12 of the Best Types of Safety Jobs in 2026

Discover some great types of Safety jobs that are hiring now.

High Paying Safety Jobs

• Safety Director

  Salary range: $87,500 - $137,000

  Becoming a safety director requires an undergraduate degree and ample work experience. Start by earning a bachelor’s degree in occupational health and safety. You can also major in an unrelated field and take a certification course, but these courses typically include less detail on workplace hazards. During your time in school, apply for an internship program. This gives you hands-on experience in the enforcement safety procedures, and may even give you the chance to practice your policy drafting and program development skills. While it may be optional, depending on the state, obtaining certification from the Occupational Health and Safety Association (OSHA) can be an essential qualification.

• Union Safety

  Salary range: $77,000 - $133,000

  For those who work for unions, some of the specific jobs include researchers, organizers, administrators, lawyers, communications workers, and clerical staff. Your duties include entering workplaces to speak with workers and provide them encouragement and support if they are interested in joining a specific union, or to negotiate with employers for better working conditions, pay, or benefits for union members. There are numerous types of unions, including health care, public sector, construction, writing, and service workers unions, and they represent a variety of professions, such as nurses, journalists, manufacturers, construction workers, municipal workers, and hotel workers, to name only a few.

• Freelance Safety

  Salary range: $50,500 - $128,500

  Freelancers are self-employed. As a freelancer, you provide work to clients and invoice them for it. The type of clients you have depends on what kind of services you offer. Your clients can be individuals or companies. A full-time freelancer often has assignments from multiple clients at once. Some common services that people provide as freelancers are: writing, editing, graphic design, web design, marketing, programming, accounting, and bookkeeping. Freelancing is ideal for those who prefer to be their own boss and are willing to market themselves to meet their income goals.

• Safety Manager

  Salary range: $65,500 - $102,500

  To become a safety manager, many candidates take training classes and seek certification. Several schools and universities offer OSHA approved courses for a variety of industries and job titles, such as construction, healthcare, environmental, hazardous materials and occupational safety. Becoming a safety manager in a specialized field like health care may also require you to pass additional state certifications. A general safety manager course will cover the basics before specialization.

• Virtual Safety

  Salary range: $53,000 - $81,500

  A virtual job refers to a job that can be performed outside of an employer’s office. Also known as remote, work from home, or telecommuting jobs, these positions have become increasingly common because of technology like telephones, internet, email, and video conference calls, which help to facilitate employer-employee communication.

• Temporary Safety

  Salary range: $53,000 - $81,500

  A Temporary job is an employment arrangement in which both parties, the employee and employer, agree in advance that the position will be filled for a set period. Temporary jobs often are based on employers’ seasonal or specific project needs. Occasionally, Temporary employees will be offered ongoing, full-time positions if their performance is excellent and a position is available. However, you should not assume this will be the case.

• Safety Coordinator

  Salary range: $48,000 - $74,000

  There are many types of jobs available for safety coordinators. Some safety professionals work in healthcare, developing policies to keep caregivers and patients safe. Others work in schools helping to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff. Various industries employ safety coordinators as well, such as the construction and manufacturing industries and food service and manufacturing industries. While each of these positions has unique aspects, the ultimate responsibility of any safety coordinator is to develop sound practices and ensure compliance to keep others safe.

• Entry Level Safety

  Salary range: $46,500 - $59,500

  Entry-level jobs are positions that do not require any previous experience in the role. Most entry-level jobs are aimed at high school or college graduates as a starting point for a future career goal. A college student may have majored in their ideal career field, but will still need to start in an entry-level position to train in a real-world environment. Some students move from internships into entry-level jobs, but most entry-level jobs do not expect a candidate to have any prior employment or on-site training.

• Junior Safety

  Salary range: $36,000 - $57,500

  Junior Safety is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Junior Safety jobs pay between $36,000 (25th percentile) and $57,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Junior Safety job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Safety Trainee

  Salary range: $32,000 - $50,500

  The requirements to get a trainee job vary by industry. In some, such as architecture or accounting, you must graduate from an accredited college program before you can begin work. Other industries, such as retail, manufacturing, or telemarketing, may require only a high school diploma or a GED certificate to begin a training program. No matter what profession you are interested in, you should have strong verbal and written communication and an interest in continuing the career.

• Safety Apprentice

  Salary range: $36,000 - $50,000

  Safety Apprentice is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Safety Apprentice jobs pay between $36,000 (25th percentile) and $50,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Safety Apprentice job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Internship Safety

  Salary range: $26,000 - $36,500

  An Internship is a position within your desired field that pays little or no money but offers you the opportunity to gain real-world experience. This may set you apart for your future job search. Generally, Internships are almost expected by employers on an entry-level candidate’s resume. You are much more of an asset to an employer if you have some work experience.