Occupational Health and Safety Technicians Salary
Occupational Health and Safety Technicians in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA make a median of $72,170 a year, or about $34.7 an hour. The range runs from $53K at the entry level to $98K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $68,459 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,922/month, about 40.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $72K get you in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). 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 technicians
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What this looks like in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro sits well above the national pay line for occupational health and safety technicians, local pay runs about 17% higher than the U.S. median of $62K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,922/month, which is 43.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for occupational health and safety technicians in metros near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $59K | $52K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $80K | $70K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $60K | $57K |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas | $56K | $56K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Entry-level occupational health and safety technicians (10th percentile) start around $53K. Mid-career wages sit at $72K. Top earners bring in $98K or more, a $45K spread from bottom to top.
Occupational Health and Safety Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Occupational Health and Safety Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $105K | +70% | 570 |
| Rhode Island | $85K | +37% | 60 |
| West Virginia | $81K | +32% | 320 |
| Alaska | $81K | +31% | 140 |
| New Mexico | $79K | +29% | 790 |
| Minnesota | $74K | +21% | 270 |
| Colorado | $73K | +19% | 400 |
| New York | $70K | +13% | 1,410 |
| Massachusetts | $69K | +12% | 290 |
| Connecticut | $68K | +11% | 130 |
| Wyoming | $68K | +11% | 80 |
| Michigan | $67K | +9% | 450 |
| New Jersey | $67K | +9% | 270 |
| Illinois | $66K | +7% | 1,790 |
| Arizona | $65K | +6% | 440 |
| Oregon | $65K | +6% | 230 |
| Ohio | $65K | +6% | 1,310 |
| Maryland | $65K | +5% | 280 |
| Missouri | $64K | +5% | 270 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | +5% | 640 |
| Maine | $64K | +4% | 140 |
| Georgia | $63K | +3% | 1,210 |
| New Hampshire | $63K | +2% | 50 |
| Virginia | $62K | +1% | 840 |
| Delaware | $62K | +1% | 150 |
| Vermont | $62K | +1% | 80 |
| Nevada | $62K | +0% | 440 |
| North Carolina | $62K | +0% | 720 |
| Pennsylvania | $62K | +0% | 1,020 |
| California | $61K | -0% | 2,650 |
| Mississippi | $61K | -1% | 360 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -1% | 650 |
| Idaho | $61K | -1% | 240 |
| Indiana | $60K | -2% | 1,660 |
| Kansas | $60K | -3% | 480 |
| Nebraska | $59K | -4% | 200 |
| Florida | $59K | -4% | 1,000 |
| South Carolina | $58K | -5% | 420 |
| Iowa | $58K | -5% | 290 |
| Texas | $58K | -6% | 4,420 |
| Louisiana | $58K | -6% | 780 |
| Utah | $57K | -7% | 280 |
| Oklahoma | $56K | -8% | 370 |
| North Dakota | $56K | -9% | 150 |
| Tennessee | $55K | -11% | 310 |
| Alabama | $55K | -11% | 880 |
| Arkansas | $51K | -17% | 510 |
| Montana | $41K | -33% | 60 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track occupational health and safety technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a occupational health and safety technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $72K, rent takes 43.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,922/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 technicians in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new occupational health and safety technicians typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,187/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 technician a high-paying job in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $72K here vs. $62K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 5% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for occupational health and safety technicians?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $72K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do occupational health and safety technicians make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $72,170 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,110, and experienced occupational health and safety technicians can clear $98,110. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $72K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,447/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 43.2% 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 technicians salary go in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median occupational health and safety technicians salary is worth about $68,459 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do occupational health and safety technicians 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.