Workplace safety manager employment in the United States has grown at more than seven times the rate of the broader labour market over the past 15 years, according to new research highlighting a global shift in how organisations approach health and safety resourcing.

Industry publication EHS Today reported findings from Trace One, a US-based regulatory compliance and product lifecycle management software company, which analysed Bureau of Labor Statistics employment and wage data to examine how the safety workforce has evolved across industries and geographies.

The research found that safety manager roles grew 165% between 2010 and 2025, compared with just 22% growth across all US occupations. Projections indicate a further 12% increase in demand from 2024 to 2034, against a 3% forecast for the wider labour market, with approximately 18,300 openings expected annually.

Manufacturing employs the largest number of safety managers at 30,200, followed closely by construction at 26,680. However, the highest concentrations relative to workforce size are found in mining and utilities, at 83.8 and 52.7 safety managers per 10,000 workers respectively, industries where hazard complexity and regulatory scrutiny are most acute.

Despite rising demand, pay growth has not kept pace. The median annual wage for US workplace safety managers reached $85,042 (approximately €73,987) in 2025, representing a 37.9% increase since 2010, well below the 50.7% wage growth recorded across all US workers over the same period.

The report attributes much of the employment surge to expanding regulatory requirements, including new standards around chemical hazard communication, heat illness prevention, and workplace violence, which are increasing audit, documentation, and training demands on safety professionals.

The findings point to a profession under growing pressure to manage wider responsibilities without proportionate increases in staffing or compensation, a challenge that resonates across the health and safety sector globally.

View the complete analysis and methodology for detailed findings by state and industry sector.