# Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors

US SOC code 17-2111. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/17-2111

Also called: Health and safety engineer, Safety engineer, EHS engineer, Industrial safety engineer, Occupational safety engineer.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **21,450** US health and safety engineers (except mining safety engineers and inspectors), with median pay of **$115,160** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **29,920**, in May 2003. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.ehstoday.com/safety/article/21908135/a-century-of-safety-with-asse) of **2,000** from 1940, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for health and safety engineers: EHS management software platforms, 1996 to 2020.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 5.4% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=17-2111&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **52%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.028** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.028. BLS counted **23,850** of these jobs in May 2013 and **21,450** in May 2025 (-10%, a change derived by Future History).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1877
- Latest US employment: 21,450 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [3]
- Latest US median pay: $115,160 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Outlook: +5.4% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [19]

### All 26 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1940 | 2,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., EHS Today [1] |
| 1971 | 10,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., EHS Today [1] |
| 1998 | 28,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., IOM / NCBI Bookshelf [2] |
| 2003 | 29,920 | $59,650 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [3] |
| 2004 | 25,860 | $63,730 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [3] |
| 2005 | 25,330 | $65,210 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [3] |
| 2006 | 24,620 | $66,290 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [3] |
| 2007 | 24,770 | $69,580 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [3] |
| 2008 | 25,190 | $72,490 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [3] |
| 2009 | 24,070 | $74,080 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [3] |
| 2010 | 23,390 | $75,430 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [3] |
| 2011 | 23,170 | $75,470 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [3] |
| 2012 | 23,490 | $76,830 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [3] |
| 2013 | 23,850 | $78,820 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [3] |
| 2014 | 24,530 | $81,830 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [3] |
| 2015 | 24,900 | $84,600 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [3] |
| 2016 | 25,410 | $86,720 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [3] |
| 2017 | 26,130 | $88,510 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [3] |
| 2018 | 26,230 | $89,130 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [3] |
| 2019 | 25,860 | $91,410 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [3] |
| 2020 | 23,780 | $94,240 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [3] |
| 2021 | 22,870 | $99,040 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [3] |
| 2022 | 21,520 | $100,660 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [3] |
| 2023 | 22,510 | $103,690 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [3] |
| 2024 | 23,220 | $109,660 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [3] |
| 2025 | 21,450 | $115,160 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [3] |

## Sources (87)

### Employment series

1. [EHS Today — "A Century of Safety with ASSE": ASSE membership milestones 1911-2011](https://www.ehstoday.com/safety/article/21908135/a-century-of-safety-with-asse), EHS Today / ASSE
2. [IOM / NCBI Bookshelf — "Safe Work in the 21st Century": OSH Professionals in the US (1998 workforce data)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK225528/), National Academies Press / Institute of Medicine
3. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
5. [BLS OEWS May 2004, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
6. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Tool eras

7. [EH.net Encyclopedia — "History of Workplace Safety in the United States, 1880-1970": factory inspection origins](https://eh.net/encyclopedia/history-of-workplace-safety-in-the-united-states-1880-1970/), Economic History Association
8. [OSHA — "The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire": legislative aftermath and factory inspection expansion](https://www.osha.gov/aboutosha/40-years/trianglefactoryfire), Occupational Safety and Health Administration
9. [EHSToday — "A Century of Safety with ASSE": ASSE founding and membership milestones](https://www.ehstoday.com/safety/article/21908135/a-century-of-safety-with-asse), EHS Today / ASSE
10. [DOL — "The Job Safety Law of 1970: Its Passage Was Perilous": OSH Act history](https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/history/osha), US Department of Labor
11. [OSHA at 50 — Workplace fatalities cut 60% since 1970](https://www.osha.gov/osha50), Occupational Safety and Health Administration
12. [AIChE CCPS — "Bhopal Gas Tragedy Part I: Process Safety Culture" (September 2024)](https://www.aiche.org/resources/publications/cep/2024/september/bhopal-gas-tragedy-part-i-process-safety-culture), American Institute of Chemical Engineers
13. [Wikipedia — Process Safety Management (OSHA regulation): 29 CFR 1910.119 enacted 1992](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process_Safety_Management_%28OSHA_regulation%29), Wikipedia
14. [VelocityEHS — Company history and platform overview (formerly MSDSonline, founded 1996)](https://www.ehs.com/about-us/), VelocityEHS
15. [Intelex — About: founded 1992, EHS management software history](https://www.intelex.com/about/), Intelex Technologies
16. [OHS Online — "EHS Professionals Embrace AI as a Tool for Precision, Not Replacement": VelocityEHS survey, 0% fear job loss (Nov 2025)](https://ohsonline.com/articles/2025/11/14/ehs-professionals-embrace-ai-as-a-tool-for-precision-not-replacement.aspx), OHS Online / VelocityEHS
17. [GlobeNewswire — "ASSP Releases White Paper on AI and the Evolving Role of EHS Professionals" (Feb 2026)](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/02/19/3241480/0/en/ASSP-Releases-White-Paper-on-AI-and-the-Evolving-Role-of-EHS-Professionals.html), American Society of Safety Professionals
18. [Cority — Cortex AI: 14 AI agents across 30+ EHS use cases, Google Gemini-powered (Dec 2025)](https://www.cority.com/news-media/cority-launches-cortex-ai-to-deliver-trusted-artificial-intelligence-in-ehs/), Cority

### Forecasts and exposure studies

19. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 17-2111 Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors (2025: 22.3 thousand; 2035: 23.5 thousand; +5.4%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=17-2111&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
20. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 17-2111.00, human-rated β 0.52)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI
21. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 17-2111 Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors: probability 0.028, rank 103 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford

### Historical notes

22. [EH.net Encyclopedia — "History of Workplace Safety in the United States, 1880-1970"](https://eh.net/encyclopedia/history-of-workplace-safety-in-the-united-states-1880-1970/), Economic History Association
23. [OSHA — "The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire": 40 years of OSHA historical context](https://www.osha.gov/aboutosha/40-years/trianglefactoryfire), Occupational Safety and Health Administration
24. [BCSP — "Advancing the safety, health and environmental professional since 1969" (2009 Annual Report)](https://www.bcsp.org/hubfs/Downloads-PDFs-and-PPTs/Annual-Rpt-2009.pdf), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
25. [DOL — "The Job Safety Law of 1970: Its Passage Was Perilous"](https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/history/osha), US Department of Labor
26. [AIChE — "Bhopal Gas Tragedy Part I: Process Safety Culture" (CEP, September 2024)](https://www.aiche.org/resources/publications/cep/2024/september/bhopal-gas-tragedy-part-i-process-safety-culture), American Institute of Chemical Engineers
27. [Wikipedia — Process Safety Management (OSHA regulation): history and 29 CFR 1910.119 (1992)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process_Safety_Management_%28OSHA_regulation%29), Wikipedia
28. [ASSP — "History": organization renamed from ASSE to ASSP in 2018](https://www.assp.org/about/history), American Society of Safety Professionals

### Predecessors & successors

29. [EH.net Encyclopedia — "History of Workplace Safety in the United States, 1880-1970"](https://eh.net/encyclopedia/history-of-workplace-safety-in-the-united-states-1880-1970/), Economic History Association

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Health and Safety Engineers (17-2111.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/17-2111.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Health and Safety Engineers (2024–2034, 4% growth)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/health-and-safety-engineers.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [ASSP — White Paper: AI and the Evolving Role of EHS Professionals (Feb 2026)](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/02/19/3241480/0/en/ASSP-Releases-White-Paper-on-AI-and-the-Evolving-Role-of-EHS-Professionals.html), accessed 2026-05-24
- [VelocityEHS — Survey of 150+ EHS Professionals: 0% Fear Job Loss from AI (Nov 2025)](https://ohsonline.com/articles/2025/11/14/ehs-professionals-embrace-ai-as-a-tool-for-precision-not-replacement.aspx), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Cority — Cortex AI: 14 AI Agents Across 30+ EHS Use Cases, Google Gemini-powered (Dec 2025)](https://www.cority.com/news-media/cority-launches-cortex-ai-to-deliver-trusted-artificial-intelligence-in-ehs/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [VelocityEHS — Unveils Vēlo AI Assistant + AI Hazard Analyzer + JSA AI (Sep–Oct 2025)](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/10/07/3162501/0/en/VelocityEHS-Launches-AI-Breakthrough-to-Help-Workers-Spot-Hazards-Sooner-and-Strengthen-Job-Safety-Analysis.html), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Intelex — Q3 2025 Launch: Input AI (incident description quality) + Insight AI (photo-to-form, smart labels)](https://www.intelex.com/about/press-room/intelex-announces-q3-2025-product-launch-delivering-ai-powered-data-quality-enhanced-safety-intelligence-and-streamlined-user-experience-for-ehsq-operations/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Voxel AI — Platform: Computer Vision Safety AI, 95%+ Accuracy, 5B+ Hours of Training Data](https://www.voxelai.com/platform), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Intenseye — Sentinel: Physical AI Hardware Suite for Real-Time Safety, NVIDIA Jetson-powered (Nov 2025)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/from-monitoring-to-action-intenseye-launches-sentinel-a-physical-ai-hardware-suite-for-real-time-safety-302605206.html), accessed 2026-05-24
- [TuMeke Ergonomics — AI-Powered Assessment: 20x Faster, 68% Injury Reduction, SOC 2 Type II (Sep 2025)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tumeke-ergonomics-accelerates-growth-with-ai-innovations-soc-2-compliance-and-global-enterprise-adoption-302565199.html), accessed 2026-05-24
- [MākuSafe — Scout™ Forklift + Pedestrian Safety Data Solution (Mar 2025); NSC MSD Pilot Grant (2025)](https://makusafe.com/solution/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [VelocityEHS — AI Research: ML-Driven Automated SDS Information Extraction, 96–99% Precision (Feb 2025)](https://www.ehs.com/press_releases/new-research-by-velocityehs-drives-ai-innovation-in-ehs-esg/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BCSP — CSP Certification: $30k+ Salary Premium, Required by Amazon, ExxonMobil, Lockheed Martin](https://www.bcsp.org/certified-safety-professional-csp), accessed 2026-05-24
- [VelocityEHS — SDS Management on Accelerate Platform (20,000+ SDSs/week updated)](https://www.ehs.com/solution/chemical-management/sds-management/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [VelocityEHS — AI and EHS Use Cases: Job Safety Analysis (Oct 2025)](https://www.ehs.com/blogs/ai-and-ehs-use-cases-job-safety-analysis/), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.