How to Become a Health and Safety Engineer in Virginia: Salary & Requirements (2026)
Quick answer: The median health and safety engineer salary in Virginia is $104,920 per year - 9% below the national median of $115,160 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The career requires a 4-year degree: Bachelor’s in safety engineering, industrial engineering, or occupational safety.
Health and Safety Engineer Salary in Virginia
| Wage level | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| Virginia entry level (10th percentile) | $63,760 |
| Virginia 25th-75th percentile | $82,550 - $134,820 |
| Virginia median | $104,920 |
| Virginia top earners (90th percentile) | $162,630 |
| U.S. median | $115,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. State employment: 380.
The Virginia Job Market: Health and Safety Engineer
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Employed in Virginia | 380 |
| Jobs per 1,000 in the state | 0.09 |
| Concentration vs U.S. (location quotient) | 0.66 |
| Mean annual wage in Virginia | $110,730 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. With a location quotient of 0.66, Virginia employs health and safety engineers at a lower concentration than the national average; expect fewer openings per capita and weigh relocation or remote-friendly specialties.
Requirements in Virginia
The education path is national - Bachelor’s in safety engineering, industrial engineering, or occupational safety - while licensing runs through Virginia’s own boards: CSP certification valued; PE license for some engineering roles. Verify current requirements with the Virginia licensing authority before enrolling, as details change. The step-by-step path (degree, exams, first role, advancement) is covered in the national guide: How to Become a Health and Safety Engineer.
Salary Nationwide
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th | $68,420 |
| 25th | $90,930 |
| 50th (median) | $115,160 |
| 75th | $142,980 |
| 90th | $171,250 |
Job Outlook
| Year | Employment |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 23,800 |
| 2034 projected | 24,900 |
| Percent change | +4.4% |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a health and safety engineer make in Virginia?
The median annual wage for health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors in Virginia is $104,920 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 9% below the national median of $115,160.
How do I become a health and safety engineer in Virginia?
The core path is the same nationwide - Bachelor's in safety engineering, industrial engineering, or occupational safety - with licensing administered at the state level: CSP certification valued; PE license for some engineering roles. See the steps below.
How many health and safety engineers work in Virginia?
BLS counts about 380 health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors employed in Virginia (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Health and Safety Engineer in Nearby States
- Health and Safety Engineer in Texas
- Health and Safety Engineer in Utah
- Health and Safety Engineer in Washington
- Health and Safety Engineer in West Virginia
Related
- How to Become a Health and Safety Engineer (national guide)
- All Trade Careers That Require a 4-Year Degree
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors (SOC 17-2111), Virginia and national
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
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/.
Data sources
Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.
| Data | Provider | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | May 2025 |
| Employment Projections | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | 2024-2034 |
| Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System | National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) | 2024 |
| College Scorecard (school-level outcomes) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release |
| College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release (updated 2026-06-12) |
| Occupational licensing requirements | CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2026-02-22) |
| Registered apprenticeship programs | CareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2025-10-25) |
| O*NET occupation profiles (skills, tasks, tools, job zones) | U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET / Employment & Training Admin.) | O*NET 29.1 (updated 2026-06-13) |