What safety pros earn - and how certification affects salaries

8/3/2015
ISHN

Occupational safety and health professionals who have certifications make considerably higher salaries than those who don’t, according to a new survey conducted jointly by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) the American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA), the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP), the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH), the Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals (AHMP), and the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM).

The survey of more than 9,000 occupational safety and health professionals reveals they earn an annual base salary on average of $98,000 -- an increase of $8,000 since the survey was taken two years ago.

Certification differences are significant

The median annual base salary of individuals holding the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) or the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certification is $105,000, nearly $22,000 greater than the median annual base salary of survey respondents who held no license or certification. The gap in median annual salary between those holding CIH or CSP certifications and the typical Occupational Health and Safety Specialist is even greater—more than $30,000—according to salary information reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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