4-8 years
Degree Required
ADN or BSN
Certification
Certified Occupational Health Nurse (COHN); COHN-Specialist recommended
Occupational health nurses care for workers, treat work-related injuries and illnesses, and make workplaces safer. Many earn six figures, especially at the nurse practitioner or corporate director level.
What Is an Occupational Health Nurse?
Occupational health nurses treat and prevent work-related injuries and illnesses, and manage employee health and insurance claims. You might work in a hospital or health system, an occupational health provider, an employer worksite, an insurance company, or a government agency that regulates workplace conditions.
Most occupational health nurses care for patients in manual-labor jobs with higher hazard rates, but plenty work onsite at large corporations with desk jobs, where the setting looks more like a traditional medical office. Either way, you treat a range of conditions and advise on workplace health and safety.
Steps to Becoming an Occupational Health Nurse
The typical path is a BSN and an RN license.
-
Earn a BSN from an accredited program. A BSN takes four years full time. If you already hold an ADN, an RN-to-BSN program adds about one year rather than two.
-
Pass the NCLEX-RN. This national exam is required for state licensure and covers the same material as your nursing curriculum.
-
Gain experience in occupational health. The direct route is an entry-level occupational health role. If none are available nearby, acute care experience treating illnesses and injuries also prepares you.
-
Consider certification. It isn't legally required, but many employers prefer or require it for leadership roles. The American Board of Occupational Health Nurses (ABOHN) offers the main credentials.
Occupational Health Nurse Education
The ADN is faster; the BSN is more comprehensive and often required for higher-level roles. Advanced certification requires a bachelor's degree, though not necessarily a BSN.
ADN
Two years, with lower admission requirements and tuition than a BSN.
- Admission requirements: High school diploma or GED; math and science courses
- Curriculum: Practical nursing skills, communication, ethical and legal considerations
- Time to complete: Two years
- Skills learned: Administering medications and treatments; patient safety; infection and injury control
BSN
Twice as long as an ADN, with more depth and breadth. Often required or preferred for higher-level roles, and it prepares you for a master's and advanced practice.
- Admission requirements: High school diploma or GED; math and science courses; typically a 3.0 GPA
- Curriculum: Practical nursing skills; public health; informatics; research
- Time to complete: Four years
- Skills learned: Medications and treatments; medical history and symptoms; health records; injury and infection control; population health
Licensure and Certification
The two primary credentials are the Certified Occupational Health Nurse (COHN) and the Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist (COHN-S). Both require a current, unencumbered RN license and 3,000 hours of occupational health nursing experience in the last five years (some equivalents allowed) (ABOHN). The COHN-S also requires a bachelor's degree, not necessarily in nursing. Certification isn't required to practice, but many employers strongly prefer it.
Working as an Occupational Health Nurse
These jobs are less common than other nursing specialties but stay in demand and pay well. The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses reported a median annual salary of $83,000, rising to a median $95,150 for COHN-S holders and $126,000 at the corporate director level.
Typical responsibilities:
- Assessing workplace illnesses and injuries
- Conducting testing
- Treating within scope of practice
- Referring employees to other resources
- Performing workplace safety assessments
- Determining fitness to return to work
- Maintaining records and flagging injury patterns while protecting confidentiality
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become an occupational health nurse? Plan on two to four years for the degree. A two-year ADN plus the NCLEX-RN is the fastest entry; a four-year BSN carries more value and is often required for leadership roles.
What certification do occupational health nurses need? None is legally required to practice, but many employers prefer or require it for leadership roles. The American Board for Occupational Health Nurses (ABOHN) offers the COHN and COHN-S credentials, each requiring an active RN license and 3,000 hours of occupational health nursing in the last five years; the COHN-S also requires a bachelor's degree (ABOHN).
How much do occupational health nurses make? The 2024 median annual wage for all RNs is $93,600 (BLS). ZipRecruiter reports a median around $86,380 for occupational health nurses specifically, and COHN-S holders tend to earn more.
What skills matter most on the job? Beyond core nursing skills, the role rewards current knowledge of workplace hazards, the ability to lead behavior and workplace change, and systems thinking to find the root causes of injury patterns.
Where do occupational health nurses work? Hospitals and health systems, occupational health providers, employer worksites, insurance companies, and government agencies that regulate workplace conditions.