Occupational Safety Degree Programs in Rhode Island (2026)

Quick answer: Health and Safety Engineers in Rhode Island earn a median $94,620 per year, below the national median of $115,160 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The state employs about 40 of them. Licensing runs through BCSP and the employers you are targeting.

Occupational Safety Pay and Employment in Rhode Island at a Glance

MetricRhode IslandNationalSource
Median annual wage$94,620$115,160BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile$84,410$68,420BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile$85,250$90,930BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile$115,380$142,980BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile$159,480$171,250BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment4021,450BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient0.551.00BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)not published by state4.4%BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34

How Rhode Island Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country

The Rhode Island median of $94,620 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 0.55 puts Rhode Island below the national average, so the occupation is less concentrated here than in the typical state. Expect a thinner local job market and fewer employers to move between (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.

Licensing and Credentials in Rhode Island

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 Near You

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.

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.

#2

New England Institute of Technology

East Greenwich, RI 7.4 miles away BOC Score 62.3
Tuition $37,275 - $48,543
Contact
  • One New England Tech Boulevard East Greenwich, RI 02818-1205
  • (401) 739-5000
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 66.7%
  • Graduation rate: 58.5%
  • Programs offered: 52
  • Annual completions: 786
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $62,151 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Rhode Island College

Providence, RI 6.3 miles away BOC Score 60.9
Tuition $11,300 - $27,299
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 91.8%
  • Graduation rate: 47.0%
  • Programs offered: 23
  • Annual completions: 243
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Community College of Rhode Island

Warwick, RI 3.9 miles away BOC Score 51.2
Tuition $5,550 - $14,834
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 25.5%
  • Programs offered: 55
  • Annual completions: 632
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,971 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Johnson & Wales University-Providence

Providence, RI 4.9 miles away BOC Score 33.7
Tuition $42,419 - $60,314
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 88.4%
  • Graduation rate: 55.1%
  • Programs offered: 27
  • Annual completions: 915
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,530 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do health and safety engineers make in Rhode Island?

The median annual wage for health and safety engineers in Rhode Island is $94,620, below the national median of $115,160 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $85,250 at the 25th percentile to $115,380 at the 75th.

How many health and safety engineers work in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island holds about 40 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 Rhode Island?

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 Rhode Island?

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 Rhode Island for health and safety engineers?

BLS does not publish separate metro-level estimates for health and safety engineers in Rhode Island, so the statewide median of $94,620 is the best available figure (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Is Rhode Island a good state for health and safety engineers?

On pay, the state median of $94,620 sits below the national $115,160 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 0.55 means the occupation is less 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.

Sources

  • 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/.