What is the salary and career path for a safety manager?
Safety manager is a close match to Occupational Health and Safety Specialists (SOC 19-5011), the BLS code for the professionals who analyze and control workplace hazards; the OEWS May 2025 median is $90,150 a year ($43.34 an hour), from $55,000 at the 10th percentile to $134,950 at the 90th. BLS projects 12.5% employment growth for the code over 2024–2034, faster than the average for all occupations. It is typically reached with a safety, engineering or science degree plus certification such as the CSP.
- Safety Managers earn a national median $90,150/yr ($43.34/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 19-5011); the top 10% clear $134,950.
- It is a close-match role: BLS Occupational Health and Safety Specialists (SOC 19-5011) is the code for safety managers at a $90,150 median.
- It typically requires a safety, engineering or science degree plus the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certification — not shop-floor promotion.
- BLS projects 12.5% growth for SOC 19-5011 through 2034 — faster than average — and the ladder runs safety specialist ($55,000) to safety manager ($90,150 median) to regional safety manager ($111,690) to EHS director ($134,950 top decile).
Career Path
How do you become a safety manager?
Safety specialist / coordinator
Auditing sites, delivering training and tracking incidents under a safety manager; entry pay sits near the 10th percentile of $55,000 for SOC 19-5011.
Safety manager
Owning the safety program for a site or region around the $90,150 median for the code.
Senior / regional safety manager
Leading safety across multiple sites and crews pays toward the 75th percentile of $111,690.
Director of EHS / safety
Running the enterprise EHS function reaches the 90th percentile of $134,950 for the code.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays safety managers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 19-5011. National median: $90,150. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does safety manager pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles safety managers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: safety managers rank 3 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +12.5% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly safety managers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 19-5011 (safety managers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do safety managers need?
The BCSP's flagship certification for safety professionals — the credential most employers prize for a safety manager. See all state licences →
OSHA 30-hour and, for utilities, electric-power 1910.269 competency required to oversee high-hazard field work.
A bachelor's in occupational safety, industrial hygiene or engineering — the typical educational credential.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do safety managers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 19-5011
Salary Levers
How do safety managers earn above the $90,150 BLS median?
CSP certification
Holding the CSP moves pay from the $55,000 band toward and past the $90,150 median
Multi-site / regional scope
Owning safety across multiple sites and field crews pays toward the $111,690 seventy-fifth percentile
EHS director role
Running the enterprise EHS function is what reaches the $134,950 top decile
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a safety manager worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 19-5011. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Safety Manager Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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