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The differences between health specialists and health & safety officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a health specialist and a health & safety officer. Additionally, a health & safety officer has an average salary of $56,507, which is higher than the $47,740 average annual salary of a health specialist.
The top three skills for a health specialist include patients, health education and public health. The most important skills for a health & safety officer are OSHA, site safety, and em-385.
| Health Specialist | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $47,740 | $56,507 |
| Hourly rate | $22.95 | $27.17 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 72,463 | 115,573 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A health specialist is primarily responsible for the health and welfare care of patients in a community or medical facility. They are also responsible for providing consultations, conducting assessments and examinations, providing prescriptions, and recommending care methods. A health specialist may also diagnose and treat ailments and injuries, coordinate with other health experts, and discuss conditions with patients and their families. Furthermore, a health specialist may participate in public discussions to raise awareness of health issues and lifestyles.
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.
Health specialists and health & safety officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Specialist | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Average salary | $47,740 | $56,507 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $72,000 | Between $37,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | City of Seattle | 24M Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Government | Construction |
There are a few differences between a health specialist and a health & safety officer in terms of educational background:
| Health Specialist | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | - |
Here are the differences between health specialists' and health & safety officers' demographics:
| Health Specialist | Health & Safety Officer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7% | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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 | 7% | 7% |