Corporate Safety Director Education Requirements: Degrees, Majors, Colleges

Corporate safety director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a corporate safety director. Corporate safety directors usually study business, occupational safety and health, or management. 64% of corporate safety directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 801 real corporate safety director resumes to see exactly what corporate safety director education sections show.

The most common colleges for corporate safety directors are the Columbia Southern University and the Columbia Southern University.

There are also many online corporate safety director courses to help get the education required to be a corporate safety director.

There are certain corporate safety director certifications that you should consider. These corporate safety director certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Safety Professional (CSP).

What education do you need to become a corporate safety director?

What degree do you need to be a corporate safety director?

The most common degree for corporate safety directors is bachelor's degree, with 64% of corporate safety directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 14%.

Bachelor's, 64%

Associate, 15%

Master's, 14%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a corporate safety director?

You should major in business to become a corporate safety director. 19% of corporate safety directors major in business. Other common majors for a corporate safety director include occupational safety and health and management.

Business, 19%

Occupational Safety And Health, 17%

Management, 10%

Public Health, 7%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for corporate safety directors

Corporate safety directors often get their degrees at Columbia Southern University, University of Central Missouri, and Indiana State University. Here are the most common colleges for corporate safety directors in the US based on their resumes.

Corporate safety director common college	Percentages
Columbia Southern University	21.19%
University of Central Missouri	10.17%
Indiana State University	8.47%
West Virginia University	7.63%
Troy University	5.08%

Show more common corporate safety director colleges

Best majors for corporate safety directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	19.1%
2	Occupational Safety And Health	16.7%
3	Management	9.6%
4	Public Health	7.2%
5	Criminal Justice	6.0%

Show more common corporate safety director majors

20 best online courses for corporate safety directors

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1. OSHA Safety Training: Conducting Safety Meetings

4.5

(958)

A Brief Safety Management Course for Current and Aspiring Safety Professionals...

2. OSHA Safety Training: Heat Stress Management

4.6

(465)

A Workplace Safety Management Course for Current and Future Safety Professionals...

3. NEBOSH FIRE SAFETY

4.4

(252)

Managing Fire Safety in Workplace...

4. Fire Safety and Prevention Planning

4.4

(1,467)

Become an expert in understanding Fire Safety and Prevention Planning for your workplaces and organizations...

5. Fire Safety: Become A Fire Safety Expert

4.3

(484)

Become an expert in Fire Safety, Fire Hazards Control, Fire Evacuation Plans, and Fire Risk Assessment...

6. Occupational Health & Safety Training

4.4

(1,198)

Workplace Health and Safety Course For Employees & Managers...

7. Basic Fire Safety Awareness

4.3

(776)

Basic Fire Safety Awareness - Your Gateway towards Career in Fire Safety...

8. OSHA Safety Pro: Deadly Concrete Dust. Crystalline Silica.

4.4

(478)

OSHA's General, Construction, and Maritime Industries Hazard Prevention and Safety Standard...

9. Food Safety for Managers and Supervisors

4.3

(489)

The Highfield Food Safety Level 3 syllabus presented in two hours of video tutorials. Boost your food safety knowledge...

10. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment

4.5

(1,881)

Impress management or get that job with you your ability to display life and dollar saving work place safety practices...

11. Functional Safety for Safety Instrumented Systems

4.1

(263)

The most complete course available on Functional Safety. 2+ hours of videos, case studies, assignments, & more...

12. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)

4.5

(2,583)

Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...

13. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

4.4

(976)

Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...

14. OSHA Safety Pro: Trenching Excavation & Soil Mechanics

4.3

(727)

A quick yet detailed certification in OSHA safety with a focus on Trenching, Excavation, & Soil Mechanics...

15. Basic Certificate in Health Safety & Environment-HSE Level 2

4.4

(355)

A comprehensive course for Safety Officers, Supervisors, Managers and Aspiring Safety Professionals...

16. NEBOSH health and safety Management System

4.3

(448)

It Shows the Start point to Build your Health & safety Career and how to Join the field and becoming HSE Specialist...

17. Fun food safety and sanitation course

4.6

(539)

The food safety course will help prepare you for safely working in a kitchen and food handler tests like Servesafe...

18. Complete Health and Safety Auditor Course. OHSAS 18001.

4.5

(2,235)

How to implement and audit a health & safety management system and obtain certification to OHSAS 18001 Standard...

19. ISO 45001. Occupational health & safety management system

4.6

(4,258)

Upgrate your health and safety career by understanding the requriements for an OH & S management system from ISO 45001...

20. Refresher course of Safety Management Systems

4.7

(390)

A quick overview for aviation managers and safety professionals about basic concepts and philosophy of SMS...

Average corporate safety director salary by education level

Corporate safety directors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $97,841 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, corporate safety directors earn a median annual income of $82,202 compared to $80,542 for corporate safety directors with an Associate degree.

Corporate safety director education level	Corporate safety director salary
Master's Degree	$97,841
High School Diploma or Less	$71,648
Bachelor's Degree	$82,202
Some College/ Associate Degree	$80,542