Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between process safety engineers and safety managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a process safety engineer and a safety manager. Additionally, a process safety engineer has an average salary of $84,412, which is higher than the $74,754 average annual salary of a safety manager.
The top three skills for a process safety engineer include safety management, OSHA and risk management. The most important skills for a safety manager are OSHA, safety program, and safety procedures.
| Process Safety Engineer | Safety Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $84,412 | $74,754 |
| Hourly rate | $40.58 | $35.94 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 38,650 | 16,155 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A process safety engineer is responsible for conducting quality check procedures for the operational processes of the manufacturing and construction industries. Process safety engineers analyze practices to ensure that the methodologies adhere to safety standards and state regulations. They also inspect the tools and materials used, the budget needed for production, and timetables to strategize efficient ways in minimizing costs and risks. A process safety engineer records the process findings and suggests technical solutions to maximize productivity.
A safety manager is someone who ensures that a company is compliant and adhering to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) guidelines. Safety managers are responsible for planning and implementing OHS policies and programs. They regularly prepare educational seminars and educate employees on various safety-related topics. They conduct enforcement of preventative measures as well as risk assessment. Also, they prepare reports on accidents and violations and determine what caused them. Safety managers must have excellent attention to detail to find the hazards, discover ways to improve conditions, and execute safety programs.
Process safety engineers and safety managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Safety Engineer | Safety Manager | |
| Average salary | $84,412 | $74,754 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $129,000 | Between $48,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | Orange, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | California Resources | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a process safety engineer and a safety manager in terms of educational background:
| Process Safety Engineer | Safety Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Chemical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between process safety engineers' and safety managers' demographics:
| Process Safety Engineer | Safety Manager | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.0% Female, 23.0% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 12.6% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 9.6% White, 69.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |