Quick answer:Health and Safety Engineers in Iowa earn a median $106,350 per year, below the national median of $115,160 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The state employs about 230 of them. Licensing runs through BCSP and the employers you are targeting.
Occupational Safety Pay and Employment in Iowa at a Glance
Metric
Iowa
National
Source
Median annual wage
$106,350
$115,160
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$76,830
$68,420
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$79,060
$90,930
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$136,660
$142,980
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$152,830
$171,250
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
230
21,450
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
1.05
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
4.4%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How Iowa Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The Iowa median of $106,350 sits below the national median of $115,160 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 1.05 puts Iowa slightly above the national average, so the occupation is a little more common here than in the typical state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Where the Jobs Are in Iowa
Metro area
Median annual wage
Employment
Davenport
$118,620
40
Des Moines
$99,480
70
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Safety demand follows the region’s industrial base, construction volume and the concentration of employers large enough to staff a dedicated safety function.
Licensing and Credentials in Iowa
Safety practice is credential-driven rather than licensed. The certifications employers recruit against come from BCSP, principally the Associate Safety Professional and the Certified Safety Professional. The Professional Engineer path exists through an ABET-accredited degree and the NCEES sequence but is less commonly required. OSHA regulation governs the workplace rather than the individual practitioner.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with BCSP and the employers you are targeting that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How We Rank Schools
We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that
local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal
IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%
Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
How much do health and safety engineers make in Iowa?
The median annual wage for health and safety engineers in Iowa is $106,350, below the national median of $115,160 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $79,060 at the 25th percentile to $136,660 at the 75th.
How many health and safety engineers work in Iowa?
Iowa holds about 230 health and safety engineer jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 21,450, and BLS projects about 1,500 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a health and safety engineer in Iowa?
Safety practice is credential-driven rather than licensed. The certifications employers recruit against come from BCSP, principally the Associate Safety Professional and the Certified Safety Professional. The Professional Engineer path exists through an ABET-accredited degree and the NCEES sequence but is less commonly required. OSHA regulation governs the workplace rather than the individual practitioner. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with BCSP and the employers you are targeting before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a bachelor's in safety, industrial or occupational safety engineering online while working in Iowa?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies BCSP and the employers you are targeting.
What is the highest-paying area of Iowa for health and safety engineers?
Among Iowa metro areas with published data, Davenport reports the highest median at $118,620 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is Iowa a good state for health and safety engineers?
On pay, the state median of $106,350 sits below the national $115,160 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 1.05 means the occupation is more concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Health and Safety Engineers (SOC 17-2111), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
