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The differences between occupational health and safety specialists and 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 an occupational health and safety specialist and a safety officer. Additionally, an occupational health and safety specialist has an average salary of $59,335, which is higher than the $46,336 average annual salary of a safety officer.
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 safety officer are OSHA, patients, and patrol.
| Occupational Health And Safety Specialist | Safety Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $59,335 | $46,336 |
| Hourly rate | $28.53 | $22.28 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 84,204 | 68,487 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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 safety officer specializes in maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for employees in a building or establishment. Aside from adhering to the safety standards and regulations within a company, a safety officer also has to craft and improve policies that prioritize the physical and mental health of workers. Furthermore, it is essential to implement safety programs by educating workers on various precautionary measures, performing regular inspections of equipment and machines, and ensuring the proper disposal of any hazardous waste materials.
Occupational health and safety specialists and safety officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Occupational Health And Safety Specialist | Safety Officer | |
| Average salary | $59,335 | $46,336 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $87,000 | Between $29,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Silver Spring, MD | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | New York |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Amgen |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between an occupational health and safety specialist and a safety officer in terms of educational background:
| Occupational Health And Safety Specialist | Safety Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Occupational Safety And Health | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between occupational health and safety specialists' and safety officers' demographics:
| Occupational Health And Safety Specialist | Safety Officer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2% | Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2% |
| 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, 9.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |