Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors
Machines can already do 39% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 69%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 39% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2030, and 69% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 21,450 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $115,160 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 71% for contact with people.
- Also called: Health and Safety Specialist, Industrial Hygienist, Industrial Safety Engineer, Product Safety and Standards Engineer.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspect facilities, machinery, or safety equipment to identify and correct potential hazards, and to ensure safety regulation compliance | 9% | 30% to 75% | |
| Investigate industrial accidents, injuries, or occupational diseases to determine causes and preventive measures | 7% | 3% to 30% | |
| Report or review findings from accident investigations, facilities inspections, or environmental testing | 7% | 70% to 95% | |
| Conduct or coordinate worker training in areas such as safety laws and regulations, hazardous condition monitoring, and use of safety equipment | 6% | 25% to 50% | |
| Maintain and apply knowledge of current policies, regulations, and industrial processes | 6% | 45% to 80% | |
| Recommend procedures for detection, prevention, and elimination of physical, chemical, or other product hazards | 6% | 35% to 58% | |
| Provide technical advice and guidance to organizations on how to handle health-related problems and make needed changes | 6% | 35% to 58% | |
| Interpret safety regulations for others interested in industrial safety, such as safety engineers, labor representatives, and safety inspectors | 5% | 40% to 68% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists63% of tasks by 2035 · US median $90,150
- Fire-Prevention and Protection Engineers64% of tasks by 2035 · US median $115,160
- Occupational Health and Safety Technicians65% of tasks by 2035 · US median $61,560
- Architectural and Engineering Managers50% of tasks by 2035 · US median $171,270
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2030. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors?
Machines can do 39% of the tasks of health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors today and 69% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 17-2111.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/health-and-safety-engineers-except-mining-safety-engineers-and-inspectors/