OSHA itself does not sell courses. Prices are set by authorized trainers and online providers, so they vary. These are rough market ranges, not quotes. Always confirm the current price with the provider.
Typical price ranges
| Course | Online (authorized provider) | In-person / on-site |
|---|---|---|
| OSHA 10 Construction or General Industry | roughly $59–$90 per person (2026 list prices at authorized providers) | often $150–$300 per person, or a day rate for a group class |
| OSHA 30 Construction or General Industry | roughly $160–$200 per person | often $350–$600 per person |
On-site group classes are often cheaper per head for crews of 10 or more, and they let workers ask questions about your actual jobs.
What the price should include
- All course hours (the online version has time limits: no more than 7.5 hours per day).
- The final exam with retakes (online learners get up to three attempts).
- The wallet card, mailed by the provider. Ask how long the card takes. A printable certificate is usually available right away.
Hidden costs
- Worker time. Ten or thirty hours of paid time often costs more than the course.
- Card replacement. Usually a fee, and only possible within five years of the class, once.
- Expedited shipping for the plastic card.
- Language. Spanish-language versions are widely available, but confirm before buying.
Avoid "cheap" courses that aren't authorized
A $25 "OSHA 10" from a site that is not an OSHA-authorized online provider will not give you a DOL card, and in Missouri a program that does not deliver ten hours is called fraudulent. Run any provider through the online course checker first.
Budgeting for a crew
Multiply the per-person cost by headcount, add paid time, and plan new-hire training into onboarding. Because federal cards do not expire, the cost is mostly one-time per worker, except where a state or customer requires refreshers.
Online versus in-person: which is cheaper for you?
The sticker price favors online courses, but the real answer depends on crew size, language and how much paid time you lose.
| Factor | Online | In-person or on-site class |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | Lower, about $59–$90 for OSHA 10 | Higher per head, but a group day rate can beat online for 10+ workers |
| Time | At least 2 days (7.5-hour daily cap) | 2 days in a classroom for OSHA 10 |
| Scheduling | Workers fit it around shifts | Whole crew off production at once |
| Questions | Limited | Workers can ask about your actual jobs |
| Language | Spanish versions widely available | Depends on the trainer |
| Literacy | Reading-heavy | Easier for workers who learn by talking |
| Card | Mailed by the provider | Issued through the trainer's ATO |
For one or two new hires, online is almost always cheaper and faster to arrange. For a crew of twelve who need OSHA 10 before a public job, an authorized trainer teaching on site, in the crew's language, can cost about the same per head and usually produces better understanding.
The true cost of OSHA 10 for one worker
The course fee is often the smallest part. Here is an example for one worker at a $32 per hour total labor cost (wage plus burden):
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Online OSHA 10 Construction | about $59–$90 |
| 10 hours of paid training time at $32/hour | $320 |
| Card replacement if lost later (within five years) | varies by provider |
| Total | about $380–$410 |
The same worker on OSHA 30:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Online OSHA 30 Construction | about $160–$200 |
| 30 hours of paid training time at $32/hour | $960 |
| Total | about $1,120–$1,160 |
On prevailing wage jobs the hourly cost can be much higher, so the gap between OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 widens. That is why most contractors train the crew to OSHA 10 and supervisors to OSHA 30.
Budgeting for a crew: a worked example
A 15-person subcontractor is preparing for a year of public work in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
- 9 workers already have OSHA 10 Construction. Cost: $0.
- 4 workers need OSHA 10: about $236–$360 in course fees, plus 40 hours of paid time.
- 2 foremen need OSHA 30: about $320–$400 in course fees, plus 60 hours of paid time.
- 1 licensed electrician's OSHA 10 is seven years old, so Connecticut requires a 4-hour refresher from an OSHA-authorized trainer: a modest fee plus 4 hours of paid time.
Total course fees come to roughly $560–$760 plus the refresher, and paid time adds 104 hours. Spread across the year, the cost is small compared with one worker removed from a public site or one forfeiture under Missouri's or New Hampshire's daily penalties.
Ways to lower the cost legitimately
- Free state programs. Nevada's Safety Consultation and Training Section (SCATS) offers OSHA-10 and OSHA-30 construction training free of charge.
- Unions and apprenticeship programs. Many include OSHA 10 or 30 in their training at no extra cost to members.
- Workforce development programs. Local workforce boards and community colleges sometimes cover OSHA 10 for job seekers.
- Group pricing. Authorized online providers often discount bulk seats, and on-site trainers charge a day rate.
- Insurance carriers. Some workers' compensation carriers offer safety training resources or discounts to policyholders. Ask your agent.
- Train once. Federal cards do not expire, so a worker who brings a valid card from a previous employer does not need a new course unless a specific rule requires it.
What does not lower the cost: buying a cheap course from a site that is not an authorized provider. You pay twice when the worker has to retake it.
Signs a price is too good to be true
- "OSHA 10 card in one day." Online courses are capped at 7.5 hours a day, so a legitimate OSHA 10 takes at least two days.
- "Instant card download." The DOL card is a plastic card mailed by the provider. A printable certificate is fine as a temporary record, but it is not the card.
- "OSHA certified" with no provider name. Look for the authorized provider's name and check it against OSHA's list.
- No time tracking or no exam. Authorized online courses track time and include a final exam with up to three attempts.
The online OSHA course checker walks through these checks without naming any company as a fraud.
Who pays: employer or worker?
Federal OSHA does not require the Outreach course, so federal rules do not say who pays for it. In practice:
- When a state law requires the card (Nevada, Massachusetts, Missouri and others), employers usually pay, because they need compliant crews to work.
- When a GC requires it, the subcontractor normally pays as a cost of doing the work.
- When a worker takes it to get hired, the worker often pays and keeps the card when they change jobs.
- Wage and hour rules may require paying for training time in some situations. Check your state's wage laws and your collective bargaining agreement, if any.
Some employers pay for the course and ask workers to sign a repayment agreement if they leave within a short period. If you do this, keep it fair and get advice, because state wage rules vary.
Costs for other credentials crews need
OSHA 10 and 30 are only part of a crew's training budget. Plan for these too:
- Forklift operator training and evaluation, repeated at least every three years.
- Fall protection training with a written certification record for construction workers exposed to falls.
- First aid and CPR, commonly renewed every two years.
- Respirator fit testing, at least annually for workers who wear tight-fitting respirators.
- NYC SST courses for crews on covered New York City sites.
- Competent person training for excavation, scaffolds and other regulated work.
A training matrix shows which of these each worker needs, so you can budget the year rather than paying for rush classes.
Price differences by course type
OSHA Outreach courses come in several versions. Prices from authorized online providers are usually similar across versions at the same hour level, but availability differs:
- OSHA 10 and 30 Construction: the most widely offered, in English and Spanish.
- OSHA 10 and 30 General Industry: for warehouses, manufacturing, healthcare and other non-construction workplaces. Similar price to construction.
- Maritime: offered by fewer providers, often in person.
- 15-hour Disaster Site Worker: a specialized course, usually in person.
Make sure you buy the version the job requires. A General Industry card bought by mistake for a construction worker is money wasted, because most construction rules and GCs expect the Construction card.
When to budget for refreshers
Federal cards have no renewal cost, but some rules create one. Budget for these only if they apply:
- Nevada: none for construction since June 10, 2015, when SB 233 removed the refresher requirement.
- NYC SST: an 8-hour (worker) or 16-hour (supervisor) refresher every five years.
- Connecticut: a 4-hour refresher for licensed plumbers and electricians whose OSHA 10 is five or more years old, on public works.
- Philadelphia: a new OSHA 30 or 30 hours of continuing education for the license supervisor every five years.