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Average Occupational Health Safety Specialist Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An occupational health safety specialist in United Kingdom earns about 103,600 GBP a year. That's 49% above the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 54,600 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 157,600 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does an occupational health safety specialist make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
103,600 GBP
8,633 GBP per month
Lowest reported
54,600 GBP
4,550 GBP per month
Highest reported
157,600 GBP
13,133 GBP per month

A typical occupational health safety specialist working in United Kingdom brings home around 8,633 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 54,600 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 157,600 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior occupational health safety specialist working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the occupational health safety specialist salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How occupational health safety specialist pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all occupational health safety specialists in United Kingdom earn less than 99,600 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 67,800 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 123,000 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of occupational health safety specialists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 54,600 GBP. The highest stretch to 157,600 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

54,600
Low
99,600
Median
157,600
High
67,800
25th
123,000
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Occupational health safety specialist pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an occupational health safety specialist in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical occupational health safety specialist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    60,100 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +35% from previous
    81,000 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +31% from previous
    105,800 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +21% from previous
    127,600 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +10% from previous
    140,700 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +5% from previous
    148,300 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 35%. That is the point at which a occupational health safety specialist typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Occupational health safety specialist pay by education in United Kingdom

Education lifts pay across almost every role, but the size of the lift varies enormously. The biggest premiums show up in licensed professions like medicine, law and accounting, where extra years of formal study open up seniority that isn't available without the qualification. The smallest premiums show up in skilled trades and creative work, where practical experience often beats academic credentials.

As a rough cross-industry guide for United Kingdom: a post-secondary certificate or diploma adds around 17% over a high-school-only baseline. A bachelor's degree typically adds another 25% on top of that. A master's lifts pay a further 30%, and a PhD adds about 22% more in fields that value research-level qualifications. These are averages across many different professions, so the real number for your specific job could easily be twice as high or close to zero. The per-job pages below have the real numbers for individual roles.

Occupational health safety specialist gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male occupational health safety specialists in United Kingdom earn an average of 105,800 GBP a year, while female occupational health safety specialists earn around 99,700 GBP. That works out to a 6% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Occupational Health Safety Specialist gender pay gap

6%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 105,800 GBP
Women 99,700 GBP

Pay raises for an occupational health safety specialist in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 13% every 13 months, which works out to roughly 12% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Occupational health safety specialist bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

81%

81% of occupational health safety specialists in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an occupational health safety specialist a high-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 6% to 8% of base salary. The remaining 19% of occupational health safety specialists reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Occupational health safety specialist: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Occupational health safety specialist salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Occupational health safety specialist pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Leicester
  • London
  • Somerset
  • Glasgow
  • Leeds
  • Edinburgh
  • Birmingham
  • Nottingham
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion187,500 GBP177,100 GBP96,000-282,500 GBP
ScotlandRegion146,700 GBP140,200 GBP73,500-222,700 GBP
LeicesterCity116,400 GBP115,600 GBP58,200-180,500 GBP
LondonCity115,600 GBP127,700 GBP52,800-184,700 GBP
SomersetCity115,600 GBP125,400 GBP55,700-183,600 GBP
GlasgowCity114,900 GBP114,900 GBP57,200-175,100 GBP
LeedsCity114,600 GBP114,600 GBP58,200-176,300 GBP
EdinburghCity114,300 GBP114,900 GBP60,900-177,200 GBP
BirminghamCity114,300 GBP123,800 GBP54,600-183,600 GBP
NottinghamCity112,700 GBP108,200 GBP55,300-172,100 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity112,700 GBP109,700 GBP57,900-172,300 GBP
CoventryCity109,700 GBP114,600 GBP53,600-171,300 GBP
ManchesterCity109,700 GBP99,700 GBP58,400-163,500 GBP
LiverpoolCity109,000 GBP116,400 GBP51,800-171,300 GBP
SouthamptonCity109,000 GBP107,300 GBP54,700-166,600 GBP
SwanseaCity109,000 GBP103,600 GBP58,600-163,800 GBP
BrightonCity109,000 GBP100,700 GBP55,300-163,500 GBP
BristolCity108,200 GBP107,300 GBP55,300-167,100 GBP
SheffieldCity108,200 GBP107,300 GBP56,400-168,700 GBP
NewcastleCity108,200 GBP102,700 GBP59,000-166,600 GBP
PeterboroughCity107,700 GBP109,700 GBP53,300-166,600 GBP
WolverhamptonCity107,700 GBP114,300 GBP50,500-171,300 GBP
CardiffCity107,700 GBP114,900 GBP49,200-168,700 GBP
AberdeenCity107,700 GBP99,700 GBP57,100-161,300 GBP
BelfastCity107,300 GBP103,600 GBP54,700-164,100 GBP
PlymouthCity107,300 GBP108,200 GBP52,300-165,900 GBP
PortsmouthCity105,800 GBP114,600 GBP49,400-166,600 GBP
ArmaghCity105,800 GBP100,200 GBP54,900-158,700 GBP
BradfordCity105,800 GBP98,100 GBP57,200-158,900 GBP
NewportCity102,700 GBP111,700 GBP45,600-163,500 GBP
DerryCity100,700 GBP100,400 GBP52,600-153,700 GBP
DerbyCity100,700 GBP107,700 GBP48,600-160,700 GBP
GloucesterCity100,100 GBP91,700 GBP51,900-151,800 GBP
LincolnCity100,100 GBP102,700 GBP49,000-157,600 GBP
OxfordCity99,700 GBP99,700 GBP50,700-157,600 GBP
CambridgeCity99,700 GBP99,100 GBP51,100-152,700 GBP
ChesterCity99,100 GBP99,700 GBP47,400-152,900 GBP
WalesRegion98,800 GBP93,100 GBP52,000-146,900 GBP
YorkCity98,300 GBP92,900 GBP55,200-151,800 GBP
DundeeCity97,300 GBP94,200 GBP52,000-153,800 GBP
PooleCity95,000 GBP100,700 GBP44,700-151,800 GBP
LisburnCity94,800 GBP94,800 GBP48,200-146,700 GBP
NorwichCity94,800 GBP93,100 GBP49,800-148,300 GBP
ExeterCity94,500 GBP86,100 GBP49,300-142,300 GBP
HartlepoolCity94,300 GBP90,000 GBP49,400-140,200 GBP
DurhamCity93,900 GBP100,700 GBP44,800-150,100 GBP
SalisburyCity93,600 GBP87,400 GBP50,700-142,300 GBP
NewryCity93,100 GBP94,900 GBP46,300-142,300 GBP
BangorCity92,300 GBP95,300 GBP44,900-140,200 GBP
StirlingCity92,100 GBP99,100 GBP45,100-147,900 GBP
TruroCity91,700 GBP91,700 GBP43,100-140,700 GBP
WakefieldCity91,000 GBP92,200 GBP45,300-141,000 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion90,300 GBP90,300 GBP46,200-141,000 GBP
StromnessCity89,900 GBP98,100 GBP40,200-140,200 GBP
KirkwallCity89,900 GBP92,100 GBP42,300-141,000 GBP
CanterburyCity89,200 GBP89,200 GBP43,100-140,700 GBP
InvernessCity88,600 GBP87,800 GBP41,500-137,100 GBP
AbingdonCity88,300 GBP92,900 GBP43,400-142,100 GBP
WellsCity87,800 GBP91,600 GBP41,500-141,000 GBP
WinchesterCity87,800 GBP94,900 GBP41,400-141,000 GBP
RiponCity87,700 GBP79,000 GBP48,200-130,500 GBP
StrontianCity86,100 GBP78,100 GBP43,800-127,600 GBP
St DavidsCity83,900 GBP77,000 GBP46,100-128,400 GBP

Occupational Health Safety Specialist in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does an occupational health safety specialist make per month in United Kingdom?

    An occupational health safety specialist in United Kingdom earns about 8,633 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 103,600 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for an occupational health safety specialist in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level occupational health safety specialists in United Kingdom start near 54,600 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 157,600 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 67,800 and 123,000 GBP.

  • Is the median occupational health safety specialist salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 99,600 GBP, lower than the average of 103,600 GBP. Half of occupational health safety specialists in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for occupational health safety specialists in United Kingdom?

    Men working as an occupational health safety specialist in United Kingdom earn around 6% more than women on average (105,800 vs 99,700 GBP a year).

  • Do occupational health safety specialists in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 81% of occupational health safety specialists in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 6% to 8% of base salary.

  • Do occupational health safety specialists earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays an occupational health safety specialist about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do occupational health safety specialists in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    An occupational health safety specialist in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 13% every 13 months, equivalent to roughly 12% a year.