Education · 1 of 4

The path

A degree gets you in the door. Certification is what moves you up.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Science and math. Anything that puts you on a job site, in a warehouse or in a lab is useful context.

2. 2

   Degree

   2 to 4 years

   A four-year degree in occupational safety, environmental health, industrial hygiene or an engineering field. Two-year associate degrees also lead to technician and coordinator roles.

3. 3

   First job on a site

   1 to 3 years

   Safety coordinator, safety technician, or a safety role inside a bigger operations job. You learn by walking sites and writing what you find.

4. 4

   Board certification

   After a few years of experience

   The Board of Certified Safety Professionals runs the credentials this field respects. Most people earn the Associate Safety Professional first, then move to the Certified Safety Professional once they have the degree and the required years of safety experience.

5. 5

   Safety manager

   Ongoing

   Running a program instead of a site: policy, training, audits, and the numbers you report to executives.