How much do safety managers make in 2026?
Safety managers are counted in the BLS occupational health and safety specialists series: OEWS May 2025 puts SOC 19-5011 at a national median of $90,150 a year ($43.34 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $55,000 and the top 10% at $134,950. The series pools specialists and managers across every industry, so the median describes the profession broadly rather than management specifically — most safety managers sit above it. What sets position in the band is the risk being managed. Construction, oil and gas, utilities, mining, chemicals and heavy manufacturing pay at the upper end because the hazards are severe, the regulatory exposure is real and a serious incident carries consequences that dwarf the salary. Warehousing, light manufacturing, healthcare and office environments pay lower. Scope is the second lever: a single-site safety manager is paid differently from one owning a multi-site programme with contractor management, and process safety management responsibility in a covered facility is a distinct premium again. The Certified Safety Professional credential is the profession's recognised marker and appears in a large share of senior job requirements. Employment is projected to grow 12.5% through 2034 with roughly 14,900 openings a year. → Full safety manager career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $90,150 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Safety Managers earn a national median $90,150/yr ($43.34/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 19-5011); the P10 to P90 range is $55,000 to $134,950.
- The BLS series pools safety specialists with managers, so the $90,150 median sits below where most safety managers actually are.
- Risk profile sets pay: construction, oil and gas, utilities, mining and chemicals pay at the upper end; warehousing, light manufacturing and office settings pay well below it.
- The Certified Safety Professional credential is the profession's recognised marker and appears in a large share of senior job requirements, particularly in high-hazard industries.
US Safety Manager Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do safety managers 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 19-5011; 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 19-5011, 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 safety manager earn at each career stage?
Safety pay follows the severity of the hazards and the breadth of the programme you own. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 19-5011.
By State
Which states pay safety managers the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national occupational health and safety specialist median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Local variation follows the industrial mix and whether the state runs its own OSHA-approved plan with requirements beyond the federal baseline, neither of which a wage index measures.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($103,670), the highest-paying state shown. See all 51 state salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay safety managers 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 heavy construction or industrial activity carry the higher-paying roles.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a safety manager’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 safety manager pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Safety Managers 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 safety manager wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a safety manager 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
Safety Manager Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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