How to Become an EHS Specialist: Career Guide (2026)

EHS specialists handle the full spectrum. Environmental compliance. Health hazards. Safety regulations. While most safety roles focus on one area, EHS specialists manage all three. That’s what makes the role demanding and valuable.

You’ll find EHS specialists in manufacturing plants, chemical facilities, warehouses, and corporate offices. They’re the ones making sure the company follows OSHA regulations, EPA requirements, and state environmental laws all at once. The median salary is around $78,570, with experienced specialists earning well over $100,000.

Here’s how the career works.

Salary Snapshot

Median salary: $78,570 per year (BLS, SOC 29-9011).

Top-paying industries:

1. Chemical manufacturing. $85,000 - $115,000
2. Pharmaceutical manufacturing. $82,000 - $110,000
3. Oil and gas. $80,000 - $120,000+
4. Aerospace and defense. $78,000 - $105,000
5. Automotive manufacturing. $72,000 - $95,000

Salary data from BLS OEWS (SOC 29-9011).

What Does an EHS Specialist Do?

The “E,” “H,” and “S” cover three distinct regulatory areas. Most specialists manage all three.

Environmental (E)

• Manage hazardous waste programs (RCRA regulations)
• Track and report air emissions (Clean Air Act permits)
• Oversee wastewater discharge compliance (Clean Water Act / NPDES permits)
• File environmental reports (Tier II, TRI, EPA Form R)
• Manage spill prevention and response plans (SPCC plans)
• Conduct environmental audits and inspections
• Handle waste characterization, labeling, and manifesting

Health (H)

• Monitor workplace exposures to chemicals, noise, and dust
• Manage respiratory protection programs
• Coordinate hearing conservation programs
• Track employee medical surveillance (audiograms, blood tests, fit tests)
• Maintain Safety Data Sheets and chemical inventories
• Assess ergonomic risks and recommend controls
• Investigate occupational illness claims

Safety (S)

• Conduct workplace inspections and hazard assessments
• Manage lockout/tagout (LOTO) programs for equipment maintenance
• Develop and deliver safety training (new hire orientation, annual refreshers)
• Investigate incidents and near-misses, identify root causes
• Maintain OSHA 300 logs and injury/illness records
• Prepare for and respond to OSHA inspections
• Manage fire prevention, emergency evacuation, and first aid programs
• Oversee contractor safety programs

In a typical week, you might walk the production floor doing inspections in the morning, file an EPA waste report after lunch, conduct a noise monitoring survey in the afternoon, and update a safety training program before you leave. The variety is what makes the role interesting.

How to Become an EHS Specialist

Step 1: Get a Bachelor’s Degree

Most EHS specialist positions require a bachelor’s degree. The best-fit programs:

• Environmental Health and Safety The most direct path. Covers all three areas.
• Occupational Safety and Health Strong safety and health foundation.
• Environmental Science Good for the environmental side. You’ll learn the safety side on the job.
• Chemistry or Biology Provides technical depth for industrial hygiene and environmental compliance.
• Engineering Chemical, environmental, or industrial engineering degrees are highly valued.

Key coursework: chemistry, biology, environmental regulations, occupational safety, industrial hygiene, and statistics.

Step 2: Start in an Entry-Level Role

Your first position will likely be:

• EHS Technician Conduct inspections, collect samples, assist with training, maintain records.
• EHS Coordinator More administrative. Manage documentation, track compliance deadlines, coordinate training schedules.
• Environmental Technician Focused on waste management, sampling, and environmental reporting.

These roles are common at:

• Manufacturing plants (any industry)
• Chemical and pharmaceutical companies
• Warehousing and logistics operations
• Food and beverage processing
• Government facilities and military installations
• Environmental consulting firms

Step 3: Build Expertise Across All Three Areas

The “specialist” title means you know all three areas, not just one. In your first 2-5 years, make sure you get exposure to:

• Environmental compliance Learn RCRA, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and state environmental regulations. Get comfortable with permit conditions and reporting requirements.
• Industrial hygiene Learn air sampling, noise monitoring, and exposure assessment. Understand PELs and TLVs.
• Safety management Master OSHA standards for your industry. Learn lockout/tagout, machine guarding, fall protection, and confined space entry.

If your company only covers one or two areas, seek cross-training or consider a move to a facility where you’ll get broader experience.

Step 4: Earn Professional Certifications

ASP (Associate Safety Professional) Your first professional certification. Requires a bachelor’s degree and one year of safety experience. Issued by BCSP. It’s the stepping stone to the CSP.

HAZWOPER 40-Hour Required if your facility generates, handles, or stores hazardous waste. Many EHS specialist positions list HAZWOPER 40 as a requirement.

OSHA 30-Hour Either the Construction or General Industry version, depending on your work environment. Expected for most EHS positions.

CSP (Certified Safety Professional) The next step after ASP. Requires 4+ years of professional experience. Significantly increases your earning potential and opens management positions.

CHMM (Certified Hazardous Materials Manager) Valuable if environmental compliance is a major part of your role. Issued by the IHMM. Demonstrates competency in hazardous materials and waste management.

CIH (Certified Industrial Hygienist) If you want to specialize in the health/IH side, the CIH adds significant value. See our Industrial Hygienist career guide.

Step 5: Advance Into Management

After 5-8 years as a specialist, the next steps include:

• Senior EHS Specialist Lead complex projects, mentor junior staff, manage specific programs across the facility.
• EHS Manager Manage the entire EHS department at a facility. Budget authority, team leadership, strategic planning.
• Corporate EHS Director Oversee EHS programs across multiple facilities. Reports to VP of Operations or the C-suite.
• VP of EHS Executive-level position at large organizations. Shapes company-wide safety and environmental strategy.

The path from specialist to manager typically takes 5-8 years. From manager to director, another 3-5 years. CSP holders advance faster.

EHS Specialist vs. Other Safety Roles

EHS specialists are generalists. Safety officers focus on injury prevention. Industrial hygienists focus on exposure assessment. The EHS role combines elements of both and adds environmental compliance.

Day in the Life

Here’s what a typical day looks like for an EHS specialist at a manufacturing plant:

7:00 AM Review overnight incident reports and production logs. Check if any safety or environmental issues occurred on the night shift.

7:30 AM Walk the production floor. Inspect machine guarding, check chemical storage areas, verify PPE usage. Document findings.

9:00 AM Conduct a noise monitoring survey in the stamping department. Set up dosimeters on three workers for full-shift monitoring.

10:30 AM Meet with the maintenance supervisor to review upcoming lockout/tagout procedures for a line changeover this weekend.

11:00 AM Update the facility’s hazardous waste manifest. A pickup is scheduled for Thursday and the paperwork needs to be ready.

12:00 PM Lunch.

12:30 PM Deliver new-hire safety orientation to four employees. Cover PPE requirements, emergency procedures, hazard communication, and reporting.

2:00 PM Review noise dosimetry results from the morning. Compare to the OSHA PEL and action level. Draft a memo recommending additional hearing protection in one area.

3:00 PM Conduct monthly fire extinguisher inspection. Check tags, pressure gauges, and access paths.

3:30 PM Update the OSHA 300 log with a recordable injury from last week. Complete the incident investigation report and assign corrective actions.

4:30 PM End of day. Review tomorrow’s production schedule for high-risk activities.

Job Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 6-8% growth for occupational health and safety specialists through 2033. EHS specialists are in particularly strong demand in manufacturing, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries.

Growth drivers:

• Increasing environmental regulations (PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are creating new compliance requirements
• EPA enforcement actions are pushing companies to hire dedicated EHS staff
• Manufacturing reshoring (CHIPS Act, clean energy) is creating new EHS positions at new facilities
• ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting requirements are expanding the EHS scope at large companies

Geographic demand: Manufacturing hubs in the Midwest, Southeast, and Gulf Coast have the strongest demand. California has strict environmental regulations that create additional need for EHS expertise. Texas has heavy demand driven by oil and gas, chemical manufacturing, and general industrial growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a degree to be an EHS specialist? In most cases, yes. The majority of EHS specialist positions require a bachelor’s degree. Environmental compliance work in particular requires technical knowledge that’s hard to acquire without formal education. Some EHS technician roles may accept an associate degree or relevant experience, but advancement typically requires a bachelor’s.

What’s the difference between EHS and HSE? Nothing. EHS (Environmental Health and Safety) and HSE (Health Safety and Environment) refer to the same function. The order of the letters just reflects different organizational preferences. Some companies use SHE (Safety Health and Environment). The job is the same.

Is EHS a good career? Yes. The combination of environmental and safety expertise makes you versatile and hard to replace. Every manufacturing facility needs EHS staff. The pay is solid, the work is varied, and there’s a clear path to management. The main challenge is balancing three regulatory areas at once, which can be demanding.

What software do EHS specialists use? Common EHS management platforms include Gensuite, Intelex, VelocityEHS, Enablon, and EHS Insight. You’ll also use spreadsheets (a lot of them), OSHA’s recordkeeping tools, and EPA’s electronic reporting systems (CDX, e-Manifest). Familiarity with data management and reporting tools is increasingly important.

Can I transition from EHS to a safety manager role? Absolutely. Many safety managers started as EHS specialists. Your environmental knowledge is a bonus. The main transition is from being a technical specialist to managing people and programs. Earning your CSP helps make the jump.

How is EHS different from environmental consulting? EHS specialists work in-house at facilities managing day-to-day compliance. Environmental consultants work at consulting firms serving multiple clients on specific projects (site assessments, remediation, permitting). Consulting often involves travel and project-based work. In-house EHS roles offer more stability and routine. Both are good career paths.