OSHA 10 vs. OSHA 30: Full Comparison
Both cards come from the same federal Outreach Training Program, but they are not two versions of the same thing - they differ in hours, audience, and depth of content, and neither substitutes for the other. This page lays out every dimension of that difference in one place.
What is the core difference between OSHA 10 and OSHA 30?
OSHA 10 is a 10-hour entry-level safety-awareness course, and OSHA 30 is a 30-hour course covering the same core topics in more depth plus additional elective safety-management material, intended for supervisors and workers with safety responsibility.
See Requirements for the full federal card mechanics behind this comparison.
| Feature | OSHA 10 | OSHA 30 |
|---|---|---|
| Contact hours | 10 | 30 |
| Primary audience | Entry-level workers | Supervisors, foremen, safety officers |
| Tracks available | Construction, General Industry, Maritime, Disaster Site (7.5-hr or 15-hr) | Construction, General Industry, Maritime |
| Card expiration | None federally | None federally |
| Typical online price | $35-$70 | $150-$190 |
| Issuing authority | U.S. DOL / OTI-authorized trainer | U.S. DOL / OTI-authorized trainer |
Can I take OSHA 30 without first completing OSHA 10?
Yes, OSHA 30 is a complete, standalone curriculum and does not require completing OSHA 10 first; a worker can enroll directly in the 30-hour course regardless of whether they hold a 10-hour card already.
Some employers set an internal policy of starting every new hire with OSHA 10 before promoting anyone to a role requiring OSHA 30, but that is a company practice, not a federal enrollment prerequisite.
Does completing OSHA 30 also satisfy an OSHA 10 requirement?
No, the two cards are separate, non-overlapping credentials, and a card identifies which one was completed; none of the mandate jurisdictions covered on this site treats a 30-hour card as satisfying a statute that names the 10-hour course.
New York City's Site Safety Training program comes closest to a partial exception: its Option 1 worker path credits the 30-hour OSHA course toward the required 40-hour SST card, but that is a different local credential crediting OSHA-30 as one input among several, not a statute treating OSHA-30 as equivalent to an OSHA-10 card. Check the specific state page before assuming a 30-hour card covers a 10-hour requirement.
Which mandate states require the 30-hour course specifically?
Nevada is the clearest example requiring OSHA 30 specifically for supervisors, across all four of its industry-specific statutes (construction, entertainment, convention services, and cannabis establishments), on top of the OSHA 10 requirement for workers.
See Nevada for the full statute detail behind this requirement.
Philadelphia's municipal ordinance similarly requires at least one supervisory employee per contractor license to hold OSHA 30, on top of the OSHA 10 requirement for every worker on a covered site. New York City's Site Safety Training program uses OSHA 30 as a credited input option (Option 1) toward its own 40-hour worker card, alongside a second OSHA-10-based option.
Are there other course tracks besides Construction and General Industry?
Yes, the program includes Maritime tracks (Shipyard Employment, Marine Terminals, and Longshoring, each under its own federal standard) and a distinct Disaster Site Worker course, offered in 7.5-hour and 15-hour lengths, that is neither a 10-hour nor 30-hour program.
Maritime tracks are required by federal law for covered maritime employers specifically, which is a separate fact from the state and city OSHA-10/30 mandates covered elsewhere on this site; none of the six mandate jurisdictions on this site names a Maritime-track requirement.
Which level should I choose if my employer has not specified one?
Choose OSHA 10 if you are an entry-level worker with no supervisory safety responsibility, and OSHA 30 if you supervise workers or hold a designated safety role; confirm the required level with your employer before enrolling.
Enrolling in the higher-hour course does not hurt if your employer only required the lower one - but it costs more and takes longer, so confirming the actual requirement before paying is the efficient choice in either direction.
Sources
| Fact | Value | Authority | URL | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OSHA-10 hour count | 10 | U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA | https://www.osha.gov/training/outreach | 2026-09-19 |
| OSHA-30 hour count | 30 | U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA | https://www.osha.gov/training/outreach | 2026-09-19 |
| Neither card expires federally | No expiration date once issued | U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA | https://www.osha.gov/training/outreach/faq | 2026-09-19 |
| Massachusetts requires the 10-hour course only, no 30-hour alternative | M.G.L. c.30 Sec. 39S | Massachusetts General Court | https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleIII/Chapter30/Section39S | 2026-09-19 |
| Nevada requires OSHA-30 for supervisors, all four sectors | NRS 618.983; 618.9901-618.9913; 618.9920-618.9931; 618.9940-618.9950 | Nevada Legislature (NRS) | https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-618.html | 2026-09-19 |
| Philadelphia requires OSHA-30 for 1+ supervisor | City of Philadelphia ordinance | City of Philadelphia L&I | https://www.phila.gov/departments/department-of-licenses-and-inspections/inspections/contractor-requirements/ | 2026-09-19 |
| NYC SST Option 1 uses OSHA-30 | Local Law 196 | NYC Department of Buildings | https://www.nyc.gov/site/buildings/safety/sst-worker-information.page | 2026-09-19 |
| Disaster Site Worker course length | 7.5 hours or 15 hours, distinct from 10/30 | U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA | https://www.osha.gov/training/outreach | 2026-09-19 |
Frequently asked questions
Is there an OSHA 20-hour or other intermediate course?
No, the federal Outreach Training Program offers only the 10-hour and 30-hour levels for Construction, General Industry, and Maritime; the only other hour counts in the program belong to the distinct 7.5-hour and 15-hour Disaster Site Worker course.
Does OSHA 30 cost three times as much as OSHA 10 because it is three times the hours?
Roughly, though not exactly proportional - based on this site's priced providers, OSHA 30 runs about $150-$190 versus $59-$70 for OSHA 10 in general-public pricing, closer to a 2x-3x price difference than a precise 3x multiplier tied strictly to hour count.
Can I hold both an OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 card at the same time?
Yes, there is no rule against holding both; some workers complete OSHA 10 early in their career and later add OSHA 30 when promoted to a supervisory role, keeping both cards as separate valid credentials.
Does the Construction/General Industry track choice apply the same way to both hour levels?
Yes, the same two primary tracks apply at both the 10-hour and 30-hour level; choosing Construction or General Industry is independent of choosing the 10-hour or 30-hour course length.
If my state does not mandate either card, is one level more commonly requested by employers?
No national survey of employer preference is cited here, but OSHA-10 is the more commonly referenced level in general job postings, while OSHA-30 appears more often specifically tied to a named supervisory or safety-officer role.