← All 785 jobsFile 17-2111
Health and Safety Engineers
Lightly edited
AI performs some of this work. Most of it still needs a person. The BLS expects 5.4% more of these jobs by 2035, faster than the 3.5% average.
- Rank
- #149 of 785 jobs, by how much of the work AI does
- US jobs, 2025 to 2035
- +5.4% All jobs: +3.5%
- Median US pay
- $115,160 a year, 2025
- People doing it
- 22,300 in the US, with about 1,200 openings a year
The work, 26 activities
The job description, marked up.
Every activity in this job, the biggest first. Tap a line for the evidence.
- deleAI does this
- +AIAI helps
- stetStill yours
AI does this: Advise others on workplace health or safety issues12%
AI performed this in about 1 in 1,805 Copilot conversations and completed it 94% of the time.
AI helps with this: Research technology designs or applications11%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 149 conversations, and it got them there 89% of the time.
AI helps with this: Investigate organizational or operational problems11%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,383 conversations, and it got them there 86% of the time.
AI does this: Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise8%
AI performed this in about 1 in 40 Copilot conversations and completed it 91% of the time.
Still yours: Develop safety standards, policies, or procedures6%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Document technical designs, procedures, or activities6%
AI performed this in about 1 in 779 Copilot conversations and completed it 93% of the time.
Still yours: Teach safety procedures or standards to others5%
AI does this in desk jobs, but in this one it is mostly hands-on.
Still yours: Inspect facilities or equipment4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Communicate with others about specifications or project details3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 117 Copilot conversations and completed it 78% of the time.
AI does this: Present research or technical information3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 30 Copilot conversations and completed it 90% of the time.
Still yours: Maintain operational records3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Explain technical details of products or services3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 43 Copilot conversations and completed it 91% of the time.
Still yours: Test sites or materials for environmental hazards2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Direct construction or extraction activities2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Coordinate regulatory compliance activities2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Evaluate designs, specifications, or other technical data2%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 903 conversations, and it got them there 86% of the time.
AI helps with this: Diagnose system or equipment problems2%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 245 conversations, and it got them there 90% of the time. In this job the work is hands-on, so AI can only assist.
AI does this: Plan work activities2%
AI performed this in about 1 in 720 Copilot conversations and completed it 92% of the time.
Still yours: Present information in legal proceedings2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Investigate the environmental impact of industrial or development activities2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Coordinate with others to resolve problems2%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 738 conversations, and it got them there 83% of the time.
AI helps with this: Investigate incidents or accidents2%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,241 conversations, and it got them there 81% of the time.
AI does this: Assess characteristics or impacts of regulations or policies1%
AI performed this in about 1 in 640 Copilot conversations and completed it 93% of the time.
Still yours: Design industrial systems or equipment1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Fabricate devices or components1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
2025 to 2035
Ten years from now.
For every 100 of these jobs in 2025, the BLS projects 105 in 2035. Across all US jobs, about 104.
About 1,200 openings a year, from growth and from people who retire or move on.
Nearby
Where your skills travel.
Jobs that share the most work with this one, where AI does less of it.
- Shares 39% of the workNuclear Engineers32% AI does, against 38% here+0.4% by 2035 · $133,970 · Bachelor’s degree
- Shares 22% of the workMarine Engineers and Naval Architects27% AI does, against 38% here+6.7% by 2035 · $112,230 · Bachelor’s degree
- Shares 22% of the workChemical Engineers12% AI does, against 38% here+4.7% by 2035 · $125,040 · Bachelor’s degree
The wire
On the wire.
Nothing filed about this job yet. The latest from the Work front:
How to read this file.
deleAI does this. In US Bing Copilot conversations from January to September 2024, AI itself performed the activity, completed it and made a real difference often enough to count.
+AIAI helps. People brought the activity to AI as their own goal, and it usually got them there.
stetStill yours. It barely shows up in AI use, AI rarely finishes it, or in this job it needs hands.
Shares are weighted by how much each activity matters in the job, using O*NET. Microsoft’s own AI applicability score for this job is 0.24, higher than 77% of jobs.
Doing an activity is not doing a job. The researchers behind this data warn against reading it as job loss, and so do we. It is US data; the shape of the work travels.
Sources: Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025) · O*NET OnLine, 17-2111 · BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
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