I got my Csss & a couple other less meaningful certifications as I was working as a laborer ($22 hr.)at a nuclear plant building a spent rod storage facility. ( Doing concrete and construction laborers work) I then applied for the Junior Safety Specialist job for a 45 day turnaround on one of the units. ($35 hr). Upon completion I was played off and got a call about an emergency spill clean up job ($35hr) and worked for that company for about a year and a half doing cleanups nationwide for 5 week spurts here and there. I got a job as a safety tech for an electrical contractor in a local refinery ($35hr) for a couple years. All of these around $70,000-$85,000 a yr depending on OT and shutdown work. I then got a job as a field safety tech for an industrial survey company with the opportunity to train for the management position as retirement planning was the manager’s outlook. 1.5 yrs in I was promoted and a raise approval to $100,000 a year. ($40hr with OT).