Colorado safety and EHS managers report an estimated median of about $95,000 a year, with pay lifted by the state’s aerospace, energy and outdoor-recreation-fueled construction sectors.
An estimated median of $95,000 a year applies to safety and EHS managers in Colorado, with a typical range of $74,100 to $128,250 depending on industry, employer size, certification and experience. The estimate starts from the BLS OES national median for occupational health & safety specialists (SOC 19-5011) — $83,910 as of the May 2024 release — scaled to Colorado’s wage level. Colorado’s safety-manager demand is fairly diverse: aerospace and defense around Colorado Springs and the Denver metro (Lockheed Martin and a cluster of Space Command-adjacent contractors), oil and gas extraction in the Denver-Julesburg Basin north and east of Denver, and a large, ongoing construction pipeline tied to the state’s continued population growth. Cost of living along the Front Range — Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs — runs above the national median, which is worth weighing against the salary figures here.
Colorado is one of the states without its own OSHA State Plan, so workplace safety is enforced directly by federal OSHA rather than a state agency. Safety managers here work against the standard federal 29 CFR 1910/1926 framework, and can use the free federal OSHA On-Site Consultation Program to get ahead of compliance issues before an inspection.
Denver anchors the state’s EHS job market by a wide margin, drawing on aerospace, energy, tech and a deep construction pipeline; Colorado Springs contributes defense and aerospace-contractor demand; Aurora adds logistics and healthcare-facility safety roles.
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How much does a safety manager make in Colorado?
Colorado safety and EHS managers earn an estimated median of about $95,000 a year, with a typical range of $74,100 to $128,250 depending on industry, employer size, certifications and experience. The figure is an estimate anchored on BLS OES data.
Does Colorado have its own OSHA program?
No. Colorado has not adopted an OSHA-approved State Plan, so workplace safety is enforced directly by federal OSHA rather than a state agency.
What industries employ the most safety managers in Colorado?
Aerospace and defense around Colorado Springs and Denver, oil and gas extraction in the Denver-Julesburg Basin, and a large, ongoing construction pipeline tied to the state’s population growth are the biggest drivers of Colorado’s safety-manager demand.
Is Colorado’s cost of living a factor in these salary figures?
Yes. Cost of living along the Front Range, including Denver, Boulder and Colorado Springs, runs above the national median, which is worth weighing against the salary figures on this page.
Salary figures are estimates derived from BLS national OES data scaled to state wage levels — not a guarantee or an offer. Verify current local data with BLS and employers. ← All states · Home