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The differences between ehs specialists and safety representatives 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 representative. Additionally, an ehs specialist has an average salary of $58,112, which is higher than the $50,717 average annual salary of a safety representative.
The top three skills for an ehs specialist include OSHA, environmental health and risk assessments. The most important skills for a safety representative are OSHA, safety procedures, and corrective action.
| EHS Specialist | Safety Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $58,112 | $50,717 |
| Hourly rate | $27.94 | $24.38 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 7,580 | 15,531 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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.
A safety representative is responsible for reiterating safety protocols and regulations in the workplace to prevent potential hazards and operational delays. Safety representatives facilitate training and programs for the employees and inform them of any communications related to their safety and wellbeing. They also submit incident reports to the safety manager and provide recommendations to minimize risks and practice emergency drills. A safety representative must have excellent communication and organizational skills to create a safe environment for operations.
Ehs specialists and safety representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| EHS Specialist | Safety Representative | |
| Average salary | $58,112 | $50,717 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $82,000 | Between $32,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | Genentech | ConocoPhillips |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Energy |
There are a few differences between an ehs specialist and a safety representative in terms of educational background:
| EHS Specialist | Safety Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between ehs specialists' and safety representatives' demographics:
| EHS Specialist | Safety Representative | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 77.5% Female, 22.5% |
| 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, 10.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |