How much do hazardous materials specialists make in 2026?
Hazardous materials specialists are counted in the BLS hazardous materials removal workers series: OEWS May 2025 gives SOC 47-4041 a national median of $49,450 a year ($23.78 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $38,460 and the top 10% at $82,410 across 51,710 workers. This page shares that series with our asbestos abatement worker and hazmat technician records, and the code pools asbestos, lead, mould, radiological and chemical waste work into one figure. The specialist title normally sits above the general removal worker in that pool, because it implies responsibility for characterisation and decisions rather than execution: identifying an unknown material, classifying waste correctly under RCRA and DOT rules, writing the disposal profile and signing the manifest. Getting that wrong is expensive and occasionally criminal, which is why the responsibility carries a premium. The published annual median also understates real earnings for people who work emergency response, because callout, hazard differential and per diem on travelling projects sit outside base pay. Employment is projected to grow 1% through 2034 with roughly 5,000 openings a year. → Full hazardous materials specialist career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $49,450 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Hazardous Materials Specialists earn a national median $49,450/yr ($23.78/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-4041); the P10 to P90 range is $38,460 to $82,410.
- The $49,450 figure pools asbestos, lead, mould, radiological and chemical waste work; the specialist grade normally sits above the middle of that pool because it carries characterisation and manifest responsibility.
- Base pay understates real earnings for emergency response and travelling project work, where callout, hazard differential and per diem are separate from the wage.
- Waste classification under RCRA and DOT is where the liability sits, and correspondingly where the pay premium sits — signing a manifest wrongly is an expensive mistake.
US Hazardous Materials Specialist Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do hazardous materials specialists earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 47-4041; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-4041, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a hazardous materials specialist earn at each career stage?
Hazmat pay follows what you are qualified to decide, not just what you are qualified to handle. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 47-4041.
By State
Which states pay hazardous materials specialists the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the national hazardous materials removal median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Several states operate their own asbestos, lead and hazardous waste licensing regimes with mandated training, which raises the entry barrier and tends to support pay independently of the wage index.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($56,870), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay hazardous materials specialists the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations. Metros with dense older building stock or concentrated industrial sites generate more of this work than their population alone would suggest.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a hazardous materials specialist’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does hazardous materials specialist pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Hazardous Materials Specialists sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify hazardous materials specialist wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a hazardous materials specialist actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Hazardous Materials Specialist Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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