Architecture & Engineering
Process Safety Engineers
SOC 17-2111
Identify and mitigate risks in chemical and industrial processes.
The job
Median pay
$115k
$91k to $143k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+5.4% projected
Openings a year
1k
BLS projection
Typical education
Bachelor's
Our model
AI displacement risk
Moderate
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
6/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
39th pct
More exposed than 39% of occupations · modeled estimate · 77th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
61/100
Key skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 4,320 | 0.3 | 2.2× | $123k |
| California | 2,470 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $132k |
| New York | 1,570 | 0.2 | 1.2× | $101k |
| Florida | 770 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $102k |
| Massachusetts | 750 | 0.2 | 1.5× | $131k |
| Michigan | 720 | 0.2 | 1.2× | $108k |
| Ohio | 650 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $130k |
| Oklahoma | 620 | 0.4 | 2.6× | $103k |
| Alabama | 570 | 0.3 | 1.9× | $105k |
| Maryland | 520 | 0.2 | 1.4× | $111k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 490 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $122k |
| North Carolina | 480 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $107k |
| Indiana | 440 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $83k |
| New Jersey | 430 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $119k |
| Washington | 420 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $127k |
| Virginia | 380 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $105k |
| Louisiana | 370 | 0.2 | 1.4× | $118k |
| Georgia | 350 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $106k |
| New Mexico | 340 | 0.4 | 2.8× | $95k |
| Kentucky | 300 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $108k |
| South Carolina | 280 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $104k |
| Connecticut | 270 | 0.2 | 1.1× | $116k |
| Utah | 260 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $107k |
| Idaho | 250 | 0.3 | 2.1× | $99k |
| Missouri | 250 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $90k |
| Wisconsin | 250 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $93k |
| Tennessee | 240 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $99k~ |
| Illinois | 230 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $111k |
| Iowa | 230 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $106k |
| Minnesota | 220 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $120k |
| Colorado | 210 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $121k |
| West Virginia | 210 | 0.3 | 2.2× | $77k |
| Arizona | 180 | 0.1 | 0.4× | $106k |
| Washington DC | 180 | 0.3 | 1.9× | $145k~ |
| Oregon | 180 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $116k |
| Arkansas | 130 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $102k |
| Kansas | 120 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $103k |
| Mississippi | 120 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $87k |
| Alaska | 110 | 0.3 | 2.5× | $103k |
| Nebraska | 90 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $103k |
| Nevada | 80 | 0.1 | 0.4× | $122k |
| New Hampshire | 80 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $131k |
| Hawaii | 70 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $82k |
| Maine | 70 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $82k |
| Montana | 60 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $98k |
| South Dakota | 54 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $95k~ |
| Delaware | 50 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $118k |
| North Dakota | 49 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $99k~ |
| Vermont | 46 | 0.2 | 1.1× | $103k~ |
| Rhode Island | 40 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $95k |
| Wyoming | 38 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $111k~ |
Top metro areas
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX1,400 jobs · $130k median
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ1,240 jobs · $111k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX1,190 jobs · $128k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA850 jobs · $132k median
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH490 jobs · $129k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV420 jobs · $126k median
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI390 jobs · $109k median
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA350 jobs · $147k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Process Safety Engineers interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.