Occupational Health and Safety Specialists Salary
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists in Asheville, NC make a median of $81,740 a year, or about $39.3 an hour. The range runs from $54K at the entry level to $123K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.51), that's roughly $84,696 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,567/month, or 29.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $82K get you in Asheville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Asheville’s Regional Price Parity (96.51). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About occupational health and safety specialists
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What this looks like in Asheville
Occupational health and safety specialists pay in Asheville tracks closely to the national median, $82K locally vs. $90K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $1,567/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 96.51) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for occupational health and safety specialists in metros near Asheville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $91K | $94K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $90K | $92K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $84K | $91K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $98K | $101K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Asheville, NC
Entry-level occupational health and safety specialists (10th percentile) start around $54K. Mid-career wages sit at $82K. Top earners bring in $123K or more, a $68K spread from bottom to top.
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Occupational Health and Safety Specialists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $112K | +24% | 280 |
| Massachusetts | $104K | +15% | 3,390 |
| Washington | $103K | +14% | 3,570 |
| California | $103K | +14% | 16,230 |
| Rhode Island | $102K | +13% | 200 |
| Colorado | $101K | +12% | 3,080 |
| New Hampshire | $101K | +12% | 610 |
| Alaska | $99K | +10% | 370 |
| Illinois | $98K | +9% | 2,900 |
| Maine | $98K | +8% | 600 |
| Minnesota | $97K | +8% | 2,460 |
| Connecticut | $96K | +7% | 1,090 |
| New York | $96K | +6% | 6,840 |
| Oregon | $95K | +6% | 1,820 |
| Hawaii | $95K | +5% | 640 |
| Nevada | $94K | +5% | 1,150 |
| Wyoming | $94K | +4% | 580 |
| North Dakota | $93K | +3% | 540 |
| Maryland | $92K | +2% | 2,160 |
| Ohio | $91K | +1% | 6,820 |
| Virginia | $91K | +1% | 3,910 |
| New Jersey | $91K | +1% | 3,830 |
| Utah | $90K | +0% | 1,230 |
| Louisiana | $90K | -1% | 2,380 |
| Arizona | $89K | -1% | 3,220 |
| Florida | $89K | -1% | 6,760 |
| South Dakota | $89K | -2% | 250 |
| South Carolina | $88K | -2% | 2,170 |
| Iowa | $88K | -3% | 1,310 |
| Vermont | $87K | -3% | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $87K | -3% | 4,890 |
| Idaho | $87K | -4% | 730 |
| North Carolina | $87K | -4% | 4,670 |
| West Virginia | $87K | -4% | 1,020 |
| Kansas | $86K | -4% | 1,350 |
| Georgia | $85K | -5% | 3,220 |
| Wisconsin | $85K | -6% | 2,250 |
| New Mexico | $85K | -6% | 840 |
| Mississippi | $84K | -6% | 1,140 |
| Michigan | $84K | -7% | 3,350 |
| Nebraska | $84K | -7% | 630 |
| Kentucky | $84K | -7% | 2,480 |
| Indiana | $83K | -7% | 3,870 |
| Missouri | $83K | -8% | 2,660 |
| Alabama | $82K | -9% | 2,510 |
| Montana | $81K | -10% | 720 |
| Tennessee | $81K | -10% | 2,690 |
| Delaware | $81K | -10% | 600 |
| Oklahoma | $80K | -11% | 1,690 |
| Texas | $80K | -12% | 17,920 |
| Arkansas | $73K | -19% | 850 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a occupational health and safety specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Asheville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $82K, rent takes 30.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,567/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for occupational health and safety specialists in Asheville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new occupational health and safety specialists typically earn — is $54K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,244/month. At HUD’s $1,567/month FMR, rent would take 48% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is occupational health and safety specialist a high-paying job in Asheville?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $82K locally vs. $90K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Asheville compare to the national average for occupational health and safety specialists?
Asheville pays $82K median vs. the U.S. average of $90K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $85K — below the national median.
How much do occupational health and safety specialists make in Asheville, NC?
The median is $81,740 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $54,070, and experienced occupational health and safety specialists can clear $122,520. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $82K enough to live in Asheville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,184/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,567/month, which eats 30.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a occupational health and safety specialists salary go in Asheville?
Asheville has a Regional Price Parity of 96.51 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median occupational health and safety specialists salary is worth about $84,696 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do occupational health and safety specialists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.