What a safety / EHS manager earns in Virginia — an estimated median of about $95,000 per year — plus who regulates workplace safety in the state and how to push your pay higher.
Safety and EHS managers in Virginia earn an estimated median of about $95,000 per year, with most positions falling between $74,100 and $128,250. The estimate is anchored on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES, May 2024 release) national median for occupational health & safety specialists — $83,910 (SOC 19-5011) — scaled to Virginia’s wage level. Actual pay depends on industry, employer size, certifications and years of experience. Virginia is a genuinely two-tier state economically: Northern Virginia’s federal-contracting and data-center corridor is one of the most expensive labor markets in the country, while rural Southside and Southwest Virginia run well below the national median, so this statewide figure is really a blend of two very different markets.
Virginia runs its own OSHA-approved State Plan through VOSH (Virginia Occupational Safety and Health), covering both private-sector and state/local government employers. VOSH has also gotten ahead of federal OSHA on some fronts — Virginia was among the first states to adopt its own heat-illness prevention standard — so safety managers here need to track state rules on top of the federal baseline.
EHS and safety-manager demand in Virginia concentrates around Virginia Beach, Richmond, and Arlington: Hampton Roads for Naval Station Norfolk (the largest naval base in the world) and Newport News Shipbuilding, Richmond for a diversified manufacturing and logistics base, and Northern Virginia for the federal-contracting and data-center construction boom centered on Loudoun County’s “Data Center Alley.”
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What does a safety manager earn in Virginia?
Safety and EHS managers in Virginia earn an estimated median of about $95,000 per year, with a typical range of $74,100 to $128,250 depending on industry, employer size, certifications and experience. The estimate is anchored on BLS OES national data scaled to Virginia’s wage level.
Does Virginia have its own OSHA program?
Yes. Virginia runs its own OSHA-approved State Plan through VOSH, covering both private-sector and state/local government employers. VOSH has also moved ahead of federal OSHA on some rules, including an early state-specific heat-illness prevention standard.
What industries drive safety-manager hiring in Virginia?
Naval Station Norfolk (the world’s largest naval base) and Newport News Shipbuilding anchor demand in Hampton Roads, Loudoun County’s dense concentration of data centers drives construction-safety hiring in Northern Virginia, and federal/defense contracting adds further demand around the Pentagon corridor.
How can I increase my safety-manager salary in Virginia?
Target shipbuilding, data-center construction or defense-contracting employers, earn a BCSP credential such as the CSP, and move into multi-site or director-level scope. Cost of living varies enormously across the state — Northern Virginia is one of the most expensive labor markets in the country, while rural Southside and Southwest Virginia run well below the national median. Use the free salary estimator to model your own number.
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