Changes in Workplace Safety Manager Employment Over Time

Workplace safety manager roles surged 165% since 2010, compared to just 22% for total U.S. employment

Source: Trace One analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data

Employment in workplace safety manager roles—defined by the BLS as occupational health and safety specialists and technicians—has grown far faster than the broader U.S. labor market over the past 15 years. From 2010 to 2025, the number of workplace safety managers increased by 165%, compared with a 22% increase in total U.S. employment. The gap was already visible before the pandemic, but it widened notably after 2020, as safety, compliance, and operational resilience became more prominent workforce priorities.

Growth in these roles also appears to have accelerated in recent years. Projections from the BLS suggest demand will continue to rise faster than the labor market overall and grow 12% from 2024 to 2034, compared with 3% growth for all occupations. The outlook is slightly stronger for specialists, whose employment is projected to grow 13% over the decade, while technician employment is projected to grow 9%. The agency also projects about 18,300 openings per year, on average, reflecting both new jobs and the need to replace workers who leave the occupation or exit the workforce.

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Where Workplace Safety Managers Have the Highest Oversight Burden
Where Workplace Safety Managers Have the Highest Oversight Burden
As workplace safety rules grow more complex and industrial hazards remain in the national spotlight, a new analysis from Trace One examines workplace safety manager employment data across all 50 states and nearly 300 metropolitan areas to identify where workplace safety professionals oversee the largest number of workers relative to staffing levels. The report ranks locations based on the ratio of workplace safety managers to employees—a metric designed to highlight where oversight burdens may be the highest. 1 min