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The differences between plant safety leaders and safety directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a plant safety leader, becoming a safety director takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a safety director has an average salary of $85,687, which is higher than the $75,374 average annual salary of a plant safety leader.
The top three skills for a plant safety leader include OSHA, continuous improvement and safety audits. The most important skills for a safety director are OSHA, DOT, and safety procedures.
| Plant Safety Leader | Safety Director | |
| Yearly salary | $75,374 | $85,687 |
| Hourly rate | $36.24 | $41.20 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 36,957 | 19,507 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
Plant Safety Leaders are responsible for ensuring the organization's facility adheres to all safety policies and regulations. Their duties include advising employees on safety work culture, develop safe work practices programs, and make sure projects' operations fulfill legal safety requirements. They are also involved in conducting accident investigations, implementing safety worksite processes, and producing safety reports. Plant Safety Leaders carry out safety and risk assessments, perform emergency response evaluations, and facilitate staff departments' training sessions.
A safety director is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the business and its employees, enforcing strict safety standards, and facilitating safety drills and programs to avoid potential hazards within the office's premises. Safety directors inspect the building's premises, including the office's equipment and other systems, and perform immediate actions even for the smallest inconsistencies. They also create incident and audit reports to discuss with the management and implement or adjust regulations as needed.
Plant safety leaders and safety directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Safety Leader | Safety Director | |
| Average salary | $75,374 | $85,687 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $124,000 | Between $55,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairfield, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | - | Construction |
There are a few differences between a plant safety leader and a safety director in terms of educational background:
| Plant Safety Leader | Safety Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between plant safety leaders' and safety directors' demographics:
| Plant Safety Leader | Safety Director | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.8% Female, 22.2% | Male, 79.8% Female, 20.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 9.7% White, 69.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 4% |