Methodology

Photo Credit: BJ Day Stock / Shutterstock

Researchers at Trace One analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics series. To calculate the locations with the highest oversight burdens for workplace safety managers, the researchers divided the total number of workplace safety managers by the total number of employees and normalized per 10,000 employees for readability. Workplace safety managers were defined as the combination of Occupational Health and Safety Specialists and Occupational Health and Safety Technicians, using the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes 19-5011 and 19-5012, respectively.

For additional context, the researchers also calculated the total workplace safety managers in both 2025 and 2022, the percentage change in workplace safety managers from 2022 to 2025, and the median annual wage. Percentage change values were tested for statistical significance using a 90% confidence level.

Only locations with complete data were included, and metropolitan areas were grouped in the following population cohorts for relevance:

  • Large: more than 1,000,000
  • Midsize: between 350,000 and 999,999
  • Small: less than 350,000

For complete results, see Where Workplace Safety Managers Have the Highest Oversight Burden on Trace One.

BJ Day Stock

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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