional, Realistic, Investigative.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (47.6% of respondents)
Related experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (38.1%)
On-the-job training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (55%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Occupational Health and Safety Technicians is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Moderate	Higher on contact with others than 54% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time”
Dealing with the public	Moderate	Higher on dealing with the public than 58% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Teamwork	Moderate	Higher on teamwork than 56% of occupations compared	45% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Freedom to make decisions	Moderate	Higher on freedom to make decisions than 56% of occupations compared	52% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	Moderate	Lower on time pressure than 58% of occupations compared	43% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Conflict situations	High	Higher on conflict situations than 65% of occupations compared	57% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Moderate	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 54% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	Very high	Higher on consequence of error than 87% of occupations compared	42% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: moderate
Conflict situations: high
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
Consequence of error: very high

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions