The median base salary for full-time safety professionals has surpassed $100,000. 

That was just one finding from the latest salary survey conducted by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) and the National Safety Council (NSC), analyzing data from over 9,600 respondents to identify the typical salary and benefits of safety, health, and environmental (SH&E) professionals. 

The complete results are available in an extensive report and through the interactive SH&E Industry Salary Survey Calculator.

Full-time safety professionals responding to the 2023 survey had a median salary of $105,000, climbing $7,000 from the previous survey in 2020. Those who hold at least one safety certification (CSP, SMS, ASP, OHST, CHST, STS, STSC, CIT, CIH, CHMM, CHMP, CDGP) continue to earn roughly $18,000 more than those without a certification.

“The 2023 salary survey illustrates the value organizations place on those who keep their workplaces safe,” said BCSP CEO Christy Uden, CAE, IOM. “With the median salary reaching six figures, and often even higher for those who hold credentials, safety professionals are not only making our workplaces safer but also building a prosperous future for themselves. The knowledge and skills verified through certification continue to play a key role in their compensation.”

BCSP’s gold-standard Certified Safety Professional® (CSP®) certification now typically adds over $30,000 to the salary of a practitioner with no other credentials. Of the safety professionals responding to this year’s survey, 45 percent held the CSP.

Among all respondents, nearly 70 percent indicated an increase in their base salary over the previous year. The median increase was 4 percent.

“Keeping workers safe is no small undertaking,” said Lorraine Martin, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “It is a great responsibility and means providing workers with the tools and training to be safe both on and off the job. I am encouraged by the results of this survey and hopeful that as the pay increases, so does the number of diverse, quality professionals in this lifesaving line of work.”

The survey was designed by BCSP, NSC, and Minnesota-based Readex Research, a nationally recognized independent research company. Since its founding in 1947, Readex has completed thousands of surveys for clients in many markets, including associations, corporations and government.