Occupational Health Tech Training and Jobs
Schools and Degrees
A bachelor’s degree in occupational health and safety, engineering, chemistry or biology is required to become an occupational health technician.
Training and Education
A bachelor's degree is often necessary for working in the field. About 72% of employees have earned a degree. Some college, below a 4-year degree, is sufficient for 18% of occupational health techs. Workers with only a high school education represent about 9% of all.
Job Overview
Occupational health techs work to ensure the safety of workers all across the country. They work to improve the productivity of workers by lessening equipment downtime. They try to save money by bringing down insurance premium and compensation expenses of workers. Some occupational health technicians work as government employees, carry out safety examination and impose fines where necessary.
Job Requirements
Many employers look for certifications to employ occupational health care techs. There are many institutes that offer certifications. The American Board of Industrial Hygiene offers the Certified Industrial Hygienist credential. The Board of Certified Safety Professionals offers the Certified Safety Professional certificate. The Council on Certification of Health, Environmental and Safety Technologists certifies people as Occupational Health and Safety Technologists. The American Board of Health Physicists awards the Certified Health Physicist credentials. There are also other certifications like Certified Indoor Environmentalist credentials. The Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics offers the Certified Professional Ergonomist and the Certified Ergonomics Associate certificates.
It is important for occupational health techs to be responsible and have a keen eye for detail. They also need to be good communicators. High school courses in science, math and English can also prove beneficial. Prior experience as an occupational health care tech is necessary for many positions.
Nature of Work
Occupational health techs study environments and plan programs to eradicate, control and avert injury or harm to employees. After inspection, they may inform organizations about areas that are not in compliance with employer policies or State and Federal laws. They devise ways to predict danger from data stored and other information sources.
Occupational health techs work in many different settings, which may vary from factories and mines to offices. They are often required to do field work and may need to travel frequently. They may have to work for long hours and may also encounter the same hazardous conditions that many industrial workers face.
Area Job Conditions
Employees appear most common in Kennewick (Washington), Lafayette (Louisiana), and Gary (Indiana), and least common in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Atlanta (Georgia), and Santa Ana (California).
Phoenix (Arizona), Kennewick (Washington), and Albuquerque (New Mexico) offer the highest pay. Louisville (Kentucky), Dallas (Texas), and Akron (Ohio) offer the lowest salaries.
Part-Time and Self Employment
Government statistics report that 8% of occupational health techs are employed part-time.
Occupational Health Techs by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)
In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.
Arizona
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | $57,000 | 80 | +4% |
California
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $48,000 | 260 | +46% |
| Oakland | $61,000 | 50 | +14% |
| Riverside | $52,000 | 50 | -5% |
| San Diego | $61,000 | 110 | +92% |
| San Francisco | $56,000 | 30 | -31% |
| San Jose | $53,000 | 50 | +27% |
| Santa Ana | $58,000 | 30 | -53% |
Colorado
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | $53,000 | 50 | -9% |
Connecticut
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford | $59,000 | 50 | +100% |
| New Haven | $56,000 | 50 | +329% |
District of Columbia
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $45,000 | 240 | +125% |
Georgia
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | $44,000 | 50 | -51% |
Illinois
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $45,000 | 80 | -52% |
Indiana
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evansville | $42,000 | 60 | +735% |
| Gary | 60 | +421% | |
| Indianapolis | $30,000 | 140 | +257% |
Kentucky
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville | $31,000 | 70 | +165% |
Louisiana
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $46,000 | 40 | +149% |
Maryland
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | $50,000 | 170 | +196% |
Massachusetts
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | $57,000 | 170 | +123% |
Michigan
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | $41,000 | 60 | +105% |
| Warren | $51,000 | 40 | -15% |
Minnesota
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | $39,000 | 50 | -36% |
Missouri
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $48,000 | 130 | +193% |
| St Louis | $49,000 | 80 | +36% |
Nevada
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas | $57,000 | 50 | +35% |
New Jersey
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camden | $48,000 | 30 | +31% |
| Edison | $51,000 | 50 | +11% |
| Newark | $55,000 | 90 | +105% |
| Trenton | $53,000 | 40 | +313% |
New York
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | $35,000 | 50 | +155% |
| Syracuse | $45,000 | 30 | +123% |
North Carolina
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham | $49,000 | 40 | +238% |
| Winston Salem | $36,000 | 30 | +235% |
Ohio
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | $47,000 | 160 | +260% |
| Columbus | $46,000 | 130 | +223% |
Oklahoma
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa | $44,000 | 70 | +275% |
Oregon
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | $45,000 | 40 | -11% |
Pennsylvania
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $47,000 | 50 | -40% |
| Pittsburgh | $42,000 | 80 | +59% |
Rhode Island
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | $53,000 | 40 | +65% |
Tennessee
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville | $64,000 | 60 | +317% |
Texas
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | $55,000 | 80 | +133% |
| Beaumont | $43,000 | 50 | +640% |
| Dallas | $46,000 | 140 | +52% |
| El Paso | $46,000 | 40 | +242% |
| Fort Worth | $48,000 | 50 | +32% |
| Houston | $60,000 | 390 | +237% |
| San Antonio | $41,000 | 60 | +57% |
Utah
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City | $48,000 | 150 | +465% |
Virginia
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $39,000 | 70 | +161% |
| Virginia Beach | $39,000 | 100 | +202% |
Washington
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennewick | $61,000 | 270 | +6531% |
| Seattle | $52,000 | 80 | +30% |
Wisconsin
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | $41,000 | 30 | +105% |
| Milwaukee | $49,000 | 80 | +120% |