Cal/OSHA

Start a career with Cal/OSHA to make workplaces safer in your community.

Inspectors (Safety Engineers and Industrial Hygienists):

  • Inspect workplaces in different industries

  • Ensure workplaces are safe

  • Educate employers and workers

Become part of an exceptional team of engineers, industrial hygienists, researchers, consultants and attorneys who are dedicated to improving health and safety across all industries in California.

Cal/OSHA team members get to work in diverse settings in fields such as construction, agriculture, healthcare, warehouse and more. Take the next step in your career with Cal/OSHA and make a tangible difference in improving workplace safety for your community.

Cal/OSHA Inspector Key Qualifications

We have openings for college graduates and experienced team members.

  • Inspectors work as either Safety Engineers with a four-year college degree in engineering, or Industrial Hygienists with a four-year college degree in health-related studies. Review the key qualifications below to see how you can start your career as a Cal/OSHA inspector.

    Safety Engineer

    Four-year college degree in engineering to start as a Junior Safety Engineer. Start at higher positions with a four-year college degree in engineering and with two years or more of experience directly related to safety enforcement at construction, industrial or commercial worksites.

    Industrial Hygienist

    Industrial Hygienists are encouraged to apply to Associate Safety Engineer job postings with the working title of “Cal/OSHA Enforcement Inspector.” Candidates will need to meet the qualifications for the Associate Safety Engineer classification:

    • Four-year college degree with major work in industrial hygiene, environmental health, engineering, chemistry, biology, physics, medicine or public health and

    • Three years of experience in the construction, electrical, or industrial disciplines, conducting safety inspections to identify hazards to worker safety.

    Senior Industrial Hygienist

    For those with a four-year college degree and at least five years of experience evaluating health hazards in workplaces, there are careers posted under the Senior Industrial Hygienist classification on the CalCareers website.

Benefits of a Career with Cal/OSHA

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance

  • Pension plan

  • 401(k)/457 retirement plans

  • Short-term and long-term disability coverage

  • Flexible spending account to save on medical and child care expenses

  • Paid vacation and holidays

  • Union representation

  • Professional development support

Additional information on benefits can be found on the CalHR website.

Cal/OSHA team members describe their jobs as interesting and enjoyable. They say it is rewarding to help improve safety and health conditions in workplaces.

Working for the State of California means you get long-term job security and excellent benefits such as:

Application Process

To get a job with the State of California, you must follow the application process below.

Create a CalCareers account

Before you can apply for a job opening, you need to create a CalCareers account. Your account lets you manage all your job applications and view your exam results in one place. You only need one CalCareers account to apply for all jobs.

Pass an exam

To determine whether you qualify for a specific job type, you must complete an examination for that job type (classification) to establish eligibility. If you pass an exam for a specific job type, you can apply for any job vacancy advertised under that classification.

You can view the list of all current DIR exams. If you're not already a state employee, you can only apply for and take open exams. If you're a current or former state employee, or a veteran, you can apply for open or promotional exams. If you are a veteran, visit Veterans' Preference for more information.

Apply for career openings

Learn more about how to become a Cal/OSHA Inspector. Submit your application online using your CalCareers account. You can also apply by submitting the Standard State Application (STD 678) by mail. All paper applications must be postmarked as instructed in the job bulletin.

Check in after applying

We encourage you to contact us for an update. Reach out to Cal/OSHA’s recruiter at DIRJobs@dir.ca.gov.