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The differences between hse managers and safety engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become an hse manager, becoming a safety engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an hse manager has an average salary of $85,844, which is higher than the $74,228 average annual salary of a safety engineer.
The top three skills for an hse manager include regulatory agencies, OSHA and environmental regulations. The most important skills for a safety engineer are OSHA, safety standards, and safety program.
| HSE Manager | Safety Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,844 | $74,228 |
| Hourly rate | $41.27 | $35.69 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 22,562 | 16,617 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 2 |
A health, safety, and environmental (HSE) manager is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing a company's health and safety programs. Their responsibilities typically revolve around coordinating with different departments to gather data, assessing existing programs and policies to identify areas needing improvement, implementing solutions on issues and concerns, developing strategies to execute programs, and creating new safety policies as necessary. Furthermore, as an HSE manager, it is essential to lead and encourage team members to reach goals, all while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.
The duties of a safety engineer depend on one's industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around overseeing the implementation of the safety policies and regulations in a company by conducting regular inspections and maintenance checks, coordinating with department personnel to gather data, assessing risks, and arranging precautionary measures. A safety engineer must also address issues and concerns, responding to them in a timely and efficient manner. Furthermore, there are instances when they have to lead safety orientations and seminars to maintain a safe and productive environment for everyone.
Hse managers and safety engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| HSE Manager | Safety Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,844 | $74,228 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $121,000 | Between $49,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fremont, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | PBF Energy | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Technology |
There are a few differences between an hse manager and a safety engineer in terms of educational background:
| HSE Manager | Safety Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Occupational Safety And Health | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between hse managers' and safety engineers' demographics:
| HSE Manager | Safety Engineer | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 9.7% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |