Quick answer: Virginia employs about 380 health and safety engineers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing runs through BCSP and the employers you are targeting. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are below.
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.
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.
This page lists 1 school within 23 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 1 of them carries a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Health and Safety Engineers in Virginia earn a median $104,920 per year, below the national median of $115,160 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Virginia | National | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $104,920 | $115,160 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 10th percentile | $63,760 | $68,420 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 25th percentile | $82,550 | $90,930 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 75th percentile | $134,820 | $142,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 90th percentile | $162,630 | $171,250 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Employment | 380 | 21,450 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Location quotient | 0.66 | 1.00 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Projected change (2024-34) | not published by state | 4.4% | BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34 |
The Virginia median of $104,920 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 0.66 puts Virginia 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.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $105,530 | 50 |
| Virginia Beach | $97,870 | 100 |
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.
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.
The median annual wage for health and safety engineers in Virginia is $104,920, below the national median of $115,160 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $82,550 at the 25th percentile to $134,820 at the 75th.
Virginia holds about 380 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).
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.
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.
Among Virginia metro areas with published data, Richmond reports the highest median at $105,530 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
On pay, the state median of $104,920 sits below the national $115,160 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 0.66 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.
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/.
