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The differences between plant safety leaders and safety technicians 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 technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a plant safety leader has an average salary of $75,374, which is higher than the $38,709 average annual salary of a safety technician.
The top three skills for a plant safety leader include OSHA, continuous improvement and safety audits. The most important skills for a safety technician are OSHA, patients, and customer service.
| Plant Safety Leader | Safety Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $75,374 | $38,709 |
| Hourly rate | $36.24 | $18.61 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 36,957 | 38,218 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| 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 technician is responsible for inspecting the office equipment and machinery, as well as the safety of facilities, avoiding potential hazards in the workplace. Safety technicians also review the company's policies and procedures, ensuring that the operational processes adhere to the internal guidelines and state regulations. They recommend safety training and programs for all employees on safety compliance and stable work conditions. A safety technician must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on writing incident reports and suggesting practices to maintain a safe working environment.
Plant safety leaders and safety technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Safety Leader | Safety Technician | |
| Average salary | $75,374 | $38,709 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $124,000 | Between $28,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairfield, CA | Bethlehem, PA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Apple | Micron Technology |
| Best paying industry | - | Construction |
There are a few differences between a plant safety leader and a safety technician in terms of educational background:
| Plant Safety Leader | Safety Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between plant safety leaders' and safety technicians' demographics:
| Plant Safety Leader | Safety Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.8% Female, 22.2% | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.7% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |