What is a safety technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
Wesley Tinker

Safety technicians primarily prevent an accident from happening by inspecting the workplace and analyzing potential hazards. They ensure that the work area complies with the company's safety policies as well as the state and federal regulations. They are also tasked with preventing damage to properties and equipment in the workplace.

Safety technicians earn a median sum of $19 per hour, roughly $41,000 per year. Safety technicians are integral to the safety of lives and properties in a company, and they perform quite several duties. This includes conducting extensive tests and measuring hazards, collecting data on safety and overall health of surroundings, and collecting samples of possibly toxic materials for analysis. Due to the nature of the job, they are expected to understand OSHA regulations and identify potential workplace hazards.

In terms of academic qualifications, safety technicians typically hold a bachelor's degree in occupational safety, management techniques, or other relevant fields. They also garner experience through volunteer work or on-the-job training. Some employers may require certification, and this can be gotten from the board of certified safety professionals.

What general advice would you give to a Safety Technician?

W

Wesley Tinker

Assistant Professor of Safety, University of Central Missouri

- The day-to-day duties of a Safety Professional depend on the industry they currently work in but also the level of tenure they have in the organization. There is a long list of duties but the following allow for a broad sweep across an average day. The schedule of a typical workday could start with a toolbox talk which allows for a brief 'heads-up' to a vast array of safety-related topics or issues that workers have the possibility of seeing on-site. Field audits would be another crucial duty to examine the site for new safety-related issues and to monitor controls set on previously identified hazards. Conducting pieces of training for new workers and/or updates on safety-related issues on their site. Accident investigations are one of the random unexpected duties a Safety Professional might conduct, which is important in the prevention of future injuries and illnesses. Providing good customer service toward the workers and management but also the organization's vendors is critical for nearly all aspects of that company. Customer service is closely connected to the culture of the company as the majority of industry leaders provide a 'Safety First' environment. Overall, the Safety Professional provides many attributes to the day-to-day functions of many organizations. These attributes directly impact that company's stance in the overall global marketplace.
ScoreSafety TechnicianUS Average
Salary
3.0

Avg. Salary $38,709

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
6.8

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.18%

Asian 5.72%

Black or African American 10.33%

Hispanic or Latino 14.55%

Unknown 5.97%

White 62.25%

Gender

female 20.94%

male 79.06%

Age - 45
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45
Stress Level
6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
7.5

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
4.3

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Safety Technician career paths

Key steps to become a safety technician

  1. Explore safety technician education requirements

    Most common safety technician degrees

    Bachelor's

    40.4 %

    Associate

    27.6 %

    High School Diploma

    17.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific safety technician skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    OSHA12.10%
    Patients9.36%
    Customer Service5.48%
    Safety Procedures5.10%
    Safety Equipment4.22%
  3. Complete relevant safety technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New safety technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a safety technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real safety technician resumes.
  4. Gain additional safety technician certifications

    Safety technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific safety technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for safety technicians include OSHA Safety Certificate and Construction Site Safety Technician (CSST).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research safety technician duties and responsibilities

    • Assist with ergonomics assessments, assist in managing HAZMAT and chemical storage programs, and evaluate fire prevention plans.
    • Provide service and support for the inspection, testing and maintenance of fire protection systems per NFPA.
    • Translate safety training programs into Spanish and deliver OSHA training programs via teleconference.
    • Instruct annual CPR classes for all employees.
  6. Prepare your safety technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your safety technician resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a safety technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Safety Technician Resume templates

    Build a professional Safety Technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Safety Technician resume.
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  7. Apply for safety technician jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a safety technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Safety Technician Job

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Average safety technician salary

The average Safety Technician salary in the United States is $38,709 per year or $19 per hour. Safety technician salaries range between $28,000 and $52,000 per year.

Average Safety Technician Salary
$38,709 Yearly
$18.61 hourly

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How do safety technicians rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

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Safety Technician reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2023
Cons

Too much travel, i wish i was home more, but i meet alot of wonderful people


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Cons

Some workers refuse to adhere to safety policies even when it is obvious that they could get hurt.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

Working with leadership and taking part in creating a safer work environment through physical changes in the plant as well as a heavy focus on behavioral based safety. I enjoy training others and being tasked with difficult questions that require research and a follow up. I'm slowly becoming an expert in specific policies and standards set by our company, government agencies, and other industry standards.

Cons

I've got limited official background in OSH and find it difficult to navigate the corporate environment to find answers at times. Knowing who to include in what meetings and information sharing sessions has been somewhat of a challenge as well.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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