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The differences between occupational health and safety specialists and health and safety coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an occupational health and safety specialist and a health and safety coordinator. Additionally, an occupational health and safety specialist has an average salary of $59,335, which is higher than the $53,465 average annual salary of a health and safety coordinator.
The top three skills for an occupational health and safety specialist include occupational safety, safety issues and trend analysis. The most important skills for a health and safety coordinator are OSHA, EHS, and environmental health.
| Occupational Health And Safety Specialist | Health And Safety Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $59,335 | $53,465 |
| Hourly rate | $28.53 | $25.70 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 84,204 | 72,017 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An occupational health and safety specialist's role is to inspect and analyze work environments and procedures, ensuring compliance with the company's safety rules and regulations. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies and programs that prioritize employees' safety and welfare, inspect machines and equipment, conduct safety demonstrations and training programs, investigate workforce accidents, and implement precautionary measures. There are also instances when an occupational health and safety specialist must produce progress reports and presentations, suggest improvements in the system, and collect samples for laboratory testing and analysis.
A health and safety coordinator is responsible for identifying the potential safety risks of an organization, recommending solutions to mitigate hazards that may affect the company's operational performance and productivity. Health and safety coordinators inspect the safety and security of the facilities, including the production tools, equipment, and machinery, and analyze findings to develop procedures that would eliminate work-related threats. They also facilitate safety training and programs for the employees, as well as emergency drills and reiteration of safety policies and protocols for strict compliance.
Occupational health and safety specialists and health and safety coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Occupational Health And Safety Specialist | Health And Safety Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $59,335 | $53,465 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $87,000 | Between $37,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Silver Spring, MD | Newark, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between an occupational health and safety specialist and a health and safety coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Occupational Health And Safety Specialist | Health And Safety Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Occupational Safety And Health | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between occupational health and safety specialists' and health and safety coordinators' demographics:
| Occupational Health And Safety Specialist | Health And Safety Coordinator | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2% | Male, 59.5% Female, 40.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 5.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |