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By Ajoy Gonsalves
For anyone considering a career in the Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) field, one of the most pressing questions is “How much does an EHS professional make?” The answer to this question is not a simple one since there are many factors that influence the salary of an EHS professional. In this article, we will delve into these factors and explore the average salary for EHS professionals.
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) is an umbrella term used to describe a number of disciplines that work together to protect people and the environment from harm or damage. Professionals in this field are responsible for developing safety protocols, conducting risk assessments, training employees, monitoring hazardous materials, keeping records of compliance with regulations, and more.
The salary of an EHS professional can vary based on a number of different factors. These include experience level, geographical location, employer type (private versus public sector), job title, education level and certifications held. To get an accurate picture of how these factors affect salary, let’s take a closer look at each one.
The more experience you have in the field, the higher your potential salary may be. Employers are willing to pay more for employees who demonstrate expertise in their area of work and understand how to navigate complex safety regulations. As you progress through your career and gain more experience, employers will be willing to offer higher salaries for your services.
Depending on whether you work at a large or small company as well as whether it is private or public sector, your salary could vary significantly. Generally speaking, larger companies tend to offer higher salaries than smaller companies due to the fact that they have more resources available for compensation packages. Similarly, private sector companies often pay more than public sector companies due to their ability to attract top talent with higher salaries.
Another factor that affects salary is job title and education level. Those with higher educational qualifications such as a master’s degree may be offered a higher starting salary than those without advanced degrees since they already have demonstrated expertise in their field. Additionally, certain titles such as safety manager or safety director may come with a larger paycheck due to their added responsibilities and scope of work.
Finally, those who hold certifications such as Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) or Certified Safety Professional (CSP) are likely to see an increase in their salary compared to those without these credentials due to the fact that employers value them highly when considering applicants for certain positions within their organization.
The region where someone works plays a role in determining their salary too. For instance, an entry-level EHS position in California pays more than one in Oklahoma due to cost of living differences between those states. Other factors like supply and demand also affect salaries; regions with less competition may offer lower salaries than areas with a larger pool of experienced professionals vying for the same position.
Salaries also depend on which industry someone works in—the oil & gas industry pays higher salaries than retail or hospitality because it requires specialized knowledge and expertise that comes at a premium price tag. It’s important to consider your interests when deciding which type of job will best suit your needs; if you’re passionate about making a difference in environmental health & safety then it might be worth targeting industries like oil & gas even though they don’t pay as well as others do.
So now that we’ve gone over some of the factors that influence an EHS professional’s salary potential let’s take a look at what the average salary is for someone working in this field according to PayScale data collected from October 2019 through October 2020.
For those who hold no degree but are employed as entry-level associates or technicians, salaries range from $41K - $59K per year depending on experience level and geographic location.
Those with associate degrees can expect salaries ranging from $44K - $64K per year while those with bachelor’s degrees can earn between $52K - $75K annually.
Finally, those with master's degrees can command salaries ranging from $60K - $91K per year depending on other factors like certifications held and years of experience.
It is clear from this analysis that there are several key factors that contribute towards determining an EHS professional's ideal salary potential including experience level, employer size & type, job title & education level as well as any certifications they possess.
On average however entry-level technicians with no degree can expect annual salaries ranging between$41K - 59K while those holding master's degrees can command anywhere between$60K - 91K per year depending on other variables like geographic location & years of experience etc.
Ultimately though it comes down to what each individual employee brings in terms of skillset & expertise which then dictates what kind of compensation package they receive from employers looking for top talent in this field.
No matter what though it's clear that investing time into pursuing credentials & educational qualifications pays off when it comes time for negotiations during the hiring process! Good luck!