Food safety director vs health & safety officer

The differences between food safety directors and health & safety officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a food safety director, becoming a health & safety officer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a food safety director has an average salary of $69,299, which is higher than the $56,507 average annual salary of a health & safety officer.

The top three skills for a food safety director include food service, FDA and HACCP. The most important skills for a health & safety officer are OSHA, site safety, and em-385.

Food safety director vs health & safety officer overview

	Food Safety Director	Health & Safety Officer
Yearly salary	$69,299	$56,507
Hourly rate	$33.32	$27.17
Growth rate	10%	6%
Number of jobs	141,051	115,573
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	39	45
Years of experience	4	6

What does a food safety director do?

Food safety directors implement regulations and standards in various facilities. As a food safety director, you are responsible for training other inspectors who help inspect the facility and make detailed reports from which you determine how best to maintain safety standards. You will maintain documentation of day-to-day activities, making sure products meet the outlined criteria, educate suppliers, conduct regular safety audits, and promote smooth workflow.

What does a health & safety officer do?

A Health and Safety Officer is responsible for ensuring the workplace's safety and security to provide smooth operations and implement safety practices within the premises. They inspect the facilities and equipment's condition and report any failures and defects for immediate resolution. They also facilitate safety training and programs for the employees to reiterate safety protocols and policies for strict compliance. A health and safety officer reviews incident reports, recommend safety and security resolutions and develop safety initiatives.

Food safety director vs health & safety officer salary

Food safety directors and health & safety officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Safety Director	Health & Safety Officer
Average salary	$69,299	$56,507
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $137,000	Between $37,000 And $85,000
Highest paying City	Concord, NH	Berkeley, CA
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	Alaska
Best paying company	CyberCoders	24M Technologies
Best paying industry	Media	Construction

Differences between food safety director and health & safety officer education

There are a few differences between a food safety director and a health & safety officer in terms of educational background:

	Food Safety Director	Health & Safety Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Cornell University	-

Food safety director vs health & safety officer demographics

Here are the differences between food safety directors' and health & safety officers' demographics:

	Food Safety Director	Health & Safety Officer
Average age	39	45
Gender ratio	Male, 58.9% Female, 41.1%	Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 9.1% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	10%	7%

Differences between food safety director and health & safety officer duties and responsibilities

Food safety director example responsibilities.

Manage operations and provide support to a team of 245 union employees at various elementary, middle and high school cafeterias.
Prepare HACCP analysis report and provide reports for the areas not meeting the quality standards.
Supervise culinary selection, catering, event planning, and baking/cooking functions and oversee menu development.
Assist with the development and execution of HACCP plans specific to projects and special events.
Ensure collaboration between interdisciplinary teams including the clinical, culinary, and patient food service management staff to improve department efficiency.
Assist in directing total food service operation in accordance with USDA policies and procedures.

Health & safety officer example responsibilities.

Lead cross functional team on FMEA analysis, root cause analysis to improve the existing process.
Provide regulatory guidance of OSHA health and safety regulations and establish site interpretations of those regulations.
Organize students' information for CPR certification and parking registration.
Plan, organize, and host training sessions for CPR certification.
Develop metrics showing departmental and site EHS performances and present monthly findings to executive management.
Conduct internal audits of EHS programs and provide recommendations regarding the effectiveness of internal controls and processes.

Food safety director vs health & safety officer skills

Common food safety director skills

Food Service, 10%
FDA, 7%
HACCP, 7%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Culinary, 6%
Fsma, 5%

Common health & safety officer skills

OSHA, 12%
Site Safety, 5%
Em-385, 5%
Safety Program, 5%
Fall Protection, 5%
SSHO, 4%

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Food Safety Director
Food Safety Director vs Health & Safety Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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