In order to remain in demand and increase earnings, an occupational safety specialist must implement innovative practices that save the company’s resources, the participants of the seminar «Occupational Safety Specialist in 2025: how to stay in demand and earn more» concluded, which was held as part of the IX St. Petersburg International Labor Forum and the CUBE EXPO exhibition «Personnel. Management. Security».

During the event, the participants discussed how to successfully develop a career in the field of occupational safety, which specialists are in demand now, and how to unlock their potential to increase earnings.

«The recent shortage of personnel could not but affect the labor protection market,» said Artem Krylov, editor-in-chief of the OT Media portal, opening the seminar, «about half of the workers in this area are thinking about changing jobs.»

At the same time, the profession of an occupational safety specialist is not in an acute shortage, said the head of external communications of the hh.ru service in the regions Anna Osipova, but there is also no oversupply; competition here is at an average level. Such specialists are most in demand in the field of construction, as well as food production, in the extractive, oil and gas, and energy industries. You can also expect the highest salaries there — more than 100 thousand rubles. The lowest incomes in labor protection are in agriculture, Anna Osipova noted, since many enterprises here are located in regions with low wages in general. The median salary for occupational safety specialists is now about 80 thousand rubles. In addition, Anna Osipova shared her observation: most often they are looking for specialists with up to 6 years of experience, while only 3% of vacancies with the required experience exceed this.

When applying for a job, you need to pay attention to a well-written CV, recommended Nadezhda Belousova, head of the labor protection department of the O’Key retail chain. It should be as specific as possible, and the applicant’s qualifications should correspond to the position they are applying for. The skills that an employer values are adaptability, effective communication, stress management, as well as the ability to predict risks and think systematically, she added.

Sergey Vinnik, head of the ECOPSI Safe Manufacturing Practice, believes that today it is no longer enough for an occupational safety specialist to simply serve his time at work, look for violations, and issue instructions for elimination thereof. To become a good, and therefore highly paid, specialist, you need to be a strategist who saves company’s millions and preserves its reputation, he said. This means that an employee needs to implement innovative processes in their work in order to reduce the company’s costs and receive bonuses for this. He also needs to engage in personal development, be able to convince and resolve conflicts, and be a flexible generalist rather than a highly specialized employee. This is the secret of a long career, said Sergey Vinnik.