How to hire occupational health and safety specialists
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Collaborate with engineers or physicians to institute control or remedial measures for hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions or equipment. • Collect samples of dust, gases, vapors, or other potentially toxic materials for analysis. • Develop or maintain hygiene programs, such as noise surveys, continuous atmosphere monitoring, ventilation surveys, or asbestos management plans. • Inspect or evaluate workplace environments, equipment, or practices to ensure compliance with safety standards and government regulations. • Investigate accidents to identify causes or to determine how such accidents might be prevented in the future. • Investigate the adequacy of ventilation, exhaust equipment, lighting, or other conditions that could affect employee health, comfort, or performance. • Order suspension of activities that pose threats to workers' health or safety. • Recommend measures to help protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes, or materials. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong active listening, reading comprehension, speaking, writing, critical thinking and monitoring skills • Working knowledge of English Language, chemistry, education and training and mathematics • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $43.34 an hour ($90,150 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for occupational health and safety specialists
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to collaborate with engineers or physicians to institute control or remedial measures for hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions or equipment. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to collect samples of dust, gases, vapors, or other potentially toxic materials for analysis. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to develop or maintain hygiene programs, such as noise surveys, continuous atmosphere monitoring, ventilation surveys, or asbestos management plans. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to inspect or evaluate workplace environments, equipment, or practices to ensure compliance with safety standards and government regulations. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What occupational health and safety specialists do
- Collaborate with engineers or physicians to institute control or remedial measures for hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions or equipment.
- Collect samples of dust, gases, vapors, or other potentially toxic materials for analysis.
- Develop or maintain hygiene programs, such as noise surveys, continuous atmosphere monitoring, ventilation surveys, or asbestos management plans.
- Inspect or evaluate workplace environments, equipment, or practices to ensure compliance with safety standards and government regulations.
- Investigate accidents to identify causes or to determine how such accidents might be prevented in the future.
- Investigate the adequacy of ventilation, exhaust equipment, lighting, or other conditions that could affect employee health, comfort, or performance.
- Order suspension of activities that pose threats to workers' health or safety.
- Recommend measures to help protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes, or materials.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for occupational health and safety specialists
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Job outlook: +18.5% over ten years, much faster than average · about 17,100 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay occupational health and safety specialists
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $103,970 |
| Washington | $102,920 |
| California | $102,840 |
| Colorado | $101,400 |
| New Hampshire | $101,260 |
| Oklahoma | $79,890 |
| Texas | $79,660 |
| Arkansas | $73,130 |
See occupational health and safety specialists pay in every state
Related hiring guides
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.