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The differences between ehs specialists and safety assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an ehs specialist and a safety assistant. Additionally, an ehs specialist has an average salary of $58,112, which is higher than the $38,077 average annual salary of a safety assistant.
The top three skills for an ehs specialist include OSHA, environmental health and risk assessments. The most important skills for a safety assistant are patients, patient care, and patient safety.
| EHS Specialist | Safety Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $58,112 | $38,077 |
| Hourly rate | $27.94 | $18.31 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 7,580 | 13,994 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Usually working for large industries, an environment and health safety (EHS) specialist's role is to ensure the implementation of the safety policies and regulations in the workplace. Typically, they spearhead programs such as fire and earthquake drills, train new employees, identify areas of vulnerabilities in the system, and organize conferences and workshops. An EHS specialist must also maintain documentation of processes, produce progress reports, prepare presentations, and develop new policies when necessary. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with all departments, ensuring safety compliance in all areas.
Safety assistants help safety managers create and execute safety protocols. Typical duties include examining work areas, locating hazardous elements as well as keeping up with safety manuals and guidelines. Also, they interview injured employees, maintain first aid centers, and probe work safety incidents. Additionally, they direct regular audits with safety mentors to make certain that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) policies and procedures are followed. Primary job qualifications include knowledge in safety protocols, detail-oriented, organizational skills, teamwork, and time management. Another important requirement in this field is training in occupational hazards.
Ehs specialists and safety assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| EHS Specialist | Safety Assistant | |
| Average salary | $58,112 | $38,077 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $82,000 | Between $27,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Fairbanks, AK |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Capco |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an ehs specialist and a safety assistant in terms of educational background:
| EHS Specialist | Safety Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between ehs specialists' and safety assistants' demographics:
| EHS Specialist | Safety Assistant | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |