jobfacts

Health and safety managers and officers

SOC 2020 3582

Health and safety managers and officers counsel employees to ensure and promote health and safety in the workplace and co-ordinate accident prevention and health and safety measures within an establishment or organisation.

Also calledHealth and safety adviserHealthSafety and environment (HSE) adviserFire safety engineerFire engineerForensic collision investigatorand 51 more titles
Typical full-time pay£46,4002025 Provisional
People in the job88,000across the UK
Demand for workersCritical
New adverts a month2,900↑ 3%on last year · 59th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time health and safety managers and officers earn between £37,900 and £57,100 a year.

What full-time health and safety managers and officers earn, 2025
£46,400 typical£29,900lowest 10%£37,90025%£61,600top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£37,900–£57,100)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£29,900
Lowest 20% earn less than£35,100
25%£37,900
Median£46,400
75%£57,100
Top 20% earn more than£61,600
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £46,400
South East!£51,900
Scotland£50,300
West Midlands!£45,700
Yorkshire and The Humber!£44,600
North West!£44,000
South West!£43,200
East of England!£43,100
East Midlands!£42,000
North East!£41,500
Wales!£37,700
LondonNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £46,400
South East£51,900 (small sample)
Scotland£50,300
West Midlands£45,700 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£44,600 (small sample)
North West£44,000 (small sample)
South West£43,200 (small sample)
East of England£43,100 (small sample)
East Midlands£42,000 (small sample)
North East£41,500 (small sample)
Wales£37,700 (small sample)
LondonNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £41,700
  • 2024 £42,600
  • 2025 Provisional£46,400
↑ 11% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 2,900 jobs for health and safety managers and officers are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as critical.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20263,169
Jul 20263,005
Jun 20262,892
May 20262,952
Apr 20262,803
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20262,721
Jan 20263,201
Dec 20251,698
Nov 20253,393
Oct 20253,456
Sept 20253,014
Aug 20253,197
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 20253,503
Apr 20252,676
Mar 20253,179
Feb 20253,569
Jan 20252,836
Dec 20241,689
Nov 20242,606
Oct 20242,651
Sept 20242,901
Aug 20243,011
Jul 20243,018
Jun 20243,025
May 20243,133
Apr 20243,014
Mar 20242,641
Feb 20242,674
Jan 20243,351
Dec 20232,522
Nov 20232,807
Oct 20232,828
Sept 20232,409
Aug 20232,737
Jul 20232,825
Jun 20233,932
May 20233,579
Apr 20233,001
Mar 20233,381
Feb 20233,488
Jan 20233,847
Dec 20223,433
Nov 20224,213
Oct 20224,292
Sept 20224,007
Aug 20224,522
Jul 20224,356
Jun 20223,588
May 20224,293
Apr 20223,306
Mar 20223,750
Feb 20223,524
Jan 20224,124
Dec 20213,052
Nov 20213,359
Oct 20213,869
Sept 20213,381
Aug 20213,414
Jul 20213,915
Jun 20213,390
May 20213,707
Apr 20212,949
Mar 20213,715
Feb 20212,694
Jan 20212,837
Dec 20202,315
Nov 20202,659
Oct 20202,858
Sept 20202,398
Aug 20202,120
Jul 20202,023
Jun 20201,954
May 20201,493
Apr 20202,262
Mar 20203,410
Feb 20203,718
Jan 20203,364
Dec 20192,464
Nov 20193,423
Oct 20193,811
Sept 20193,004
Aug 20193,076
Jul 20193,516
Jun 20193,285
May 20193,304
Apr 20192,355
Mar 20192,598
Feb 20192,433
Jan 20192,995
Dec 20181,843
Nov 20182,254
Oct 20182,448
Sept 20182,369
Aug 20182,202
Jul 20182,197
Jun 20182,203
May 20182,358
Apr 20182,306
Mar 20182,522
Feb 20182,403
Jan 20182,552
Dec 20171,824
Nov 20172,732
Oct 20172,390
Sept 20172,421
Aug 20172,399
Jul 20172,468
Jun 20173,045
May 20173,028
Apr 20172,993
Mar 20173,403
Feb 20172,646
Jan 20173,180
Is there a shortage of health and safety managers and officers?
Critical

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was elevated.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsWell above usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
24%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for business and public service associate professionals, which includes health and safety managers and officers. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London1,219
Birmingham281
Manchester266
Bristol, City of224
Glasgow City183
Leeds146
Somerset114
Oxford96
Warrington95
Buckinghamshire94
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where health and safety managers and officers are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 20 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from France, Croatia, Belgium, ranking it 181st of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of health and safety managers and officers
n/p
19%!
21%!
29%
22%
5.1%!
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3419% (small sample)
35–4421% (small sample)
45–5429%
55–6422%
65+5.1% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent47%
Higher education below degree13%
A levels or equivalent18%
GCSEs or equivalent13%
Other qualifications!7.7%
No qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent47%
Higher education below degree13%
A levels or equivalent18%
GCSEs or equivalent13%
Other qualifications7.7% (small sample)
No qualificationsNot published

Main employers: engineering activities and related technical consultancy (15%), general public administration activities (5.9%), regulation of the activities of providing health care, education, cultural services and other social services, excluding social security (5.7%), construction of residential and non-residential buildings (4.1%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
47%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
4
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
18 months to 2 years
typically

Routes in

Health and safety adviser

You can get into this job through:

University

You can do a degree in a subject, such as:

  • occupational safety, health and environment
  • environmental health

You might also be able to apply to do a postgraduate qualification in health and safety, if you have a degree related to a particular industry. Examples include construction, engineering or manufacturing.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do a Safety, Health and Environment Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

You can also do an Environmental Health Practitioner Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.

These can take between 2 and 4 years to complete and combine on-the-job training and time spent with a learning provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

Other routes

You could study for a general health and safety qualification while you're working, or to improve your chances of finding a trainee position.

Topics will include:

  • health and safety in the workplace
  • monitoring risks
  • legal regulations
  • carrying out health and safety assessments

Courses are often flexible with options to study part-time or online.

You can take approved health and safety courses through:

  • NEBOSH
  • IOSH

Registration and professional bodies

Professional and industry bodies

The Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register has a list of organisations offering membership, which can help with professional development.

Further information

You can find out more about a career in health and safety from:

  • the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
  • NEBOSH
  • IOSH

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for health and safety adviser. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Fire safety engineer

You can get into this job through:

University

You can do a foundation degree or degree in fire engineering.

You can also do an engineering degree, for example civil or structural engineering. You can then take a postgraduate course in fire safety engineering or fire engineering science.

Some courses offer a work placement. This will give you relevant work experience and can help you to make useful industry contacts.

Your university careers service will be able to advise you about this.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

College

You can take a higher national certificate (HNC) or higher national diploma (HND) in an engineering subject at college. This might help you find work as a trainee fire engineer.

You'll then do further training on the job to specialise in fire safety.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do a Fire Safety Inspector Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship or a Fire Safety Engineer Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.

These can take between 2 and 5 years to complete and combine workplace training with study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Work your way up

If you're already working in a fire safety or firefighting role, you may be able to take professional qualifications offered by The Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), such as:

  • Level 3 Certificate in Fire Engineering Science
  • Level 4 Diploma in Fire Science and Fire Safety
  • Level 5 Award in Fire Investigation

What you’ll need

  • have a full driving licence

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Many fire safety engineers work in the construction industry for engineering consultancies and house building companies.

There may also be opportunities in the insurance industry, or in local authorities, to work in risk assessment or fire investigation.

Professional and industry bodies

You can join The Institution of Fire Engineers for professional development and networking opportunities.

Further information

You can learn more about a career as a fire engineer from The Institution of Fire Engineers.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for fire safety engineer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Forensic collision investigator

You can get into this job through:

University

You could study for a foundation degree or degree with a university in partnership with a professional body like AiTS.

Courses include:

  • University Certificate of Professional Development (UCPD) Forensic Road Collision Investigation
  • Foundation Degree in Forensic Road Collision Investigation

The certificate is the starting point if you want to become a forensic road collision investigator. On completion, you could then move on to the foundation degree.

After the foundation degree, you can 'top up' to the BSc (Hons) Professional Studies in Forensic Road Collision Investigation.

Qualifications are offered on a part-time basis through a mix of online and classroom learning.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or 3 A levels, including maths or science, or the UCPD in Forensic Road Collision Investigation, for the foundation degree

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could start as a trainee collision investigator, with a police force or company that provides forensic investigation services.

You'll usually need a minimum of 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including maths, English and a science, or equivalent. You'll also need good IT, problem solving and communication skills

You might be able to transfer into an investigation department if you have related experience, for example as a police officer or insurance investigator, then train on the job.

Apply directly

You may be able to apply for an investigator job if you have qualifications and several years' experience in engineering, science, technical testing or health and safety.

Other routes

You could take a private training course in road traffic investigation. It's important to check that the course you do is approved by a recognised awarding body or institution.

Find out more about a career in collision investigation from The Institute of Traffic Accident Investigators.

What you’ll need

  • be over 18 years of age
  • have a full driving licence

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for forensic collision investigator. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

4 for this job
Level 2About 18 months

Lead traffic management operative

You gain
All of NHSS12AB, NHSS12C and NHSS12D at level 1, in addition to one of NHSS12AB, NHSS12C…
Details on Skills England
Level 4About 2 years

Fire safety inspector

You gain
Diploma in Fire Safety (Fire Inspectors)
Leads to
Institution of Fire Engineers
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • inspects workplace areas to ensure compliance with health and safety legislation
  • helps to develop effective health and safety policies and procedures and carries out risk assessments
  • instructs workers in the proper use of protective clothing and safety devices and conducts routine tests on that equipment
  • compiles statistics on accidents and injuries, analyses their causes and makes recommendations to management accordingly
  • maintains contact with those off work due to illness
  • counsels individuals on any personal or domestic problems affecting their work
  • gives talks and distributes information on accident prevention and keeps up to date with the relevant legislation

Skills

  • ensure compliance with environmental legislation
  • perform risk analysis
  • test safety strategies
  • advise on environmental risk management systems
  • advise on risk management
  • educate on emergency management
  • think analytically
  • use different communication channels
  • advise on conflict management
  • advise on pollution prevention
  • advise on safety improvements
  • apply radiation protection procedures
  • calculate exposure to radiation
  • communicate health and safety measures

Knowledge

  • environmental legislation
  • pollution prevention
  • health, safety and hygiene legislation
  • pollution legislation
  • assessment of risks and threats
  • food legislation
  • food preservation
  • food storage

Suits people who like

  • Working with ideas and solving problems
  • Practical, hands-on work

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for business and public service associate professionals, a group of 26 jobs that includes health and safety managers and officers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 1.2%about 26,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.1 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.